The European Commission has adopted its second Work Programme under the Connecting Europe Facility Digital (CEF-Digital) program, allocating EUR 865 million to enhance digital connectivity across the EU from 2024 to 2027.
With a solid commitment to sustainability, this investment aims to accelerate the rollout of high-performance infrastructure, including 5G and gigabit networks, to ensure secure and sustainable connectivity for citizens and businesses.
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Strategic Investment in Europe’s Digital Future
The funding will target several critical areas, strongly emphasizing enhancing Europe’s digital infrastructure. One key focus is deploying large-scale 5G networks and gigabit infrastructure across vital sectors, including healthcare, manufacturing, transport, and logistics. These efforts aim to ensure faster, more reliable connectivity for citizens and businesses. Another priority is the significant upgrade of backbone networks, which includes reinforcing submarine cables and introducing quantum communication systems to improve the resilience, performance, and connectivity capacity between EU member states and third countries.
In addition, the program will support the integration of digital platforms into energy and transport infrastructures, optimizing their efficiency while minimizing the environmental footprint of ICT systems. This initiative seeks to create more sustainable infrastructure by reducing energy consumption and improving connectivity. The program promotes technological innovation and aligns with the EU’s broader objectives under the 2030 Digital Decade. It addresses global digital challenges, demonstrating the EU’s commitment to strengthening Europe’s digital ecosystem and international competitiveness.
Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President for Europe Fit for the Digital Age, stated, “Improving our connectivity is of strategic importance for the EU. With this new program, we will connect more citizens and businesses while advancing innovative infrastructure projects. The Digital Work Programme will dedicate EUR 865 million to support the deployment of gigabit and 5G infrastructures, as well as large-scale backbone projects.”
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Next Steps and Broader Impact
The Commission is set to launch the fourth call under the CEF Digital program shortly, offering stakeholders opportunities to engage with these ambitious projects. With a total budget of EUR 2 billion until 2027, the program has already funded 65 projects, including crucial 5G initiatives and cross-border corridors. These efforts form part of the broader Connecting Europe Facility, which also covers transport and energy networks, with an overall budget of EUR 33.7 billion for 2021-2027.
The CEF Digital Work Program marks a significant step toward achieving a more connected, resilient, and technologically advanced Europe.
