Commission calls for 2.500 additional ICT specialists for the EU

EU authorities are struggling with a major staff shortage. According to the EU Commission's budget proposal for the years 2028 to 2034, there is a shortage of experts in ICT areas in particular, including IT security and artificial intelligence (AI). Staff cuts of five percent some time ago have significantly limited the ability to act "in the face of urgent needs" due to the coronavirus pandemic, wars, new regulatory obligations and the IT security debacle.

The drastically changed geopolitical and economic environment has created "extensive new, additional tasks that often require specialized profiles", the Commission argues in its draft multi-annual financial framework. Internal reallocations are not enough. For the first three years, the EU Commission is calling for a total of 2,500 additional full-time equivalents for EU authorities. Only by "gradually recruiting a sufficient number of staff" over the next few years would it be possible to properly implement ongoing programs and accelerate new initiatives.

EU countries do not want to join in

At the same time, the second Commission under President Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) wants to reduce bureaucracy and facilitate the implementation of regulations such as the AI Regulation. She is therefore following up: The "simplification efforts", together with the significant reduction in the number of programs, would ultimately reduce task overlaps and lead to efficiency gains.

"Appropriate and timely investment in IT, including AI tools, is key to reducing costs in the future," it continues. This applies not only to IT security, but also to investment in systems and infrastructure, which improves efficiency. In addition, the European public service would then not have to "constantly search for the bare essentials".

The draft budget amounts to a total of almost 2 trillion euros over seven years, compared to 1.2 trillion in the current period. The requested sum corresponds to 1.26% of the EU's gross national income on average between 2028 and 2034. A digital levy is not planned, but a tax on electronic waste is. Several member states believe that the amount demanded is far too high. Germany's Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU) rejects the budget increase.

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