Response to the Public Consultation on EU Funding for Competitiveness

IOGP Europe welcomes the European Commission’s efforts to improve the efficiency and impact of EU funding instruments in the context of the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) and the proposed European Competitiveness Fund.

In our response to the public consultation on EU funding for competitiveness, we emphasise the importance of streamlining user access without dismantling the purpose-built architecture that supports the EU’s long-term strategic objectives.

While we support the goal of simplifying access to EU funds, we caution against reducing the number of dedicated programmes. Instruments such as Horizon Europe, the Innovation Fund, and the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) are mission-driven and rooted in distinct legal bases. A centralised “superfund” cannot easily replicate their targeted impact without risking a loss of technical expertise, dilution of investment signals, and erosion of stakeholder confidence.

Moreover, we argue that project developers need financial and policy continuity over long time horizons. Abrupt restructuring of the EU funding framework would undermine long-term planning and increase investment risk. Instead of reducing the number of programmes, the EU should pursue:

• A common digital entry point for major funding instruments;
• Aligned application procedures and timelines across complementary programmes;
• Joint calls and co-funding windows that preserve each fund’s legal identity while improving coherence;
• A coordinated investment narrative based on horizontal principles like technology neutrality and net carbon abatement.

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