Regulation (EU) 2021/819 on the European Institute of Innovation and Technology

Summary:

Regulation (EU) 2021/819 - formally adopted by the co-legislators on 20 May 2021 - updating the legal basis of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This is a text with EEA relevance and a recast of the original Regulation.

Further information:

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) was established in 2008 by Regulation (EC) No 294/2008 (also known as the EIT Regulation) and amended by Regulation (EC) No 1292/2013. Its purpose is to address major societal challenges by improving the innovation capacity and performance of the EU through the integration of the knowledge triangle of education, research and innovation. The EIT achieves these goals primarily through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs).

The Horizon Europe programme provides funding to the EIT in the period 2021-2027. However, this programme does not provide the legal basis for continuing the EIT operations as from 2021, which remains with the EIT Regulation. As it stood, the EIT Regulation made several direct references to the previous Horizon programme.

The update to the legal basis arose from the need to make the EIT Regulation time neutral, in order to avoid successive amendments at the end of each programme and funding period.

The proposal for a recast Regulation was tabled by the European Commission on 11 July 2019, alongside the proposed EIT Strategic Innovation Agenda (SIA) for 2021-2027. The recast technique was chosen considering the latest amendments on top of previous amendments adopted in 2013. An informal agreement between the co-legislators on a compromise text was reached on 28 January 2021. Following formal endorsement, the Decision was signed by the co-legislators on 20 May 2021 and published in the Official Journal on 28 May 2021.

Official

EUR-LEX: COM(2019)331: Proposal for a Regulation on the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (recast) https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=COM:2019:331:FIN

EUR-Lex: SWD(2019)330: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Impact assessment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2019:330:FIN

EUR-LEX: SWD(2019)331: Staff Working Document accompanying the Proposal - Executive summary of the impact assessment https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=SWD:2019:331:FIN

European Parliament: Legislative Observatory: Procedure File for Proposal on European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Recast (2019/0151(COD)) https://oeil.secure.europarl.europa.eu/oeil/popups/ficheprocedure.do?lang=en&reference=2019/0151(COD)

European Parliament: Legislative Train Schedule: European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) - Recast and SIA https://www.europarl.europa.eu/legislative-train/theme-promoting-our-european-way-of-life/file-mff-eit

European Commission: Press Release, 11/07/2019: European Institute of Innovation and Technology: Commission proposes strategy for 2021-2027 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/IP_19_3849

Council of the European Union: Press Release, 28/01/2021: European Institute of Innovation and Technology and Strategic Innovation Agenda: EU co-legislators reach political agreement https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2021/01/28/european-institute-of-innovation-and-technology-and-strategic-innovation-agenda-eu-co-legislators-reach-political-agreement/

European Commission: Press Release, 29/01/2021: European Institute of Innovation and Technology: Commission welcomes political agreement on strategy for 2021-2027 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_21_207

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