What are the main features of an EDIC?

LEGAL STATUS
An EDIC will be a legal entity, set up by a decision of the European Commission upon request of a group of Member States. It will have legal personality and full legal capacity recognised in all Member States as from the date on which the Commission decision setting it up takes effect.

PARTICIPATION
An EDIC must have at least three Member States as members. Only Member States providing a financial or non-financial contribution are members of the EDIC with voting rights, whereas Member States that do not provide a financial or non-financial contribution may join it as observers without voting rights. An EDIC will remain open to new Member States in case they wish to become part of it. Moreover, membership of an EDIC may be open to entities other than Member States, e.g., third countries, international organisations of European interest, public and private entities – as established in the Statutes. However, Member States shall jointly hold the majority of the voting rights, regardless of the amount of contributions from entities other than Member States.

GOVERNANCE
The internal structure of an EDIC will be flexible and defined by the Assembly of Members – the decision-making body of an EDIC – in its Statutes. The Assembly will include participating Member States and appoint a Director. As non-mandatory elements, advisory bodies may be set up in the Statutes. The Commission may attend the meetings of the Assembly at its discretion. It will also have the right of veto on the decisions of the Assembly related to actions financed under centrally managed EU programmes.

FINANCING
The proposed Statutes will include members' commitments to contribute to the EDIC. Part of the commitments may be in kind. However, there must be sufficient financial contributions to ensure that the EDIC meets the objectives laid down in the Statutes. Once established, an EDIC may apply for funding under the programmes relevant to its objectives and scope of activities, such as Digital Europe Programme, Horizon Europe, Connecting Europe Facility and others.