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Published on | 8 months ago
Last updated on | 2 months ago
marie.timmermann@fwo.be
Europe’s Digital Decade, a policy programme by the European Commission, sets targets to guide Europe’s digital transformation. These targets are to be achieved by 2030 in four areas:
To reach the digital targets and objectives, the European Commission aims to accelerate and facilitate the launch of multi-country projects (MCPs), large-scale projects that no single Member State could develop on its own. MCPs can be implemented in various ways such as Joint Undertakings (JUs), European Research Infrastructure Consortia (ERICs), the Union’s agencies, independently by the Member States concerned, through the execution of Important Projects of Common European Interest (IPCEIs) or through other appropriate implementation mechanisms.
The Digital Decade Policy Programme also introduced a new form to implement MCPs: European Digital Infrastructure Consortia (EDICs). EDICs are meant to speed up and simplify the setup and implementation of MCPs.
Each EDIC is a legal person established by a Commission decision upon the application of at least three Member States and Commission approval. The founding Member States define the EDIC´s governance structure and other functioning rules in the Statutes. Its budget will be based on its members’ contributions complemented by other sources of revenues, which may include EU and national grants. The seat of an EDIC is in a participating Member State and its legal personality must be recognised by all Member States.
An EDIC may implement a multi-country project by deploying joint infrastructure, delivering services and bringing together – as considered appropriate by the founding Member States – public entities, private entities, end users and industry.
Member States hold the majority of votes in the members' assembly, which gives them a decisive role in the governance of each EDIC. Specifically, Member States have the flexibility to tailor the internal structure of each EDIC, including members' contributions, voting rights, governance bodies, and other aspects of implementation and governance, through the customisation of EDIC statutes. EDICs will stay open to the participation of all Member States on fair and reasonable terms throughout their duration.
As an implementation mechanism for multi-country projects, EDICs can be used both for establishing of new infrastructures and operating existing ones (provided that joining the consortium adds value to ongoing activities, such as enhancing sustainability over time).
The following EDICs have been set up:
Planned EDICs:
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The Miricle project, ‘Mine Risk Clearance for Europe’, obtained funding under the European Defence Industrial Development programme call ‘Underwater control contributing to resilience at sea’. The main objective of the project was to achieve a European and sovereign capacity in future mine warfare and create a path for the next generation ‘made in Europe’ countermeasure solutions. In order to realise this objective, Miricle addressed various stages: studies, design, prototyping and testing. These stages inter alia included the successful testing of an XL Unmanned Underwater Vehicle, a protototyped mine disposal system and multiple innovative systems to detect buried mines. Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), was one of the five Belgian partners in the consortium. Within the project, VLIZ was able to forward its research on the acoustic imaging of the seabed to spatially map and visualize buried structures and objects - in this case buried mines - in the highest possible detail. VLIZ also led the work on ‘Port and Offshore Testing’, building on the expertise of the institute in the field of marine operations and technology.
