Regulation (EU) 2021/694 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2021 establishing the Digital Europe Programme and repealing Decision (EU) 2015/2240 (Text with EEA relevance)

• 1. Judiciary Enable seamless and secure cross-border electronic communication within the judiciary and between the judiciary and other competent bodies in the area of civil and criminal justice. Improve access to justice and to legal information and procedures for citizens, businesses, legal practitioners and members of the judiciary by providing semantically interoperable interconnections to databases and registers as well as by facilitating online out-of-court dispute resolution. Promote the development and implementation of innovative technologies for courts and the legal profession based, inter alia, on AI solutions which are likely to streamline and speed-up procedures (for example, ‘legal tech’ applications).

• 1. Transport, mobility, energy and environment Deploy decentralised solutions and infrastructure required for large-scale digital applications such as connected automated driving, unmanned aerial, ground, surface and underwater vehicles, smart mobility concepts, smart cities, smart rural areas or outermost regions, in support of transport, energy and environmental policies and in coordination with the actions for digitalising the transport and energy sectors under Connecting Europe Facility..

• 1. Education, culture and media Provide creators, creative industry and cultural sectors in Europe with access to the latest digital technologies from AI to advanced computing. Exploit the European cultural heritage, including Europeana, to support education and research and to promote cultural diversity, social cohesion and European society. Support the uptake of digital technologies in education, as well as private and publicly funded cultural institutions.

• 1. Other actions supporting the Digital Single Market Support actions such as fostering digital and media literacy and raising awareness among minors, parents and teachers regarding risks minors may encounter online and ways to protect them, tackling cyberbullying and the dissemination of child sexual abuse material online by supporting a pan-European network of Safer internet Centres. Promote measures aimed at detecting and combatting intentional disinformation spread, thereby increasing the Union’s overall resilience; support a Union observatory for the digital platform economy as well as studies and outreach activities. The actions referred to in points 1 to 6 may be partly supported by European Digital Innovation Hubs through the same capacities developed to assist industry with their digital transformation (see point (II).

• IIInitial and, where appropriate, subsequent actions under this objective related to the digital transformation of industry shall include:

• Contribution to the upscaling of the network of European Digital Innovation Hubs to ensure access to digital capacities for any business, in particular SMEs, in any region across the Union. Such contribution includes:

• 1. Access to common European data spaces and AI platforms and European HPC facilities for data analytics and compute intensive applications

• 1. Access to AI large scale testing facilities and to advanced cybersecurity tools

• 1. Access to advanced digital skills

• The actions referred to in the first subparagraph will be coordinated with, and will complement, the innovation actions in digital technologies supported, in particular, under Horizon Europe, as well as investments in European Digital Innovation Hubs supported under the ERDF. Grants for market replication may also be provided from the Programme, in compliance with state aid rules. Support for access to financing for further steps in their digital transformation will be achieved with financial instruments making use of the InvestEU Programme.

Specific Objective 6 – Semiconductors

Actions under Specific Objective 6 are provided in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/1781.

ANNEX II

MEASURABLE INDICATORS TO MONITOR THE IMPLEMENTATION AND TO REPORT ON THE PROGRESS OF THE PROGRAMME TOWARDS THE ACHIEVEMENT OF ITS SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES

Specific Objective 1 – High Performance Computing

• 1.1.The number of jointly procured HPC infrastructures

• 1.2.The usage of the exascale and post-exascale computers in total and by various stakeholder groups (universities, SMEs etc.)

Specific Objective 2 – Artificial Intelligence

• 2.1.The total amount co-invested in testing and experimentation facilities

• 2.2.The usage of common European libraries or interfaces to libraries of algorithms, usage of common European data spaces and usage of testing and experimentation facilities related to actions under this Regulation

• 2.3.The number of cases for which organisations decide to integrate AI in their products, processes or services, as a result of the Programme

Specific Objective 3 – Cybersecurity and Trust

• 3.1.The number of cybersecurity infrastructure, or tools, or both jointly procured including in the context of the European Cybersecurity Alert System

• 3.2.The number of users and user communities getting access to European cybersecurity facilities

• 3.3.The number of actions supporting preparedness for and response to cybersecurity incidents under the Cybersecurity Emergency Mechanism

Specific Objective 4 – Advanced Digital Skills

• 4.1.The number of persons who have received training to acquire advanced digital skills supported by the Programme

• 4.2.The number of enterprises, in particular SMEs, having difficulty recruiting ICT specialists

• 4.3.The number of people reporting an improved employment situation after the end of the training supported by the Programme

Specific Objective 5 – Deployment and Best Use of Digital Capacity and Interoperability

• 5.1.The take-up of digital public services

• 5.2.Enterprises with high digital intensity score

• 5.3.The extent of the alignment of the National Interoperability Framework with the European Interoperability Framework

• 5.4.The number of businesses and public sector entities which have used the services of European Digital Innovation Hubs

Specific Objective 6 – Semiconductors

Measurable indicators to monitor the implementation and to report on the progress of Specific Objective 6 are provided in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2023/1781.

ANNEX III

SYNERGIES WITH OTHER UNION PROGRAMMES

• 1.Synergies with Horizon Europe shall ensure that:

• (a) although several thematic areas addressed by the Programme and Horizon Europe converge, the type of actions to be supported, their expected outputs and their intervention logic are different and complementary;

• (b) Horizon Europe will provide extensive support for research, technological development, demonstration, piloting, proof-of-concept, testing and innovation including pre-commercial deployment of innovative digital technologies, in particular through:
• (i) a dedicated budget in the pillar ‘Global Challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’ for the cluster ‘Digital, Industry and Space’ to develop enabling technologies (AI and robotics, Next Generation internet, HPC and Big Data, key digital technologies, combining digital with other technologies);
• (ii) support to research infrastructures under the pillar ‘Excellent Science’;
• (iii) the integration of digital across all the Global Challenges (health, security, energy and mobility, climate, etc.); and
• (iv) support for scale-up breakthrough innovations under the pillar ‘Innovative Europe’ (many of which will combine digital and physical technologies);

• (c) the Programme will invest in:
• (i) digital capacity building in HPC, AI, distributed ledger technologies (e.g. blockchain), cybersecurity and advanced digital skills; and
• (ii) national, regional and local deployment within an Union framework of digital capacities and the latest digital technologies in areas of public interest (such as health, public administration, justice and education) or market failure (such as the digitisation of businesses, in particular SMEs);

• (d) the capacities and infrastructures of the Programme are made available to the research and innovation community, including for actions supported through Horizon Europe, such as testing, experimentation and demonstrations across all sectors and disciplines;

• (e) as the development of novel digital technologies matures through Horizon Europe, those technologies will progressively be taken up and deployed by the Programme;

• (f) Horizon Europe initiatives for the development of skills and competencies curricula, including those delivered at the co-location centres of the EIT’s KICs, are complemented by capacity-building in advanced digital skills supported by the Programme;

• (g) strong coordination mechanisms for programming and implementation are put in place, aligning all procedures for both programmes to the extent possible. Their governance structures will involve all Commission concerned services.

• 2.Synergies with Union programmes under shared management, including the ERDF, ESF+, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Acquaculture Fund, shall ensure that:

• (a) arrangements for complementary funding from Union programmes under shared management and the Programme are used to support actions providing a bridge between smart specialisations and support to the digital transformation of the European economy and society;

• (b) the ERDF contributes to the development and strengthening of regional and local innovation ecosystems, industrial transformation, as well as the digital transformation of society and of public administrations, thereby also stimulating the implementation of the Tallinn Declaration on eGovernment. This includes support for the digital transformation of industry and the take-up of results, as well as the rolling out of novel technologies and innovative solutions. The Programme will complement and support the trans-national networking and mapping of digital capacities to make them accessible to SMEs and to make interoperable IT solutions accessible in all Union regions.

• 3.Synergies with the Connecting Europe Facility shall ensure that:

• (a) the Programme focuses on large-scale digital capacity and infrastructure building in the areas of HPC, AI, cybersecurity and advanced digital skills, aiming at the wide uptake and deployment across Europe of critical existing or tested innovative digital solutions within a Union framework in areas of public interest or market failure. The Programme is mainly to be implemented through coordinated and strategic investments with Member States, in particular through joint public procurement, in digital capacities to be shared across Europe and in Union-wide actions that support interoperability and standardisation as part of developing the Digital Single Market;

• (b) the capacities and infrastructures of the Programme are to be made available to the deployment of innovative new technologies and solutions in the field of mobility and transport. The Connecting Europe Facility is to support the roll-out and deployment of innovative new technologies and solutions in the field of mobility and transport;

• (c) coordination mechanisms are to be established, in particular through appropriate governance structures.

• 4.Synergies with InvestEU Programme shall ensure that:

• (a) support through market-based financing, including pursuing policy objectives under the Programme is provided under Regulation (EU) 2021/523; such market-based financing might be combined with the grant support;

• (b) access to financial instruments by businesses is facilitated by the support provided by European Digital Innovation Hubs.

• 5.Synergies with Erasmus+ shall ensure that:

• (a) the Programme supports the development and acquisition of the advanced digital skills needed for the deployment of cutting-edge technologies such as AI or HPC, in cooperation with relevant industries;

• (b) the advanced skills part of Erasmus+ complements the interventions of the Programme, addressing the acquisition of skills in all domains and at all levels through mobility experiences.

• 6.Synergies with Creative Europe established by a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council shall ensure that:

• (a) the MEDIA strand of Creative Europe supports initiatives that can generate real impact for cultural and creative sectors across Europe, helping them adapt to the digital transformation;

• (b) the Programme, inter alia, provides creators, creative industry and cultural sector in Europe with access to latest digital technologies from AI to advanced computing.

• 7.Synergies with other Union programmes and initiatives on competencies and skills shall be ensured.

[^E0001]: Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC of 6 May 2003 concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (OJ L 124, 20.5.2003, p. 36).

[^E0002]: Regulation (EU) 2025/38 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 laying down measures to strengthen solidarity and capacities in the Union to detect, prepare for and respond to cyber threats and incidents and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/694 (Cyber Solidarity Act) (OJ L, 2025/38, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/38/oj).

[^E0003]: Directive (EU) 2016/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 July 2016 concerning measures for a high common level of security of network and information systems across the Union (OJ L 194, 19.7.2016, p. 1).

[^E0004]: Regulation (EU) 2021/887 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2021 establishing the European Cybersecurity Industrial, Technology and Research Competence Centre and the Network of National Coordination Centres (OJ L 202, 8.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/887/oj).

[^E0005]: Regulation (EU) 2023/1781 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023 establishing a framework of measures for strengthening Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem and amending Regulation (EU) 2021/694 (Chips Act) OJ L 229, 18.9.2023, p. 1

[^E0006]: Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2015/444 of 13 March 2015 on the security rules for protecting EU classified information (OJ L 72, 17.3.2015, p. 53).

[^E0007]: Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC (OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 65).

[^E0008]: Directive 2014/25/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on procurement by entities operating in the water, energy, transport and postal services sectors and repealing Directive 2004/17/EC (OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 243).

[^E0009]: Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj).

[^E0010]: Regulation (EU) No 283/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2014 on guidelines for trans-European networks in the area of telecommunications infrastructure and repealing Decision No 1336/97/EC (OJ L 86, 21.3.2014, p. 14).

[^E0011]: Directive 2011/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2011 on the application of patients’ rights in cross-border healthcare (OJ L 88, 4.4.2011, p. 45).