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European Competitiveness Fund

COD - Ordinary legislative procedure (ex-codecision procedure)2025/0555(COD)Committee: Industry, Research and EnergyDG: [GROW] Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs + [RTD] Research and Innovation

Policy topics

EU industrial funding (mechanism level: EU-pooled vs nationally-financed)

What this file does

Overview

The analysis is based on the Commission's legislative proposal to establish a European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) under procedure 2025/0555(COD), which is currently ongoing and at the first-reading stage. The European Parliament's status is 'Awaiting committee decision'. Key source documents include a draft opinion from the European Parliament's Committee on Public Health (SANT-PA-784244) and a preparatory note for a Council policy debate (ST 6010 2026 INIT). The proposal aims to create a consolidated financial platform to enhance EU competitiveness and strategic resilience.

Legislative timeline

The procedural history began with the European Parliament's referral of the file to committee on 23 October 2025. A recent plenary debate in the Parliament was held on 18 March 2026. In the Council, a policy debate on the proposal took place on 26 February 2026. An upcoming event is scheduled for 2 November 2026, concerning preparations for a Competitiveness Council meeting.

Institutional handling

The lead committee in the European Parliament is the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The Committee on Public Health (SANT) has also prepared a draft opinion. On the Commission side, the responsible Directorate-General is GROW (Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and SMEs), under Commissioner Stéphane Séjourné. The relevant Council configuration for negotiations is the Competitiveness Council (COMPET).

Stakeholder reactions

Stakeholder engagement on this file has been substantial, with 254 documented meetings involving 162 distinct organisations. Meetings were held with Members of the European Parliament (130), Commissioners (70), and European Commission staff (54). Among the most active organisations were Climate Strategy, KIC InnoEnergy SE, BGK (Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego), Cleantech for Europe, and the Bundesverband der Deutschen Industrie e.V. (BDI).

Specific positions have been expressed on key topics. On the subject of EU industrial funding, stakeholders including Climate Strategy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Climate Policy Center, and BDI have advocated for larger EU funding for industry, with some presenting specific proposals for a new fund. BGK also subtly favored bigger EU funding for industry. Regarding the simplification of EU regulation, stakeholders such as Mitsui & Co., European Family Businesses, the Federation of Austrian Industries, and the Österreichische Notariatskammer have expressed support, with some explicitly welcoming the Commission's focus and calling for effective implementation. On EU competition policy, BGK's discussions subtly favored supportive policies that enhance the competitiveness of European companies.

Media coverage

Media coverage includes three articles from two countries, namely Brussels and Slovenia. One article reports on a Slovenian working breakfast with EU commissioners and MEPs where Europe’s competitiveness and strategic autonomy were discussed. The article presents an argument that the EU’s next budget framework should focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), reduce funding fragmentation, and ensure SME involvement in governance and access to funds while supporting innovation. Another article notes that the European Parliament’s Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development discussed major EU policy initiatives including Horizon Europe.

Institutional status

ParliamentAwaiting committee decision
CouncilFirst reading

Official documents (34)

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