Establishing the European Competitiveness Fund ('ECF’), including the specific programme for defence research and innovation activities
A proposed EU law. Parliament and the Council must agree on the same text: Parliament adopts its position, then negotiates with the Council.
Where it stands: In committee: ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) is preparing the report (draft published 20 April 2026).
- ✓ Referred to committee 23 October 2025
- 2 Committee work ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) preparing the report
- 3 Tabled for plenary
- 4 Plenary vote
- 5 Negotiations with the Council
- 6 Published as law
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. For a law, Parliament’s adopted text is its first-reading position; Parliament and the Council then negotiate a common text (trilogues) which both must approve before it is published as law.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- ITRE — Industry, Research and Energy
- Rapporteurs
- Christian EHLER PPEDan NICA S&D
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Jana NAGYOVÁ PfERihards KOLS ECRYvan VEROUGSTRAETE RenewBenedetta SCUDERI Verts/ALEMarc BOTENGA The LeftSarah KNAFO ESN
- For opinion
- CONT — Budgetary Control · rapporteur Ondřej KNOTEK PfEREGI — Regional Development · rapporteur Dan BARNA RenewEMPL — Employment and Social Affairs · rapporteur Grégory ALLIONE RenewECON — Economic and Monetary Affairs · rapporteur Danuše NERUDOVÁ PPESANT — Public Health · rapporteur Radan KANEV PPEIMCO — Internal Market and Consumer Protection · rapporteur Regina DOHERTY PPESEDE — Security and Defence · rapporteur Riho TERRAS PPEAGRI — Agriculture and Rural Development · rapporteur Carlo FIDANZA ECRTRAN — Transport and Tourism ENVI — Environment, Climate and Food Safety · rapporteur Stine BOSSE Renew
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Committee opinions: Opinion (AGRI),Draft opinion (SEDE),Opinion (CONT),Opinion (REGI),Draft opinion (IMCO),Draft opinion (EMPL),Opinion (SEDE),Opinion (ENVI),Draft opinion (TRAN),Draft opinion (CONT),Opinion (EMPL),Opinion (SANT),Draft opinion (SANT),Draft opinion (ECON),Draft opinion (AGRI),Draft opinion (BUDG),Draft opinion (REGI),Draft opinion (ENVI),Opinion (IMCO),Opinion (ECON),Opinion (BUDG)
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Committee stage
- 23 June 2026 BUDG (Budgets) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 18 May – 5 June 2026 Amendments tabled in committee (15 batches)
Members of ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) proposed changes to the draft.
📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE)📄 Amendments in committee (ITRE) - 7 May 2026 IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 6 May 2026 REGI (Regional Development) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 6 May 2026 EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 6 May 2026 SANT (Public Health) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 5 May 2026 ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 5 May 2026 ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 5 May 2026 AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 20 April 2026 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 15 April 2026 CONT (Budgetary Control) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 14 April 2026 SEDE (Security and Defence) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 23 October 2025 Referred to the ITRE (Industry, Research and Energy) committee
The lead committee prepares the report; CONT (Budgetary Control), REGI (Regional Development), EMPL (Employment and Social Affairs), ECON (Economic and Monetary Affairs), SANT (Public Health), IMCO (Internal Market and Consumer Protection), SEDE (Security and Defence), AGRI (Agriculture and Rural Development), TRAN (Transport and Tourism), ENVI (Environment, Climate and Food Safety) give an opinion.