Overview[]
The Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) is a proposal to use 50 billion euros of the EU budget to boost transport, energy and digital networks, removing bottlenecks and filling in the missing links in the EU's Single Market. Its goal is to support investment in the deployment of infrastructure required to enable the delivery of cross border public services (i.e., essential digital service infrastructures in the public interest).
The European Commission has proposed €9.2 billion to stimulate investment in fast and very fast broadband networks and pan-European digital services through the CEF digital. Investment in broadband will make Europe more competitive, will help build the Digital Single Market and will create jobs.
CEF digital will also support services such as eID, eProcurement, eHealth, Europeana or eJustice where EU-wide interoperability and infrastructures can add value by linking up national systems.
The European Commission first recommended the establishment of the CEF in June 2011, as part of its EU budget proposal for the next multi-annual financial framework (MFF) 2014-2020. The proposal was submitted to the European Parliament and the Council, and it is expected to be adopted before the end of 2013.