Article 5

In the area of digital service infrastructures, core service platforms shall be implemented primarily by the Union while generic services shall be implemented by the parties connecting to the relevant core service platform. Investments in broadband networks shall be undertaken predominantly by the private sector, supported by a competitive and investment-friendly regulatory framework. Public support for broadband networks shall be provided only where there is market failure or a sub-optimal investment situation. Member States and other entities in charge of or contributing to the implementation of projects of common interest shall be encouraged to take the measures necessary to facilitate the implementation of projects of common interest. The final decision on the implementation of a project of common interest which relates to the territory of a Member State shall be taken after the approval of that Member State. Actions contributing to projects of common interest, which meet the criteria set out in Article 6 of this Regulation, shall be eligible for Union financial assistance under the conditions and instruments available under Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013. Financial assistance shall be provided in accordance with the relevant rules and procedures adopted by the Union, the funding priorities set out in Article 6 of this Regulation, and the availability of resources, taking into account the specific needs of beneficiaries. Actions contributing to projects of common interest in the field of digital service infrastructures shall be supported by: procurement; and/or grants. Actions contributing to projects of common interest in the field of broadband networks shall be supported by: financial instruments as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013, which shall be open to additional contributions from other sectors of the CEF, other instruments, programmes and budget lines in the Union budget, Member States, including regional and local authorities and any other investors, including private investors in accordance with Article 15(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013; and /or the combination of financial instruments and grants from public sources other than the CEF, whether they are public sources of the Union or national. Horizontal actions shall be supported by: procurement; and/or grants. The total amount of the budget allocated to financial instruments for broadband networks shall not exceed the minimum necessary to establish cost-efficient interventions which shall be determined on the basis of ex-ante assessments as referred to in Article 14(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013. That amount shall be 15 % of the financial envelope for the telecommunications sector referred to in point (b) of Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1316/2013. At least one-third of the broadband projects receiving financial assistance under this Regulation shall aim at broadband speeds above 100 Mbps. Following the report referred to in Article 8(6), the European Parliament and the Council may, upon a proposal by the Commission, revise the amount determined in accordance with paragraph 7 of this Article and the proportion of projects referred to in paragraph 8 of this Article. Where the support from the CEF complements ESI Funds and other direct public support, the achievement of synergies between CEF actions and support from ESI Funds may be reinforced by using an appropriate coordination mechanism.

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Source: EUR-Lex (Cellar) · retrieved 2026-11-06 · Text as adopted (Official Journal); later amendments are not incorporated in this text.