The Renew Europe Group embraces this week’s adoption of the European Chips Act by the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE). The Act establishes measures to strengthen the semiconductor industry in the European Union, while preventing future supply shortages, limiting dependence on third countries and raising the Union´s global technological leadership. 

The legislation will mobilise more than €45 billion of public and private investments and will be crucial to bolster the EU’s competitiveness in semiconductor technologies and applications, creating niches for highly skilled, innovative and well-paid jobs. Moreover, independent production will be a turning point for Europe’s open, strategic digital autonomy and a milestone for digital transformation. 

Renew Europe played a pivotal role in ensuring fast permitting processes, as well as limiting reporting and administrative burden for different stakeholders in the chips industry, especially start-ups and SMEs. The Group also succeeded in introducing strong provisions that limit the risks of losing highly valuable intellectual property and capabilities to countries with an IP theft programme. 

Bart Groothuis MEP (VVD, NL), shadow rapporteur on the European Chips Act, declared: 

“The Chips Act secures a much-needed investment in our semiconductor ecosystem. Through more and smarter investments, faster permitting, and fewer administrative burdens, Europe will become a great place to do business in semiconductors. Stronger chips diplomacy with our partners and better protection of our intellectual property also bolsters our competitive edge and supply chain security.” 

Likewise, Renew Europe welcomes the ITRE Committee’s backing of the Chips Joint Undertaking, which implements most of the Chips Act actions under the Chips for Europe Initiative. This complements the Digital Europe Programme by supporting the expansion of research, design, production and systems integration capacities in advanced and new generation semiconductor technologies. 

Ivars Ijabs MEP (Latvijas attīstībai, LV), shadow rapporteur on the Chips Joint Undertaking, said: 

“We encourage the Council to fund the Chips for Europe Initiative from fresh budgetary resources rather than reallocating the funding within the existing programmes. We hope for a speedy adoption of the Act as it is needed to facilitate private investments of billions of euro into first-of-a-kind semiconductor facilities in Europe.”