Romanian MEP Dan Nica chosen to be S&D joint rapporteur for European Competitiveness Fund

Dan Nica, a Romanian MEP from the S&D group, will be joint rapporteur for the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) file as part of the proposals for the EU's Multiannual Financial Framework for 2028-2034, EP officials confirmed on 6/11/2025.

He will be co-rapporteur with German MEP Christian Ehler from the European People's Party (EPP). Both are members of the EP's Industry, Technology, Research and Energy Committee (ITRE), which will be in charge of the ECF file.

Nica was co-rapporteur with Ehler on Horizon Europe in the current EP term. He joined the EP in 2014 and is a former interior minister in the Romanian government.

The ECF is a new instrument as part of the MFF proposals, which is designed to boost the competitiveness of EU countries by investing in strategic technologies. It will focus support on four areas: clean transition and decarbonization; digital transition; health, biotech, agriculture and bioeconomy; defence, and space.

The fund will be closely linked with the proposed Horizon Europe programme for research, which has been allocated €175 biliion in the Commission's…