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Partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area (PRIMA): participation of the Union

2016/0325(COD)

The European Parliament adopted by 607 votes to 39, with 3 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council on the participation of the Union in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) jointly undertaken by several Member States.

The European Parliament’s position, adopted at first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure, amended the Commission proposal as follows:

Participation in PRIMA: the Union shall participate in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) jointly undertaken Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.

Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco shall become Participating States subject to the conclusion of international agreements for scientific and technological cooperation with the Union.

Objectives of PRIMA: in line with the priorities of Horizon 2020, the general objectives of PRIMA are to build research and innovation capacities and to develop knowledge and common innovative solutions for agro-food systems, to make them sustainable, and for integrated water provision and management in the Mediterranean area.

PRIMA shall also contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems upstream.

Union’s financial contribution to PRIMA: this amounts to EUR 220 million and shall equal the contributions of the Participating States. It shall cover the PRIMA-IS administrative costs up to a maximum of 6% of the Union's financial contribution.

The Union financial contribution shall be conditional upon the commitment by each Participating State to contribute to the financing of PRIMA with an adequate contribution from national resources relevant to the objectives of PRIMA.

Activities and implementation of PRIMA: PRIMA shall support a wide range of research and innovation activities, including research, development and innovation projects, innovative demonstrators and pilot plants, capacity building, training, awareness-raising and dissemination actions, and researcher mobility, covering a wide range of technological maturity levels and respecting a balance between small and large projects.

Implementation: in order to ensure the joint implementation of PRIMA, an implementation structure ('PRIMA-IS') shall be set up. PRIMA-IS shall be the recipient of the Union financial contribution and it shall ensure the efficient and transparent implementation of PRIMA.

PRIMA shall be implemented on the basis of annual work plans setting out the activities to be undertaken in a given year. PRIMA-IS shall adopt the annual work plans by 31 March of the reference year, after obtaining approval from the Commission.

PRIMA-IS shall monitor regularly the actions it funds and if necessary to undertake corrective actions by amending the annual work plan.

Rules for participation: PRIMA-IS shall aim to provide approximately 25 % of the Union financial contribution to legal entities established in targeted third countries considered to be Participating States. PRIMA-IS shall also be able to fund beneficiaries established in a country that is not a Participating State, provided that such participation is deemed to be essential by PRIMA‑IS or if funding is provided for under an international agreement or arrangement.

It shall make information on the implementation of the actions funded publicly available.

Governance of PRIMA: the bodies of the PRIMA-IS shall include:

  • a Board of Trustees, which shall have a Chair and a Co-Chair;
  • a Steering Committee;
  • a Secretariat, headed by a Director;
  • a Scientific Advisory Committee.

PRIMA-IS shall be governed by the Board of Trustees, in which all Participating States are represented.

The Board of Trustees shall, inter alia, manage the Union's financial contribution and financial contributions from the Participating States and ensure the transparency of PRIMA activities.