### the mobility of adult education staff ; ### the mobility of adult education learners and staff ;


### the programme should reinforce existing learning mobility opportunities , notably in those sectors where the programme could have the biggest efficiency gains , to broaden its reach and meet the high unmet demand . this should be done notably by increasing and facilitating mobility activities for higher education students , school pupils and learners in vocational education and training . mobility of low - skilled adult learners should be embedded in partnerships for cooperation . mobility opportunities for youth participating in non - formal learning activities should also be extended to reach more young people . mobility of staff in education , training , youth and sport should also be reinforced , considering its leverage effect . in line with the vision of a true european education area , the programme should also boost mobility and exchanges and promote student participation in educational and cultural activities by supporting digitalisation of processes , such as the european student card . this initiative can be an important step in making mobility for all a reality first by enabling higher education institutions to send and receive more exchange students while still enhancing quality in student mobility and also by facilitating students ' access to various services before arriving at the institution abroad . ### the programme should reinforce existing learning mobility opportunities , notably in those sectors where the programme could have the biggest efficiency gains , to broaden its reach and meet the high unmet demand . this should be done notably by increasing and facilitating mobility activities for higher education students , school pupils and learners in vocational education and training . the opportunities for learning mobility in the border regions should receive extra support . for students in vocational education and training , in particular , opportunities for traineeships or to spend part of a course of studies abroad should be made more easily accessible so that they can familiarise themselves with the cross - border labour market . mobility of low - skilled adult learners should be embedded in partnerships for cooperation . mobility opportunities for youth participating in non - formal learning activities should also be extended to reach more young people . mobility of staff in education , training , youth and sport should also be reinforced , considering its leverage effect . in line with the vision of a true european education area , the programme should also boost mobility and exchanges and promote student participation in educational and cultural activities by supporting digitalisation of processes , such as the european student card . this initiative can be an important step in making mobility for all a reality first by enabling higher education institutions to send and receive more exchange students while still enhancing quality in student mobility and also by facilitating students ' access to various services before arriving at the institution abroad .


### ' people with fewer opportunities ' means people facing obstacles that prevent them from having effective access to opportunities under the programme for economic , social , cultural , geographical or health reasons , a migrant background or for reasons such as disability and educational difficulties ; ### ' people with fewer opportunities ' means people who need additional support due to the fact that they are at a disadvantage compared to their peers because of various obstacles , for example disability , age , health problems , educational difficulties , socio - economic status , cultural differences or economic , social or geographical obstacles , including people from a marginalised community , a migrant background or at risk of facing discrimination based on any of the grounds enshrined in article 21 of the charter of fundamental rights of the european union ;


### the programme should be more inclusive by improving its outreach to those with fewer opportunities , including through more flexible learning mobility formats , and by fostering participation of small organisations , in particular newcomers and community - based grassroots organisations that work directly with disadvantaged learners of all ages . virtual formats , such as virtual cooperation , blended and virtual mobility , should be promoted to reach more participants , in particular those with fewer opportunities and those for whom moving physically to a country other than their country of residence would be an obstacle . ### the programme should be more inclusive by improving its outreach to those with fewer opportunities , including through more flexible learning mobility formats , and by fostering participation of small organisations , in particular newcomers and community - based grassroots organisations that work directly with disadvantaged learners of all ages . virtual formats , such as virtual cooperation , blended and virtual mobility , should be promoted to reach more participants , in particular those with fewer opportunities and those for whom moving physically to a country other than their country of residence would be an obstacle , as is the case of young people from the outermost regions . online cultural , social and linguistic preparation tools should be made available for young people from these regions , with fewer opportunities for access to all erasmus + programme activities , and it should be a priority of this programme to reinforce the physical structures that provide them with local support . in order to support these additional inclusive measures , with a guaranteed impact on the future of young people from the outermost regions , the european social fund + should be used as a complement to erasmus + .


### national agencies referred to in article 24 shall develop a consistent strategy with regard to the effective outreach as well as dissemination and exploitation of results of activities supported under the actions they manage within the programme , shall assist the commission in its general task of disseminating information concerning the programme , including information in respect of actions and activities managed at national and union level , and its results , and shall inform relevant target groups about the actions and activities undertaken in their country . ### national agencies referred to in article 24 shall develop a consistent strategy with regard to the effective outreach as well as dissemination and exploitation of results of activities supported under the actions they manage within the programme , shall assist the commission in its general task of disseminating , in an accessible way , information concerning the programme , including information in respect of actions and activities managed at national and union level , and its results , and shall inform relevant target groups about the actions and activities undertaken in their country .


### the amount referred to in paragraph 1 may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the programme such as preparatory , monitoring , control , audit and evaluation activities , including corporate information technology systems . ### the amount referred to in paragraph 1 may be used for technical and administrative assistance for the implementation of the programme such as preparatory , monitoring , control , audit and evaluation activities , including corporate information technology systems and their it accessibility .


### the co - financing rate for the cohesion fund at the level of each priority shall not be higher than 70 % . ### the co - financing rate for the cohesion fund at the level of each priority shall not be higher than 85 % .


### 2023 : 0 . 5 % ; ### 2023 : 1 % ;


### 70 % for the less developed regions ; ### 85 % for the less developed regions ;


### 2026 : 0 . 5 % ### 2026 : 2 %


### 55 % for the transition regions ; ### 60 % for the transition regions ;


### 2024 : 0 . 5 % ; ### 2024 : 1 . 5 % ;


### 2022 : 0 . 5 % ; ### 2022 : 0 . 7 % ;


### 2025 : 0 . 5 % ; ### 2025 : 2 % ;


### 40 % for the more developed regions . ### 50 % for the more developed regions .


### appropriate mechanisms of coordination between relevant authorities and appropriate monitoring tools shall be established to systematically ensure synergies between the programme and any relevant eu funding instruments . the arrangements shall contribute to avoiding duplications and maximising impact of expenditure . ### appropriate mechanisms of coordination between relevant authorities , and between authorities and the european commission , and appropriate monitoring tools shall be established to systematically ensure synergies between the programme and any relevant eu funding instruments . the arrangements shall contribute to avoiding duplications and maximising impact of expenditure .


### the interim evaluation of the programme shall be performed once there is sufficient information available about the implementation of the programme , but no later than four years after the start of the implementation of the programme . ### the interim evaluation of the programme shall be performed once there is sufficient information available about the implementation of the programme , but no later than four years after the start of the implementation of the programme . the interim evaluation shall be presented in the european parliament .


### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry . ### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open , transparent and competitive procedure , in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools , as well as specialised trainings in advance digital skills , to enable the digital empowerment of all european citizens and the digital transformation of the industry and public institutions .


### the programme has the following general objective : to support the digital transformation of the european economy and society and bring its benefits to european citizens and businesses . the programme will : ### the programme has the following general objective : to accelerate and support the digital transformation of the european economy and society by means of deploying 5g and very high capacity networks across the union and bring its benefits to european citizens and businesses , thus securing the union ' s economic and innovative competitiveness . the programme will :


### up to eur 1 299 152 000 for specific objective 5 , deployment , best use of digital capacities and interoperability ### up to eur 1 157 620 312 in 2018 prices for specific objective 5 , deployment , best use of digital capacities and interoperability


### the digital transformation of the areas of public interest such as healthcare68 , mobility , justice , earth / environmental monitoring , education and culture requires the continuation and expansion of digital service infrastructures , which make secure cross - border exchange of data possible and foster national development . their coordination under this regulation best achieves the potential for exploiting synergies . _________________ 68 http : / / ec . europa . eu / newsroom / dae / document . cfm ? doc_id=51628 ### the digital transformation of the areas of public interest such as healthcare68 , mobility , justice , earth / environmental monitoring , security , education and culture requires the continuation and expansion of digital service infrastructures , which make secure cross - border exchange of data possible and foster national development . their coordination under this regulation best achieves the potential for exploiting synergies . _________________ 68 http : / / ec . europa . eu / newsroom / dae / document . cfm ? doc_id=51628


### the tallinn digital summit55 of september 2017 and the conclusions of the european council56 of 19 october 2017 indicated the need for europe to invest in digitising our economies and addressing the skills gap to maintain and enhance european competitiveness , our quality of life and social fabric . the european council concluded that the digital transformation offers immense opportunities for innovation , growth and jobs , will contribute to our global competitiveness , and enhance creative and cultural diversity . seizing these opportunities requires collectively tackling some of the challenges posed by the digital transformation and reviewing policies affected by the digital transformation . __________________ 55 https : / / www . eu2017 . ee / news / insights / conclusions - after - tallinn - digital - summit 56 https : / / www . consilium . europa . eu / media / 21620 / 19 - euco - final - conclusions - en . pdf ### the tallinn digital summit55 of september 2017 and the conclusions of the european council56 of 19 october 2017 indicated the need for europe to invest in efficient digitalisation of our economies and addressing the skills gap to maintain and enhance european competitiveness and innovation , our quality of life and social fabric . the european council concluded that the digital transformation offers immense opportunities for innovation , growth and jobs , will contribute to our global competitiveness , and enhance creative and cultural diversity . seizing these opportunities requires collectively tackling the challenges posed by the digital transformation in several ways , including by ensuring that the essential building blocks on which new technologies rely are put in place , by creating effective and easily enforceable legal rules , by reviewing policies affected by the digital transformation , and by creating an innovation - friendly environment in which the interests of users are fully safeguarded . __________________ 55 https : / / www . eu2017 . ee / news / insights / conclusions - after - tallinn - digital - summit 56 https : / / www . consilium . europa . eu / media / 21620 / 19 - euco - final - conclusions - en . pdf


### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and courses for students , it professionals and the workforce ; ### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and courses for students , educators , &#160 ; it professionals and the workforce ;


### deploy , operate and maintain trans - european interoperable digital service infrastructures in complementarity with national and regional actions ; ### deploy , operate and maintain , with a view to achieve a highly reliable and consistent coverage of 5g in the union , trans - european interoperable digital service infrastructures in complementarity with national and regional actions ;


### reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the union’s commitments to implement the paris agreement and the united nations sustainable development goals , this programme will contribute to mainstream climate actions and lead to the achievement of an overall target of 25% of the eu budget expenditures supporting climate objectives74 . relevant actions will be identified during the programme ' s preparation and implementation , and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes . _________________ 74 com 321 final , page 1 ### reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the union’s commitments to implement the paris agreement and the united nations sustainable development goals , this programme will contribute to mainstream climate actions and lead to the swift achievement of an overall target of at least 25% of the eu budget expenditures supporting climate objectives74 over the mff 2021 - 2027 period and 30% as soon as possible at the latest by 2027 . relevant actions will be identified during the programme ' s preparation and implementation , and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes . it is imperative that the eu delivers on its commitment to be a frontrunner in implementing the un sustainable development goals although there is a lack of a clear and visible commitment to that end in the mff proposals , therefore , the mainstreaming of the sdgs should be present in all eu policies and initiatives of the next mff . _________________ 74 com 321 final , page 1


### the programme should be implemented through projects reinforcing essential digital capacities and their wide use . this should involve co - investments with member states and , when needed , the private sector . this should notably require reaching a critical mass in procurement to obtain better value for money and guarantee that suppliers in europe stay at the forefront of technology advancements . ### the programme should be implemented through projects reinforcing essential digital capacities and their wide use . this should involve co - investments with member states and / or the private sector . this should notably require reaching a critical mass in procurement to obtain better value for money and guarantee that suppliers in europe stay at the forefront of technology advancements .


### the advanced digital technologies supported by this programme , such as high performance computing , cybersecurity and artificial intelligence are now sufficiently mature to move beyond the research arena and be deployed , implemented and scaled - up at union level . just as the deployment of these technologies require a union response so does the skills dimension . training opportunities in advanced digital skills need to be scaled up , increased and made accessible throughout the eu . failing this could impede the smooth deployment of advanced digital technologies and hamper the overall competitiveness of union ' s economy . the actions supported by this programme are complementary to those supported by the esf , erdf and horizon europe programmes . ### the advanced digital technologies supported by this programme , such as high performance computing , cybersecurity and artificial intelligence are now sufficiently mature to move beyond the research arena and be deployed , implemented and scaled - up at union level . just as the deployment of these technologies require a union response so does the skills dimension . training opportunities in advanced digital skills need to be scaled up , increased and made accessible throughout the eu to tackle the digital divide that is based on social - structural factors , such as income , gender or age . failing this could impede the smooth deployment of advanced digital technologies and hamper the overall competitiveness of union ' s economy . the actions supported by this programme are complementary to those supported by the esf , erdf and horizon europe programmes .


### for the purpose of the establishment of the network mentioned in paragraph 1 , each member state shall designate candidate entities through an open and competitive process , on the basis of the following criteria : ### for the purpose of the establishment of the network mentioned in paragraph 1 , each member state shall designate candidate entities based on harmonised rules through an open , transparent , inclusive and competitive process , on the basis of the following criteria :


### provide thematic services , including services related to artificial intelligence , high performance computing and cybersecurity and trust to the administrations , public sector organisations , smes and midcaps . individual digital innovation hubs may specialise in specific thematic services and do not need to provide all thematic services mentioned in this paragraph ; ### provide thematic services , including services related to artificial intelligence , high performance computing and cybersecurity and trust to the administrations , public sector organisations , smes , midcaps and start - ups . individual digital innovation hubs may specialise in specific thematic services and do not need to provide all thematic services mentioned in this paragraph ;


### a central role in the implementation of the programme should be attributed to digital innovation hubs , which should stimulate the broad adoption of advanced digital technologies by industry , by public organisations and academia . a network of digital innovation hubs should ensure the widest geographical coverage across europe59 . a first set of digital innovation hubs will be selected based on member states’ proposals and then the network will be enlarged through an open and competitive process . the digital innovation hubs will serve as access points to latest digital capacities including high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , as well as other existing innovative technologies such as key enabling technologies , available also in fablabs or citylabs . they shall act as single - entry points in accessing tested and validated technologies and promote open innovation . they will also provide support in the area of advanced digital skills . the network of digital innovation hubs should also contribute to the participation of the outermost regions in the digital single market . _________________ 59 as indicated in the communication on digitising european industry 180 final ) ### a central role in the implementation of the programme should be attributed to digital innovation hubs , which should stimulate the broad adoption of advanced digital technologies by industry , by public organisations , public administrations and academia . a network of digital innovation hubs should ensure the widest geographical coverage across europe59 . a first set of digital innovation hubs will be selected based on member states’ proposals and then the network will be enlarged through an open , transparent and competitive process . the digital innovation hubs will serve as access points to latest digital capacities including high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , as well as other existing innovative technologies such as key enabling technologies , available also in fablabs or citylabs . they shall act as single - entry points in accessing tested and validated technologies and promote open innovation . they will also provide support in the area of advanced digital skills . the network of digital innovation hubs should also contribute to the participation of the outermost regions in the digital single market . _________________ 59 as indicated in the communication on digitising european industry 180 final )


### appropriate management capacity , staff and infrastructure ; ### appropriate management capacity , staff , infrastructure and skillset to carry out research , technological development and innovation ;


### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry . ### ' european digital innovation hub ' means existing or new legal entity designated or a consortium of legal entities designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , open to business of all forms and sizes , industry , smes , scale - ups , and public administrations across the eu , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry , as well as facilitating access to finance . the hubs shall act as one - stop - shops where companies of all sizes - including smes , start - ups and mid - caps – can get help to improve their business , production processes , products and services by means of digital technology . the hubs shall offer support to companies to make sure that their employees’ skills match the expertise required to handle the available digital technology ; they should also coordinate with education institutions and companies to support on - the - job training for students ;


### deploy , coordinate at the union level and operate an integrated world - class exascale77 supercomputing and data infrastructure in the union that shall be accessible on a non - commercial basis to public and private users and for publicly funded research purposes ; _________________ 77 billions of billions of floating operations per second ### deploy , coordinate at the union level and operate an integrated world - class exascale77 supercomputing and data infrastructure in the union that shall be accessible on a non - commercial basis to public and private users and for publicly and privately funded research purposes ; _________________ 77 billions of billions of floating operations per second


### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and courses for students , it professionals and the workforce ; ### support the design and delivery of high - quality long - term trainings and courses , including blended learning for citizens of all ages , such as students , people in need of upskilling , teachers and trainers , researchers , it professionals and the workforce and taking into account and respecting language diversity ;


### up to eur 699 543 000 for specific objective 4 , advanced digital skills ### up to eur 623 333 672 in 2018 prices for specific objective 4 , advanced digital skills


### transfer expertise and know - how between regions , in particular by networking smes and midcaps established in one region with digital innovation hubs established in other regions which are best suited to provide relevant services ; ### transfer expertise and know - how between regions , in particular by networking smes , midcaps and start - ups established in one region with digital innovation hubs established in other regions which are best suited to provide relevant services ;


### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and courses for students , it professionals and the workforce ; ### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and high quality courses for students , teachers , it professionals and the workforce , including public servants ;


### support cooperation towards achieving a european ecosystem for trusted infrastructures using distributed ledger services and applications , including support for interoperability and standardisation and fostering the deployment of eu cross - border applications ; ### support cooperation towards achieving a european ecosystem for trusted infrastructures , including support for interoperability , encryption and standardisation and fostering the deployment of eu cross - border applications ;


### for the high performance computing specific objective a joint undertaking is deemed the most suited implementation mechanism , in particular to coordinate national and union strategies and investments in high performance computing infrastructure and research and development , pool resources from public and private funds , and safeguard the economic and strategic interests of the union63 . moreover , high performance computing competence centres in member states will provide high performance computing services to industry , academia and public administrations . _________________ 63 impact assessment accompanying the document ' proposal for a council regulation on establishing the eurohpc joint undertaking ' ### for the high performance computing specific objective a joint undertaking is deemed the most suited implementation mechanism , in particular to coordinate national and union strategies and investments in high performance computing infrastructure and research and development , pool resources from public and private funds , and safeguard the economic and strategic interests of the union63 . moreover , high performance computing competence centres in member states will provide high performance computing services to industry , academia and public administrations established in the union and , where appropriate and in order to stimulate economic growth and global partnerships , outside the union . _________________ 63 impact assessment accompanying the document ' proposal for a council regulation on establishing the eurohpc joint undertaking '


### the tallinn digital summit55 of september 2017 and the conclusions of the european council56 of 19 october 2017 indicated the need for europe to invest in digitising our economies and addressing the skills gap to maintain and enhance european competitiveness , our quality of life and social fabric . the european council concluded that the digital transformation offers immense opportunities for innovation , growth and jobs , will contribute to our global competitiveness , and enhance creative and cultural diversity . seizing these opportunities requires collectively tackling some of the challenges posed by the digital transformation and reviewing policies affected by the digital transformation . __________________ 55 https : / / www . eu2017 . ee / news / insights / conclusions - after - tallinn - digital - summit 56 https : / / www . consilium . europa . eu / media / 21620 / 19 - euco - final - conclusions - en . pdf ### the tallinn digital summit55 of september 2017 and the conclusions of the european council56 of 19 october 2017 indicated the need for europe to invest in efficient digitalisation of our economies and addressing the skills gap to maintain and enhance european competitiveness and innovation , our quality of life and social fabric . the european council concluded that the digital transformation offers immense opportunities for innovation , growth and jobs , will contribute to our global competitiveness , and enhance creative and cultural diversity . seizing these opportunities requires collectively tackling the challenges posed by the digital transformation in several ways , including by ensuring that the essential building blocks on which new technologies rely are put in place , by creating effective and easily enforceable legal rules , by reviewing policies affected by the digital transformation , and by creating an innovation - friendly environment in which the interests of users are fully safeguarded . __________________ 55 https : / / www . eu2017 . ee / news / insights / conclusions - after - tallinn - digital - summit 56 https : / / www . consilium . europa . eu / media / 21620 / 19 - euco - final - conclusions - en . pdf


### the programme has the following general objective : to support the digital transformation of the european economy and society and bring its benefits to european citizens and businesses . the programme will : ### the programme has the following general objective : to support the digital transformation of the european economy , industry &#160 ; and society and bring its benefits to european citizens and businesses . the programme should also aim to reinforce the strategic autonomy of the european union . the programme will :


### where applicable , the economic , social , climate and environmental impact , and accessibility ; ### the impact on society , workforce , economy , climate , environment and accessibility ;


### the european council concluded in particular that the union should urgently address emerging trends : this includes issues such as artificial intelligence and distributed ledgers technologies , while at the same time ensuring a high level of data protection , digital rights and ethical standards . the european council invited the commission to put forward a european approach to artificial intelligence by early 2018 and called on the commission to put forward the necessary initiatives for strengthening the framework conditions with a view to enable the eu to explore new markets through risk - based radical innovations and to reaffirm the leading role of its industry . ### the european council concluded in particular that the union should urgently address emerging trends : this includes issues such as artificial intelligence and distributed ledger technologies , while at the same time ensuring a high level of protection of intellectual property , data and digital rights , as well as liability - related ethical and legal issues . it is of crucial importance to ensure that the eu legal framework responds adequately to those challenges . the european council invited the commission to put forward a european approach to artificial intelligence by early 2018 and called on the commission to put forward the necessary initiatives for strengthening the framework conditions with a view to enable the eu to explore new markets through risk - based radical innovations and to reaffirm the leading role of its industry .


### the general data protection regulation , applicable from may 2018 onwards , by providing for a single set of rules directly applicable in the member states legal orders , will guarantee the free flow of personal data between eu member states and reinforce trust and security of the individuals , two indispensable elements for a real digital single market . the actions undertaken under this programme , when they involve the processing of personal data , should therefore support the application of the gdpr , for instance in the field of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology . ### regulation 2016 / 679 by providing for a single set of rules directly applicable in the member states legal orders guarantees the free flow of personal data between eu member states and reinforces trust and security of the individuals , two indispensable elements for a real digital single market . all actions undertaken under this programme , when they involve the processing of personal data , should therefore be in full compliance with that regulation . they should especially support the development of digital technologies that comply with the ‘ data protection by design’ obligations which are binding pursuant to that regulation to the extent that the processing involves electronic communications data , due respect is to be paid to directive 2002 / 58 / ec of the european parliament and of the council . 1a _________________ 1a directive 2002 / 58 / ec of the european parliament and of the council of 12 july 2002 concerning the processing of personal data and the protection of privacy in the electronic communications sector .


### support the design and delivery of short - term trainings and courses for entrepreneurs , small business leaders and the workforce ; ### support the design and delivery of short - term trainings and high quality courses for entrepreneurs , teachers , small business leaders and the workforce , including public servants ;


### the european council concluded in particular that the union should urgently address emerging trends : this includes issues such as artificial intelligence and distributed ledgers technologies , while at the same time ensuring a high level of data protection , digital rights and ethical standards . the european council invited the commission to put forward a european approach to artificial intelligence by early 2018 and called on the commission to put forward the necessary initiatives for strengthening the framework conditions with a view to enable the eu to explore new markets through risk - based radical innovations and to reaffirm the leading role of its industry . ### the european council concluded in particular that the union should urgently address emerging trends : this includes issues such as artificial intelligence , while at the same time ensuring a high level of data protection in full compliance with regulation 2016 / 679 , digital rights , fundamental rights and ethical standards . the european council invited the commission to put forward a european approach to artificial intelligence by early 2018 and called on the commission to put forward the necessary initiatives for strengthening the framework conditions with a view to enable the eu to explore new markets through risk - based radical innovations and to reaffirm the leading role of its industry .


### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry . ### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry or software to enhance citizens’ privacy .


### developing capacity related to artificial intelligence is a crucial driver for the digital transformation of industry and also of the public sector . ever more autonomous robots are used in factories , deep sea application , homes , cities and hospitals . commercial artificial intelligence platforms have moved from testing to real applications in health and environment ; all major car manufacturers are developing self - driving cars , and machine learning techniques are at the heart of all main web platforms and big data applications . ### developing capacity related to artificial intelligence is a crucial driver for the digital transformation of industry and also of the public sector . ever more autonomous robots are used in factories , deep sea application , homes , cities and hospitals . commercial artificial intelligence platforms have moved from testing to real applications in health and environment ; all major car manufacturers are developing self - driving cars , and machine learning techniques are at the heart of all main web platforms and big data applications . in order to create the best framework conditions for these new technologies to foster in europe , the union needs to add the innovation principle to its policy - making process .


### the financial intervention by the union under specific objective 4 . advanced digital skills shall support the development of advanced digital skills in areas supported by this programme , thus contributing to increase europe ' s talent pool , fostering greater professionalism , especially with regard to high performance computing , big data analytics , cybersecurity , distributed ledger technologies , robotics and artificial intelligence . the financial intervention shall pursue the following operational objectives : ### the financial intervention by the union under specific objective 4 . advanced digital skills shall support the development of advanced digital skills in areas supported by this programme , thus contributing to increase europe ' s talent pool , fostering greater professionalism , especially with regard to high performance computing , big data analytics , cybersecurity , cloud computing , data protection competencies , distributed ledger technologies , robotics and artificial intelligence . the financial intervention shall pursue the following operational objectives :


### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry . ### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open , transparent and competitive procedure , in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools , as well as specialised trainings in advance digital skills , to enable the digital empowerment of all european citizens and the digital transformation of the industry and public institutions .


### ' digital innovation hub ' means legal entity designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry . ### ' european digital innovation hub ' means existing or new legal entity designated or a consortium of legal entities designated or selected in an open and competitive procedure in order to fulfil the tasks under the programme , in particular providing access to technological expertise and experimentation facilities , open to business of all forms and sizes , industry , smes , scale - ups , and public administrations across the eu , such as equipment and software tools to enable the digital transformation of the industry , as well as facilitating access to finance . the hubs shall act as one - stop - shops where companies of all sizes - including smes , start - ups and mid - caps – can get help to improve their business , production processes , products and services by means of digital technology . the hubs shall offer support to companies to make sure that their employees’ skills match the expertise required to handle the available digital technology ; they should also coordinate with education institutions and companies to support on - the - job training for students ;


### the european council in its conclusions of 19 october 2017 stressed that to successfully build a digital europe , the union needs in particular labour markets , training and education systems fit for the digital age and that there is a need to invest in digital skills , to empower and enable all europeans ; ### the european council in its conclusions of 19 october 2017 stressed that to successfully build a digital europe , the union needs in particular labour markets , life - long learning and innovation - driven training and education systems fit for the potential and challenges of the digital age and that it is crucial to invest in digital skills in order to empower and enable all european citizens and businesses ;


### the european council in its conclusions of 19 october 2017 stressed that to successfully build a digital europe , the union needs in particular labour markets , training and education systems fit for the digital age and that there is a need to invest in digital skills , to empower and enable all europeans ; ### the european council in its conclusions of 19 october 2017 stressed that to successfully build a digital europe , the union needs in particular labour markets , training and education systems fit for the digital age and that there is a need to invest in digital skills development and improve the digital literacy , to empower and enable all europeans ;


### support the uptake of advanced digital and related technologies , including in particular high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity and future emerging technologies by the union industry , notably smes ; ### support the uptake of advanced digital and related technologies , including in particular high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , data protection and information governance and future emerging technologies by the union industry , notably smes ;


### the commission’s communication on ‘ a new , modern multiannual financial framework for a european union that delivers efficiently on its priorities post - 2020’57 outlines among the options for the future financial framework a programme for europe’s digital transformations to deliver ‘ strong progress towards smart growth in areas such as high quality data infrastructure , connectivity and cybersecurity’ . it would seek to secure european leadership in supercomputing , next generation internet , artificial intelligence , robotics and big data . it would reinforce the competitive position of industry and businesses in europe across the digitised economy and would have a significant impact on filling the skills gap across the union . _________________ 57 com 98 final . ### the commission’s communication on ‘ a new , modern multiannual financial framework for a european union that delivers efficiently on its priorities post - 2020’57 outlines among the options for the future financial framework a programme for europe’s digital transformations to deliver ‘ strong progress towards smart growth in areas such as high quality data infrastructure , connectivity , cybersecurity’ , which would facilitate the provision of new , efficient and reliable services in sectors such as e - health , e - government or mobility . it would seek to secure european leadership in supercomputing , next generation internet , artificial intelligence , robotics and big data . it would reinforce the competitive position of industry and businesses in europe across the digitised economy and would have a significant impact on filling the skills gap across the union . _________________ 57 com 98 final .


### provide digital transformation services - including testing and experimentation facilities - targeted towards smes and midcaps , also in sectors that are slow in the uptake of digital and related technologies ; ### provide digital transformation services and technological expertise - including testing and experimentation facilities - targeted towards smes , midcaps and start - ups , also in sectors that are slow in the uptake of digital and related technologies ;


### support the design , testing , implementation and deployment of interoperable digital solutions for eu level public services delivered through a data - driven reusable solutions platform , fostering innovation and establishing common frameworks in order to unleash the full potential of the public administrations’ services for european citizens and businesses ; ### support the design , testing , implementation and deployment of interoperable digital solutions for eu level public services delivered through a data - driven reusable solutions platform , fostering innovation and creativity , and establishing common frameworks in order to unleash the full potential of the public administrations’ services for european citizens and businesses ;


### the programme ' s actions should be used to address market failures or sub - optimal investment situations , in a proportionate manner , without duplicating or crowding out private financing and have a clear european added value . ### the programme ' s actions should be used to reinforce and extend the union ' s digital base , tackle major societal challenges , further raise the union ' s digital industrial competences , as well as address market failures or sub - optimal investment situations , in a proportionate manner , without duplicating or crowding out private financing and have a clear european added value .


### indicators to monitor the implementation and progress of the programme in achieving the general and specific objectives set out in article 3 are set in the annex ii . ### measurable indicators to monitor the implementation and progress of the programme in achieving the general and specific objectives set out in article 3 are set in the annex ii .


### a central role in the implementation of the programme should be attributed to digital innovation hubs , which should stimulate the broad adoption of advanced digital technologies by industry , by public organisations and academia . a network of digital innovation hubs should ensure the widest geographical coverage across europe59 . a first set of digital innovation hubs will be selected based on member states’ proposals and then the network will be enlarged through an open and competitive process . the digital innovation hubs will serve as access points to latest digital capacities including high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , as well as other existing innovative technologies such as key enabling technologies , available also in fablabs or citylabs . they shall act as single - entry points in accessing tested and validated technologies and promote open innovation . they will also provide support in the area of advanced digital skills . the network of digital innovation hubs should also contribute to the participation of the outermost regions in the digital single market . __________________ 59 as indicated in the communication on digitising european industry 180 final ) ### a central role in the implementation of the programme should be attributed to digital innovation hubs , which should stimulate the broad adoption of advanced digital technologies by industry within all sectors and by companies of all sizes and by the public sector and academia , thereby addressing the strong digitisation discrepancies . a network of digital innovation hubs should ensure the widest geographical coverage across europe59 . a first set of digital innovation hubs should be selected by the commission based on member states’ proposals and then the network will be enlarged through an open and competitive process . the digital innovation hubs should serve as access points to latest digital capacities including high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , as well as other existing innovative technologies such as key enabling technologies available also in fablabs or citylabs . they should act as single - entry points in accessing tested and validated technologies and promote open innovation . they should also provide support in the area of advanced digital skills . the network of digital innovation hubs should also facilitate the participation of the outermost regions in the digital single market . __________________ 59 as indicated in the communication on digitising european industry 180 final )


### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and courses for students , it professionals and the workforce ; ### support the design and delivery of long - term trainings and high quality courses for students , teachers , it professionals and the workforce , including public servants ;


### the commission shall adopt a decision on the selection of entities forming the initial network . these entities shall be selected by the commission from candidate entities designated by member states on the basis of the criteria mentioned in paragraph 2 and the following additional criteria : ### the commission shall adopt a decision on the selection of entities forming the initial network . these entities shall be selected and labelled by the commission from candidate entities designated by member states on the basis of the criteria mentioned in paragraph 2 and the following additional criteria :


### support cooperation towards achieving a european ecosystem for trusted infrastructures using distributed ledger services and applications , including support for interoperability and standardisation and fostering the deployment of eu cross - border applications ; ### support cooperation towards achieving a european ecosystem for trusted infrastructures using distributed ledger services and applications , including support for interoperability and standardisation and fostering the deployment of eu cross - border applications while taking note to ensure complementarity and synergy with other union programmes in projects of common interest ;


### make those capacities accessible to all businesses and public administrations ; ### make those capacities accessible to all businesses , public administrations and academia ;


### at the end of the implementation of the programme , but no later than four years after the end of the period specified in article [ 1 ] , a final evaluation of the programme shall be carried out by the commission . ### on the basis of a final external and independent evaluation , the commission shall establish a final evaluation report of the programme , which assesses its longer - term impacts and its sustainability .


### the modernisation of european public administrations is one of the key priorities for successful implementation of the digital single market strategy . the mid - term evaluation of the strategy highlighted the need to strengthen the transformation of public administrations and to ensure citizens have easy , trusted , and seamless access to public services . ### the modernisation of european public administrations is one of the key priorities for successful implementation of the digital single market strategy . the mid - term evaluation of the strategy highlighted the need to strengthen the transformation of public administrations and to ensure citizens have easy , trusted , secure and seamless access to public services .


### a central role in the implementation of the programme should be attributed to digital innovation hubs , which should stimulate the broad adoption of advanced digital technologies by industry , by public organisations and academia . a network of digital innovation hubs should ensure the widest geographical coverage across europe59 . a first set of digital innovation hubs will be selected based on member states’ proposals and then the network will be enlarged through an open and competitive process . the digital innovation hubs will serve as access points to latest digital capacities including high performance computing , artificial intelligence , cybersecurity , as well as other existing innovative technologies such as key enabling technologies , available also in fablabs or citylabs . they shall act as single - entry points in accessing tested and validated technologies and promote open innovation . they will also provide support in the area of advanced digital skills . the network of digital innovation hubs should also contribute to the participation of the outermost regions in the digital single market . __________________ 59 as indicated in the communication on digitising european industry 180 final ) ### a central role in the implementation of the programme should be attributed to digital innovation hubs , which should stimulate the broad adoption of advanced digital technologies by industry , by public organisations and academia . a network of digital innovation hubs should ensure the widest geographical coverage across europe59 . a first set of digital innovation hubs should be selected based on member states’ proposals and then the network should be enlarged through an open , transparent and competitive process . the digital innovation hubs should serve as access points to latest digital capacities including high performance computing , artificial intelligence , robotics powered by artificial intelligence , and distributed ledger technologies , cybersecurity , as well as other existing innovative technologies such as key enabling technologies , available also in fablabs or citylabs . they should act as single - entry points in accessing tested and validated technologies and promote open innovation and provide assistance to businesses especially smes and start - ups . they should also provide support in the area of advanced digital skills . the network of digital innovation hubs should contribute to the participation of a broad range of partners of all sizes from both private and public sectors , and from a range of economic sectors , and should also contribute to the participation of the outermost regions in the digital single market . digital innovation hubs should have substantial overall autonomy to define their internal organisation and composition , as well as their precise work programme and working methods . __________________ 59 as indicated in the communication on digitising european industry 180 final )


### in its resolution of 1 june 2017 on digitising european industry67 the european parliament stated that education , training and lifelong learning are the cornerstone of social cohesion in a digital society . _________________ 67 document ref . a8 - 0183 / 2017 , available at : http : / / www . europarl . europa . eu / sides / getdoc . do ? type=ta&language=en&reference=p8 - ta - 2017 - 0240 ### in its resolution of 1 june 2017 on digitising european industry67 the european parliament stated that education , training and lifelong learning are the cornerstone of social cohesion in a digital society . it emphasised as well the importance of basic digital skills which should encompass knowledge of the possibilities that digital skills offer , advanced use of basic digital tools , safe internet behaviour and search methodologies to identify credible sources , and promote awareness - raising about rights online . it would also contribute to allowing citizens to have a critical understanding of different forms of digital media and thereby increasing and enhancing the resources and opportunities offered by ‘ digital literacy’ . _________________ 67 document ref . a8 - 0183 / 2017 , available at : http : / / www . europarl . europa . eu / sides / getdoc . do ? type=ta&language=en&reference=p8 - ta - 2017 - 0240


### modernising public administrations and services through digital means is crucial to reducing administrative burden on industry and on citizens in general by making their interactions with public authorities faster , more convenient and less costly , as well as by increasing the efficiency and the quality of the services provided to citizens and businesses . since a number of services of public interest already have a union dimension , the support to their implementation and deployment at union level should ensure that citizens and businesses will benefit from the access to high quality digital services across europe . ### modernising public administrations and services through digital means is crucial to reducing administrative burden on citizens and industry by making their interactions with public authorities faster , more convenient and less costly , as well as by increasing the efficiency and the quality of the services provided to citizens and businesses while at the same time increasing the efficiency of public spending . since a number of services of public interest already have a union dimension , the support to their implementation and deployment at union level should ensure that citizens and businesses may benefit from the access to high quality digital services across europe . it is also important that these services be accessible to people with disabilities .


### the financial intervention by the union under specific objective 4 . advanced digital skills shall support the development of advanced digital skills in areas supported by this programme , thus contributing to increase europe ' s talent pool , fostering greater professionalism , especially with regard to high performance computing , big data analytics , cybersecurity , distributed ledger technologies , robotics and artificial intelligence . the financial intervention shall pursue the following operational objectives : ### the financial intervention by the union under specific objective 4 . advanced digital skills shall support the development of advanced digital skills in areas supported by this programme , thus contributing to increase europe ' s talent pool , and fostering professional skills at union level , especially with regard to high performance computing , big data analytics , cybersecurity , distributed ledger technologies , robotics and artificial intelligence . the financial intervention shall pursue the following operational objectives :


### reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the union’s commitments to implement the paris agreement and the united nations sustainable development goals , this programme will contribute to mainstream climate actions and lead to the achievement of an overall target of 25% of the eu budget expenditures supporting climate objectives74 . relevant actions will be identified during the programme ' s preparation and implementation , and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes . _________________ 74 com 321 final , page 1 ### reflecting the importance of tackling climate change in line with the union’s obligations to implement the paris agreement and the united nations sustainable development goals , this programme will contribute to mainstream climate actions and help leading to the achievement of an overall target of 25% of the eu budget expenditures supporting climate objectives74 . relevant actions should be identified during the programme ' s preparation and implementation , and reassessed in the context of the relevant evaluations and review processes in order to ensure full compliance with these obligations . _________________ 74 com 321 final , page 1


### the programme has the following general objective : to support the digital transformation of the european economy and society and bring its benefits to european citizens and businesses . the programme will : ### the programme has the following general objective : to accelerate and support the digital transformation of the european economy and society by means of deploying 5g and very high capacity networks across the union and bring its benefits to european citizens and businesses , thus securing the union ' s economic and innovative competitiveness . the programme will :


### the commission ' s communication on ' a new , modern multiannual financial framework for a european union that delivers efficiently on its priorities post - 2020 ' 57 outlines among the options for the future financial framework a programme for europe ' s digital transformations to deliver ' strong progress towards smart growth in areas such as high quality data infrastructure , connectivity and cybersecurity ' . it would seek to secure european leadership in supercomputing , next generation internet , artificial intelligence , robotics and big data . it would reinforce the competitive position of industry and businesses in europe across the digitised economy and would have a significant impact on filling the skills gap across the union . _________________ 57 com 98 final ### the commission ' s communication on ' a new , modern multiannual financial framework for a european union that delivers efficiently on its priorities post - 2020 ' 57 outlines among the options for the future financial framework a programme for europe ' s digital transformations to deliver ' strong progress towards smart growth in areas such as high quality , high performance and interoperable data infrastructure , connectivity and cybersecurity ' . it would seek to secure european leadership in supercomputing , next generation internet , artificial intelligence , robotics and big data . it would reinforce the competitive position of industry and businesses in europe across the digitised economy and ensure its strong economic position vis - a - vis third countries , while creating new opportunities for smes and start - ups and fostering the emergence of new business models , including the development of the collaborative economy in the transport sector , and would have a significant impact on filling the skills gap across the union . _________________ 57 com 98 final


### the programme is designed to be implemented enabling synergies , as further described in annex iii , with other union funding programmes , in particular through arrangements for complementary funding from eu programmes where management modalities permit ; either in sequence , in an alternating way , or through the combination of funds including for the joint funding of actions . ### the programme is designed to be implemented enabling synergies , as further described in annex iii , with other union funding programmes , in particular through arrangements for complementary funding from eu programmes where management modalities permit ; either in sequence , in an alternating way , or through the combination of funds including for the joint funding of actions . the commission shall ensure that when leveraging the complementary character of the programme with other european programmes , in particular esf , erdf , horizon europe and cef - 2 , the achievement of the specific objectives set in articles 4 to 8 are not hampered .


### ensure a continuous capacity at the union level to observe , analyse and adapt to fast - evolving digital trends , as well as sharing and mainstreaming best practices ; ### ensure a continuous capacity at the union level to spearhead digital development , in addition to observe , analyse and adapt to fast - evolving digital trends , as well as sharing and mainstreaming best practices ;


### the voting results including , in the case of the appeal committee , the votes expressed by the representative of each member state ; ; ### the voting results , at the committee and at the appeal committee level , including the votes and explanations expressed by the representative of each member state ;


### the management board should hold at least two ordinary meetings a year . in view of past experience and the enhanced role of berec , the management board may need to hold additional meetings . ### the board of regulators should hold at least four ordinary meetings a year . in view of past experience and the enhanced role of berec , the board of regulators may need to hold additional meetings .


### the executive director of berec shall take part in the deliberations , without the right to vote . ### the director of the berec office shall participate , without having the right to vote , in the plenary meetings of the board of regulators .


### the necessary arrangements concerning the accommodation to be provided for berec in the host member state and the facilities to be made available by that member state as well as the specific rules applicable in the host member state to the executive director , members of the management board , berec staff and members of their families shall be laid down in a headquarters agreement between berec and the member state where the seat is located , concluded after obtaining the approval of the management board and no later than two years after the entry into force of this regulation . ### the necessary arrangements concerning the accommodation to be provided for the berec office in the host member state and the facilities to be made available by that member state as well as the specific rules applicable in the host member state to the director , members of the management board , the berec office staff and members of their families shall be laid down in a headquarters agreement between the berec office and the member state where the seat is located , concluded after obtaining the approval of the management board and no later than two years after the entry into force of this regulation .


### article 1 establishment and objectives the body of european regulators for electronic communications is hereby established . 2berec shall act within the scope of directive [ . . . ] , directive 2002 / 58 / ec , regulation no 531 / 2012 , regulation no 2015 / 2120 and decision 243 / 2012 / eu36 . the definitions laid down in those directives , regulations and decision shall apply for the purposes of this regulation . 3 . berec shall pursue the same objectives as those of national regulatory authorities referred to in article 3 of the directive . in particular , berec shall ensure a consistent implementation of the regulatory framework for electronic communications within the scope referred to in paragraph 2 and thereby contribute to the development of the internal market . it shall also promote access to , and take - up of , very high capacity data connectivity ; competition in the provision of electronic communications networks , services and associated facilities ; and the interests of the citizens of the union . __________________ 36 decision no 243 / 2012 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 14 march 2012 establishing a multiannual radio spectrum policy programme . ### article 1 establishment and objectives of berec the body of european regulators for electronic communications is hereby established . 2 . berec shall act within the scope of directive [ . . . ] , directive 2002 / 58 / ec , regulation no 531 / 2012 , regulation no 2015 / 2120 and decision 243 / 2012 / eu36 , and of any other union act conferring to it tasks and powers . the definitions laid down in those directives , regulations and decision shall apply for the purposes of this regulation . 3 . berec shall , as primary objective , contribute to the development and better functioning of the internal market for electronic communications networks and services by ensuring a consistent implementation of the union regulatory framework for electronic communications within the scope referred to in paragraph 2 . berec shall , in cooperation with national regulatory authorities , contribute to the objectives referred to in article 3 of directive [ . . . ] , and in particular shall promote access to , and take - up of , very high capacity data connectivity ; competition in the provision of electronic communications networks , services and associated facilities ; and the interests of the citizens of the union . 3 a . berec shall carry out its tasks independently , impartially and transparently . it shall draw upon the expertise available in the nras . 3 b . each member state shall ensure that the nras have the adequate financial and human resources required to participate in the work of berec . __________________ 36 decision no 243 / 2012 / eu of the european parliament and of the council of 14 march 2012 establishing a multiannual radio spectrum policy programme .


### experience has shown that most of berec’s tasks are better carried out through working groups , therefore the management board should be in charge of setting up working groups and appointing their members . in order to ensure a balanced approach , the working groups should be coordinated and moderated by members of the berec staff . lists of qualified experts should be prepared in advance to ensure a quick set - up of certain working groups , in particular those related to internal market procedures for draft national measures on market regulation and on assignments of rights of use for radio spectrum , due to the time limits of those procedures . ### experience has shown that most of berec’s tasks are better carried out through working groups , therefore the board of regulators should be in charge of setting up working groups and appointing their members . lists of qualified experts should be prepared in advance to ensure a quick set - up of certain working groups , in particular those related to internal market procedures for draft national measures on market regulation and on assignments of rights of use for radio spectrum , due to the time limits of those procedures .


### where justified and in particular to implement the work programme of berec , the management board , may set up the necessary working groups . ### where justified and in particular to implement the annual work programme of berec and to develop the initial drafts of berec documents , the board of regulators may set up the necessary working groups .


### each year , the executive director shall draw up a draft programming document containing annual and multiannual programming in line with article 32 of commission delegated regulation no 1271 / 2013 and taking into account guidelines set by the commission38 . __________________ 38 commission communication on the guidelines for programming document for decentralised agencies and the template for the consolidated annual activity report for decentralised agencies 9641 ) . ### each year , the director shall draw up a draft programming document containing annual and multiannual programming in line with article 32 of commission delegated regulation no 1271 / 2013 and taking into account guidelines set by the commission38 . __________________ 38 commission communication on the guidelines for programming document for decentralised agencies and the template for the consolidated annual activity report for decentralised agencies 9641 ) .


### article 4 composition of the management board the management board shall be composed of one representative from each member state and two representatives of the commission , all with voting rights . each nra shall be responsible for nominating its respective representative amongst the head or members of the collegiate body of the nra . in member states where more than one nra is responsible under the directive , those authorities shall agree on a common representative and the necessary coordination between the nras shall be ensured . 2 . each member of the management board shall have an alternate . the alternate shall represent the member in his / her absence . each nra shall be responsible for nominating the alternate amongst the heads , members of the collegiate body and staff of the nra . 3 . members of the management board and their alternates shall be appointed in light of their knowledge in the field of electronic communications , taking into account relevant managerial , administrative and budgetary skills . all parties represented in the management board shall make efforts to limit turnover of their representatives , in order to ensure continuity of the board’s work . all parties shall aim to achieve a balanced representation between men and women on the management board . 4 . the term of office for members and their alternates shall be four years . that term shall be extendable . ### article 4 composition of the board of regulators the board of regulators shall be composed of one representative from each member state , with voting rights , and one representative of the commission , without voting rights . each nra shall be responsible for nominating its representative amongst the head or members of the collegiate body of the nra with primary responsibility for overseeing the day - to - day operation of the markets for electronic communications networks and services . in member states where more than one nra is responsible under the directive , those authorities shall agree on a common representative and the necessary coordination between the nras shall be ensured . 2 . each member of the board of regulators shall have an alternate . the alternate shall represent the member in his / her absence . each nra shall be responsible for nominating an alternate of an appropriate high - level . 3 . members of the board of regulators and their alternates shall be appointed in light of their knowledge in the field of electronic communications , taking into account relevant managerial , administrative and budgetary skills . all parties represented in the board of regulators shall make efforts to limit turnover of their representatives , in order to ensure continuity of the board ' s work . all parties shall aim to achieve a balanced representation between men and women on the board of regulators . 3a . members of the board of regulators and their alternates shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government , institution , person or body . 3b . the board of regulators may invite high - level representatives of the efta surveillance authority and of regulatory authorities of third countries , and any other person whose opinion may be of interest , to attend its meetings with an observer status , on a permanent or ad - hoc basis .


### the declarations shall be accurate and complete , made in writing and updated whenever necessary . the declarations of interests made by the members of the management board and the executive director shall be made public . ### the declarations shall be accurate and complete , made in writing and updated whenever necessary . the declarations of interests made by the members of the management board and the director shall be made public .


### each year , the executive director shall draw up a provisional draft estimate of berec ' s revenue and expenditure for the following financial year , including the establishment plan , and send it to the management board . ### each year , the director shall draw up a provisional draft estimate of the berec office ' s revenue and expenditure for the following financial year , including the establishment plan , and send it to the management board .


### berec should be allowed to engage in communication activities within its field of competence , which should not be detrimental to berec’s core tasks and should be carried out in accordance with relevant communication and dissemination plans adopted by the management board . the content and implementation of berec’s communication strategy should be coherent , relevant and coordinated with the strategies and activities of the commission and the other institutions in order to take into consideration the broader image of the union . ### berec and the berec office should be allowed to engage in communication activities within their field of competence , which should not be detrimental to berec’s and the berec office’s core tasks and should be carried out in accordance with relevant communication and dissemination plans adopted by the management board . the content and implementation of berec’s and the berec office’s communication strategy should be coherent and relevant with the strategies and activities of the commission and the other institutions in order to take into consideration the broader image of the union .


### as interim executive director , he / she shall exercise the appointing authority powers . he / she may authorise all payments covered by appropriations entered in berec’s budget after approval by the management board and may conclude contracts , including staff contracts , following the adoption of berec’s establishment plan . ### as interim director , he / she shall exercise the appointing authority powers . he / she may authorise all payments covered by appropriations entered in the berec office’s budget after approval by the management board and may conclude contracts , including staff contracts , following the adoption of berec’s establishment plan .


### berec’s host member state shall provide the necessary conditions to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of berec , including multilingual , european - oriented schooling and appropriate transport connections . ### the berec office’s host member state shall provide the necessary conditions to ensure the smooth and efficient functioning of the berec office , including multilingual , european - oriented schooling and appropriate transport connections .


### members of the management board , the executive director , members of the board of appeal , seconded national experts , other staff not employed by berec and experts participating in working groups shall comply with the confidentiality requirements under article 339 of the treaty , even after their duties have ceased . ### members of the management board , the director , seconded national experts , other staff not employed by the berec office and experts participating in working groups shall comply with the confidentiality requirements under article 339 of the treaty , even after their duties have ceased .


### in order to further extend the consistent implementation of the provisions of the regulatory framework for electronic communications within the scope of berec , the new agency should be open to the participation of regulatory authorities of third countries competent in the field of electronic communications that have entered into agreements with the union to that effect , in particular those of eea efta states and candidate countries . ### in order to further extend the consistent implementation of the provisions of the regulatory framework for electronic communications within the scope of berec , berec and the berec office should be open to the participation of regulatory authorities of third countries competent in the field of electronic communications that have entered into agreements with the union to that effect , in particular those of efta states and candidate countries .


### the need for the regulatory framework for electronic communications to be consistently applied in all member states is essential for the successful development of an internal market for electronic communications throughout the union and the promotion of access to , and take - up of , very high capacity data connectivity , of competition in the provision of electronic communications networks , services and associated facilities and of the interests of the citizens of the union . in view of market and technological developments , which often entails an increased cross - border dimension , and to the experience so far in ensuring a consistent implementation in the electronic communications field , it is necessary to build on the work of berec and the berec office and further develop them into a fully - fledged agency . ### the need for the regulatory framework for electronic communications to be consistently applied in a balanced and non - discriminatory manner in all member states is essential for the successful development of an internal market for electronic communications throughout the union and the promotion of access to , and take - up of , very high capacity data connectivity , of competition in the provision of electronic communications networks , services and associated facilities and of the interests of the citizens of the union . in view of market and technological developments , which often entails an increased cross - border dimension , and to the experience so far in ensuring a consistent implementation in the electronic communications field , it is necessary to build on the work of berec and the berec office .


### berec and the berec office have made a positive contribution towards a consistent implementation of the regulatory framework for electronic communications . notwithstanding , there are still significant disparities between member states as regards regulatory practice . moreover , the governance structure of berec and the berec office is cumbersome and gives rise to unnecessary administrative burden . in order to ensure efficiency gains and synergies and to further contribute to the development of the internal market for electronic communications throughout the union as well as to the promotion of access to , and take - up of , very high capacity data connectivity , competition in the provision of electronic communications networks , services and associated facilities and the interests of the citizens of the union , this regulation aims to strengthen the role of berec and enhance its governance structure by establishing berec as a union decentralised agency . this also corresponds to the need to reflect the significantly enhanced role played by berec following regulation no 531 / 2012 which establishes tasks for berec in relation to union - wide roaming , regulation no 2015 / 2120 which establishes tasks for berec in relation to open internet access and union - wide roaming , and the directive which establishes a significant number of new tasks for berec such as issuing decisions and guidelines on several topics , reporting on technical matters , keeping registers and delivering opinions on internal market procedures for draft national measures on market regulation as well as on assignments of rights of use for radio spectrum . ### berec and the berec office have made a positive contribution towards a consistent implementation of the regulatory framework for electronic communications . notwithstanding , there are still significant disparities between member states as regards regulatory practice . in order to ensure efficiency gains and synergies and to further contribute to the development of the internal market for electronic communications throughout the union as well as to the promotion of access to , and take - up of , very high capacity data connectivity , competition in the provision of electronic communications networks , services and associated facilities and the interests of the citizens of the union , this regulation aims to strengthen the roles of berec and the berec office and enhance their governance structure . this also corresponds to the need to reflect the significantly enhanced role played by berec following regulation no 531 / 2012 which establishes tasks for berec in relation to union - wide roaming , regulation no 2015 / 2120 which establishes tasks for berec in relation to open internet access and union - wide roaming , and the directive which establishes a significant number of new tasks for berec such as issuing decisions and guidelines on several topics , reporting on technical matters , keeping registers and delivering opinions on internal market procedures for draft national measures on market regulation as well as on assignments of rights of use for radio spectrum .


### the draft estimate of berec’s revenue and expenditure shall be sent by the executive director to the commission by 31 january each year . the information contained in the draft estimate of berec’s revenue and expenditure and in the draft single programming document referred to in article 15 shall be coherent . ### the draft estimate of the berec office ' s revenue and expenditure shall be sent by the director to the commission by 31 january each year . the information contained in the draft estimate of the berec office ' s revenue and expenditure and in the draft single programming document referred to in article 15 shall be coherent .


### article 2 tasks the tasks of berec shall be to : assist , advise and cooperate with the commission as well as nras , on request or on its own initiative , on any technical matter within its mandate , and assist and advise the european parliament and the council on request ; issue decisions : - on the identification of transnational markets in accordance with article 63 of the directive ; - on a contract summary template in accordance with article 95 of the directive ; develop an economic model in order to assist the commission in determining the maximum termination rates in the union in accordance with article 73 of the directive ; issue opinions as referred to in the directive and regulation no 531 / 2012 , in particular : - on the resolution of cross - border disputes in accordance with article 27 of the directive ; - on draft national measures related to the internal market procedures for market regulation in accordance with articles 32 , 33 and 66 of the directive ; - on draft national measures related to the internal market procedures for radio spectrum peer review in accordance with article 35 of the directive ; - on draft decisions and recommendations on harmonisation in accordance with article 38 of the directive ; issue guidelines as referred to in the directive , regulation no 531 / 2012 and regulation no 2015 / 2120 : - on the implementation of nras’ obligations as regards geographical surveys in accordance with article 22 of the directive ; - on common approaches to the identification of the network termination point in different network topologies in accordance with article 59 of the directive ; - on common approaches to meet transnational end - user demand in accordance with article 64 of the directive ; - on the minimum criteria for a reference offer in accordance with article 67 of the directive ; - on the technical details of the cost model to be applied by nras when setting maximum symmetric termination rates in accordance with article 73 of the directive ; - on common criteria for the assessment of the ability to manage numbering resources and the risk of exhaustion of numbering resources in accordance with article 87 of the directive ; - on relevant quality of service parameters and the applicable measurement methods in accordance with article 97 of the directive ; - on the implementation of nras’ obligations as regards open internet access in accordance with article 5 of regulation no 2015 / 2120 ; - on wholesale roaming access in accordance with article 3 of regulation no 531 / 2012 ; 2 . berec shall also carry out the following tasks : monitor and coordinate the action of nras in applying regulation no 531 / 2012 , in particular as regards the provision of regulated retail roaming services at domestic prices in the interests of end - users ; report on technical matters within its competence , in particular : - on the practical application of the opinions and guidelines referred to in article 2 and 2 ; - on the level of interoperability between interpersonal communications services , threat to effective access to emergency services or to end - to - end connectivity between end - users in accordance with article 59 of the directive ; - on the evolution of retail and wholesale charges for roaming services and on transparency and comparability of tariffs in accordance with article 19 of regulation no 531 / 2012 ; - on the outcomes of the annual reports that nras shall provide in accordance with article 5 of regulation no 2015 / 2120 , through the publication of an annual synthesis report . keep a register of : - undertakings providing electronic communications networks and services in accordance with article 12 of the directive . berec shall also issue standardised declarations on notifications by undertakings in accordance with article 14 of the directive ; - numbers with a right of extraterritorial use in accordance with article 87 of the directive ; carry out other tasks conferred on it by legal acts of the union in particular by the directive , regulation no 531 / 2012 and regulation no 2015 / 2120 . 3 . without prejudice to compliance with relevant union law , nras shall comply with any decision and take the utmost account of any opinion , guideline , recommendation and best practice adopted by berec with the aim of ensuring a consistent implementation of the regulatory framework for electronic communications within the scope referred to in article 1 . 4 . in so far as is necessary in order to achieve the objectives set out in this regulation and perform its tasks , berec may cooperate with competent union bodies , agencies , offices and advisory groups , with competent authorities of third countries and / or with international organisations , in accordance to article 26 . ### article 2 tasks of berec the tasks of berec shall be to : assist , advise and cooperate with nras and the commission , on request or on its own initiative , on any technical matter within its mandate , and provide opinions or recommendations to the european parliament , the council and the commission on request or on its own initiative on any issue within its competences ; promote cooperation between nras , and between nras and the commission ; issue recommendations and best practices addressed to the nras in order to encourage consistent implementation on any technical matter within its mandate ; issue decisions in accordance with the relevant provisions of the directive ; develop an economic model in order to assist the commission in determining the maximum termination rates in the union in accordance with article 73 of the directive ; issue opinions as referred to in the directive and regulation no 531 / 2012 ; issue guidelines as referred to in the directive , regulation no 531 / 2012 and regulation no 2015 / 2120 ; monitor and coordinate the action of nras in applying regulation no 531 / 2012 , in particular as regards the provision of regulated retail roaming services at domestic prices in the interests of end - users , the evolution of retail and wholesale charges for roaming services and the transparency and comparability of tariffs , and where necessary make recommendations to the commission ; report on technical matters within berec ' s competence ; 2 . berec shall also carry out other tasks conferred to it by legal acts of the union , in particular by the directive , regulation no 531 / 2012 and regulation no 2015 / 2120 . 2a . berec may , upon a reasoned request from the commission , decide unanimously to take on other specific tasks necessary for the accomplishment of its role as provided for in article 1 . 3 . without prejudice to compliance with relevant union law , nras shall comply with any decision and take the utmost account of any opinion , guideline , recommendation and best practice adopted by berec with the aim of ensuring a consistent implementation of the regulatory framework for electronic communications within the scope referred to in article 1 . 4 . in so far as is necessary in order to achieve the objectives set out in this regulation and perform its tasks , berec may cooperate with competent union bodies , agencies , offices and advisory groups , with competent authorities of third countries and / or with international organisations , in accordance to article 26 . 4a . berec may consult relevant stakeholders in the preparation of its decisions , reports or other types of deliverables . without prejudice to article 28 , the main results of that consultation shall be made public . 4b . without prejudice to article 27 , berec shall make relevant information related to the result of it work available and easily accessible to the public and interested parties .


### the management board should hold at least two ordinary meetings a year . in view of past experience and the enhanced role of berec , the management board may need to hold additional meetings . ### the board of regulators should hold at least four ordinary meetings a year . in view of past experience and the enhanced role of berec , the board of regulators may need to hold additional meetings .


### the executive director shall , by 1 july following each financial year , send the final accounts to the european parliament , the council , the commission and the court of auditors , together with the management board’s opinion . ### the director shall , by 1 july following each financial year , send the final accounts to the european parliament , the council , the commission and the court of auditors , together with the management board’s opinion .


### the role of the executive director , who would be the legal representative of berec , is crucial for the adequate functioning of the new agency and the implementation of the tasks assigned to it . the management board should appoint him / her on the basis of a list drawn up by the commission following an open and transparent selection procedure in order to guarantee a rigourous evaluation of the candidates and a high level of independence . moreover , in the past the term of office of the administrative manager of the berec office was three years . it is necessary that the executive director has a sufficiently long mandate in order to ensure stability and delivery of a long - term strategy for the agency . ### the role of the director , who would be the legal representative of the berec office , is crucial for the adequate functioning of berec and the implementation of the tasks assigned to it . the management board should appoint him / her following an open and transparent selection procedure in order to guarantee a rigorous evaluation of the candidates and a high level of independence . moreover , in the past the term of office of the administrative manager of the berec office was three years . it is necessary that the director has a sufficiently long mandate in order to ensure stability and delivery of a long - term strategy for berec .


### the contract of employment of the administrative manager appointed on the basis of regulation no 1211 / 2009 shall be terminated at the the end of his / her term of office or the day when the executive director takes up his / her duties following his / her appointment by the management board in accordance with article 22 , whichever is the earlier . ### the contract of employment of the administrative manager appointed on the basis of regulation no 1211 / 2009 shall be terminated at the end of his / her term of office or the day when the director takes up his / her duties following his / her appointment by the management board in accordance with article 22 .


### berec shall inform the relevant nras of requests in accordance with this paragraph . ### berec or the berec office shall inform the relevant nras of requests in accordance with this paragraph .


### members of the management board , the executive director , seconded national experts and other staff not employed by berec shall each make a declaration indicating their commitment and the absence or presence of any direct or indirect interest which might be considered prejudicial to their independence . ### members of the board of regulators and of the management board , the director , seconded national experts and other staff not employed by the berec office shall each make a declaration indicating their commitment and the absence or presence of any direct or indirect interest which might be considered prejudicial to their independence .


### article 6 chairperson and deputy chairperson of the management board the management board shall elect a chairperson and a deputy chairperson from among members with voting rights representing member states . the chairperson and the deputy chairperson shall be elected by a majority of two thirds of the members of the management board with voting rights . 2 . the deputy chairperson shall automatically replace the chairperson if he / she is prevented from attending to his / her duties . 3 . the term of office of the chairperson and the deputy chairperson shall be four years , with the exception of the first term of office of the deputy chairperson elected after the entry into force of this regulation which shall be two years . their term of office may be renewed once . ### article 6 chairperson and deputy chairperson of the board of regulators the board of regulators shall elect a chairperson and a deputy chairperson from among members with voting rights representing member states . 2 . the deputy chairperson shall automatically replace the chairperson if he / she is prevented from attending to his / her duties . 3 . the term of office of the chairperson shall be four years , and the term of office of the deputy chairperson shall be two years . their term of office may be renewed once . 3a . to ensure continuity of the work of the board of regulators , the elected chairperson shall have served at least one year as deputy chairperson before his or her election , whenever possible . 3b . without prejudice to the role of the board of regulators in relation to their tasks , the chairperson and the deputy chairperson shall be independent in the performance of their duties and shall neither seek nor take instructions from any government , nra , institution , person or body 3c . the chairperson or deputy chairperson shall report to the european parliament on the performance of their duties and the performance of berec when invited to do so . the council may invite the chairperson or deputy chairperson to report on the performance of their duties and the performance of berec .