Article 4

Regulation (EU) 2021/1153 is amended as follows: (1) Article 3 is amended as follows: (a) paragraph 1 is replaced by the following: 1. The general objectives of the CEF are to build, develop, modernise, complete and make resilient the trans-European networks in the transport, energy and digital sectors and to facilitate cross-border cooperation in the field of renewable energy, taking into account the long-term decarbonisation commitments and the goals of increasing European competitiveness; smart, sustainable and inclusive growth; territorial, social and economic cohesion; and the access to and integration of the internal market, with an emphasis on facilitating the synergies among the transport, energy and digital sectors. ; (b) in paragraph 2, point (c) is replaced by the following: (c) in the digital sector: to contribute to the development of projects of common interest relating to the deployment of and access to safe and secure very high capacity networks, including 5G systems, to the setting up and deployment of digital capacities such as cloud, AI, AI factories and AI Gigafactories, to the increased resilience and capacity of digital backbone networks on Union territories by linking them to neighbouring territories, as well as to the digitalisation of transport and energy networks. ; (2) in Article 8(4), the following point is added: (f) projects of common interest contributing to the setting up and deployment or significant upgrade of digital capacities, including cloud, AI, AI factories and AI Gigafactories shall be prioritised according to the extent they significantly contribute to improve the performance, resilience and security of transport, energy and digital infrastructure that are critical for the proper functioning of the internal market. ; (3) Article 9 is amended as follows: (a) in paragraph 2, the following subparagraph is added: Specific activities within an action pursuant to point (c) of the first subparagraph may include, where relevant, measures to safeguard the infrastructure for civilian-defence dual use with regard to military counter-mobility or to provide fuel infrastructure for civilian-defence dual use transport activities. ; (b) paragraph 4 is amended as follows: (i) point (d) is replaced by the following: (d) actions supporting the protection, deployment of new or the significant upgrading of existing backbone networks or their repair, including submarine cables, within and between Member States and between the Union and third countries, such as the actions listed in Part V, point 3, of the Annex, as well as other actions supporting the deployment of backbone networks referred to in that point; ; (ii) the following point is added: (f) actions supporting the setting up and deployment of digital capacities in cloud, AI, AI factories and AI Gigafactories; ; (4) in Article 15(2), the following point is inserted: (ba) subject to the transfer of the necessary resources to the CEF in the context of the mid-term review of programmes pursuant to Regulations (EU) 2021/1058 and (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council and pursuant to Article 4(13) of this Regulation, for works relating to the specific objectives referred to in Article 3(2), point (a)(ii), of this Regulation, the following conditions apply: (i) co-financing rates may be increased by 10 percentage points above the co-financing rate referred to in point (b); (ii) actions are entitled to a pre-financing payment representing at least 20 % of the amount allocated in the grant agreement; (iii) actions shall be located on one or more of the four EU Priority Military Mobility Corridors identified by Member States in Annex II to the Military Requirements for Military Mobility within and beyond the EU, including logistic hubs and cross-border sections of those corridors, and shall comply with the infrastructure requirements as set out in Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/1328, and specific conditions for participation in the award procedure for such actions may be set in accordance with Article 136 of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council;