STEP objectives
Article 2
1. In order to ensure Union sovereignty and security, reduce the Union’s strategic dependencies in strategic sectors, strengthen the Union’s competitiveness by strengthening its resilience and productivity and by mobilising financing, favour a level playing field for investments in the internal market, foster cross-border participation, including of SMEs, strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion and solidarity among Member States and regions and promote inclusive access to attractive quality jobs by investing in the skills of the future and making its economic, industrial and technological base fit for the green and digital transitions, the STEP shall pursue the following objectives: (a) supporting the development or manufacturing of critical technologies throughout the Union, or safeguarding and strengthening their respective value chains as referred to in paragraph 3, in the following sectors: (i) digital technologies, including those contributing to the targets and objectives of the Digital Decade Policy Programme 2030, multi-country projects as defined in Article 2, point (2), of Decision (EU) 2022/2481, and deep tech innovation; (ii) clean and resource efficient technologies, including net-zero technologies as defined in the Net-Zero Industry Act; (iii) biotechnologies, including medicinal products on the Union list of critical medicines and their components; (b) addressing shortages of labour and skills critical to all kinds of quality jobs in support of the objective set out in point (a), in particular through life-long learning, education and training projects, including the European Net-Zero Industry Academies established pursuant to the relevant provision of the Net-Zero Industry Act, and in close cooperation with social partners and education and training initiatives already in place. 2. The technologies referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), shall be deemed critical where they meet either of the following conditions: (a) they bring to the internal market an innovative, emerging and cutting-edge element with significant economic potential; (b) they contribute to reducing or preventing strategic dependencies of the Union. 3. The value chain for the development or manufacturing of critical technologies referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article relates to final products, as well as to specific components and specific machinery primarily used for the production of the final products and critical raw materials set out in an annex to the Critical Raw Materials Act, and to associated services critical for and specific to the development or manufacturing of those final products. By way of derogation from the first subparagraph of this paragraph, the value chain for the development or manufacturing of technologies that fall within the scope of the Net-Zero Industry Act and that are technologies referred to in paragraph 1, point (a)(ii) of this Article, relates to final products, as well as to specific components and specific machinery primarily used for the production of the final products, as defined in the Net-Zero Industry Act and to associated services critical for and specific to the development or manufacturing of those final products. 4. Strategic projects recognised in accordance with the relevant provision of the Net-Zero Industry Act that comply with the criteria on resilience or the criteria on competitiveness of the Net-Zero Industry Act shall be deemed to contribute to the STEP objective referred to in paragraph 1, point (a)(ii). 5. Strategic projects recognised in accordance with the relevant provision of the Critical Raw Materials Act shall be deemed to contribute to the STEP objective referred to in paragraph 1, point (a). 6. Where an important project of common European interest (IPCEI) approved by the Commission pursuant to Article 107(3), point (b), TFEU relates to any of the technology referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article, the relevant technologies shall be deemed critical. 7. By 2 May 2024, the Commission shall issue guidance on how the technologies in the sectors referred to in paragraph 1, point (a), of this Article can be considered critical as well as on how to meet the conditions set out in paragraph 2 of this Article. In that guidance the Commission shall clarify the notion of value chain and associated services critical for and specific to the development or manufacturing of the final products referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article. That guidance shall be reviewed, where appropriate, in light of the interim evaluation report referred to in Article 8.