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Amendments to Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 Regulation (EU) 2021/1058 is amended as follows:

(1) Article 3 is amended as follows:

(a) in paragraph 1, point (a), the following point is added: ‘(vi) supporting investments contributing to the objectives of the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP) referred to in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2024/795 of the European Parliament and of the Council. Regulation (EU) 2024/795 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 February 2024 establishing the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), and amending Directive 2003/87/EC and Regulations (EU) 2021/1058, (EU) 2021/1056, (EU) 2021/1057, (EU) No 1303/2013, (EU) No 223/2014, (EU) 2021/1060, (EU) 2021/523, (EU) 2021/695, (EU) 2021/697 and (EU) 2021/241 ().’;" (b) in paragraph 1, point (b), the following point is added: ‘(ix) supporting investments contributing to the STEP objective referred to in Article 2(1), point (a)(ii), of Regulation (EU) 2024/795.’;

(c) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘1a The resources under the specific objective referred to in paragraph 1, points (a)(vi) and (b)(ix), shall be programmed under dedicated priorities corresponding to the respective policy objective and shall be limited to a maximum of 20 % of the initial national allocation of the ERDF. The Commission shall pay 30 % of the allocation to the priorities referred to in the first subparagraph of this paragraph as set out in the decision approving the programme amendment as exceptional one-off pre-financing in addition to the yearly pre-financing for the programme provided for in Article 90(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 or in Article 51(2), (3) and (4) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council. That exceptional pre-financing shall be paid within 60 days of the adoption of the Commission decision approving the programme amendment, provided that the programme amendment is submitted to the Commission by 31 March 2025. In accordance with Article 90(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 and Article 51(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1059, the amount paid as exceptional pre-financing shall be cleared from the Commission accounts no later than with the final accounting year. In accordance with Article 90(6) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, any interest generated by the exceptional pre-financing shall be used for the programme concerned in the same way as the ERDF and shall be included in the accounts for the final accounting year. In accordance with Article 97(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, the exceptional pre-financing shall not be suspended. In accordance with Article 105(1) of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, the pre-financing to be taken into account for the purposes of calculating amounts to be de-committed shall include the exceptional pre-financing paid. By way of derogation from Article 112 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060, the maximum co-financing rates for dedicated priorities established to support the STEP objectives shall be 100 %. Regulation (EU) 2021/1059 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 on specific provisions for the European territorial cooperation goal (Interreg) supported by the European Regional Development Fund and external financing instruments ().’;"

(2) Article 5 is amended as follows:

(a) in paragraph 2, the following point is added: ‘(e) when they contribute to the specific objective under PO 1 set out in Article 3(1), point (a)(vi), or to the specific objective under PO 2 set out in Article 3(1), point (b)(ix), in less developed and transition regions, as well as more developed regions in Member States whose average GDP per capita is below the EU-27 average measured in purchasing power standards and calculated on the basis of Union figures for the period 2015-2017, while preserving a focus on SMEs.’;

(b) in paragraph 2, the following subparagraph is added: ‘Point (e) shall apply to Interreg programmes where the geographical coverage of the programme within the Union consists exclusively of categories of regions set out in that point.’;

(c) the following paragraph is inserted: ‘3a. In order to contribute to the specific objectives under PO 1 set out in Article 3(1), point (a)(vi), and under PO 2 set out in point (b)(ix) of that subparagraph, the ERDF shall also support training, life-long learning, reskilling and education activities.’ ;

(3) in Annex I, Table I is amended as follows:

(a) under policy objective 1, the following row is added: ‘(vi) supporting investments contributing to the STEP objectives referred to in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2024/795 Any RCO listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv) RCO125 Firms: Enterprises supported linked primarily to digital technologies and deep tech innovation productive investments RCO126 Firms: Enterprises supported linked primarily to clean and resource-efficient technologies productive investments RCO127 Firms: Enterprises supported linked primarily to biotechnologies productive investments [These indicators are to be reported as subsets of RC001-RCO04] Any RCR listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv)’ (b) under policy objective 2, the following row is added: ‘(ix) supporting investments contributing to the STEP objectives referred to in Article 2(1), point (a)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2024/795 Any RCO listed for specific objectives (i), (iii), (iv) and (vi) under policy objective 1 RCO125 Firms: Enterprises supported linked primarily to digital technologies and deep tech innovation productive investments RCO126 Firms: Enterprises supported linked primarily to clean and resource efficient technologies productive investments RCO127 Firms: Enterprises supported linked primarily to biotechnologies productive investments [These indicators are to be reported as subsets of RC001-RCO04] Any RCR listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv) under policy objective 1’

(4) in Annex II, the table is amended as follows:

(a) under policy objective 1, the following row is added: ‘(vi) supporting investments contributing to the STEP objectives referred to Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2024/795 Any CCO listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv) under policy objective 1 Any CCR listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv) under policy objective 1’ (b) under policy objective 2, the following row is added: ‘(ix) supporting investments contributing to the STEP objectives referred to Article 2(1), point (a)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2024/795 Any CCO listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv) under policy objective 1 Any CCR listed for specific objectives (i), (iii) and (iv) under policy objective 1’