Study supporting the impact assessment on a competitiveness fund for the next MFF : analysis of costs and benefits and comparison of options, analysis of the replies to the public consultation

The present study was conducted to support the European Commission in the Impact Assessment accompanying the proposal for a new competitiveness fund, as part of the preparation of the 2028-2034 Multi-Annual Financial Framework (MFF). It is structured in two parts. First, the study assesses the potential costs and benefits of three policy options, which consist of different simplification scenarios for EU competitiveness funding, and compares these options across the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and EU added value. It identifies as the preferable alternative the consolidation of existing separate programmes into a single European Competitiveness Fund. Second, the study presents the results of a public consultation conducted by the European Commission to gather views on EU funding for competitiveness. Stakeholders identified a range of challenges to the EU's competitiveness, with fragmentation across the investment journey, low and fragmented investment in strategic sectors, and the complexity of EU funding emerging as key concerns. They indicated broad support for more coordinated and predictable EU funding across the entire investment journey, as well as for simplification measures.