Partnership for research and innovation in the Mediterranean area (PRIMA): participation of the Union
PURPOSE: to approve the EU’s participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) jointly undertaken by several Member States.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2017/1324 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.
CONTENT: under this Decision, the Union shall participate in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), jointly undertaken by 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.
Participation in the PRIMA shall remain open to any other EU Member State, as well as to third countries, provided that they fulfil the requisite conditions.
Objectives of PRIMA: PRIMA shall pool the EU and participating States’ knowledge and financial resources to build research and innovation capacities and to develop knowledge and common innovative solutions for agro-food systems in the Mediterranean area.
The main objectives are:
- to make the agro-food systems more climate resilient, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially sustainable;
- to contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems upstream.
Financial contribution: as part of its contribution, the EU shall provide a contribution of EUR 220 million from its Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme. The participating States shall provide a financial or in-kind contribution of at least EUR 220 million during the period from 7 August 2017 to 31 December 2028.
Implementation: in order to ensure the joint implementation of PRIMA, the Decision provides for the setting up of an implementation structure, known as 'PRIMA-IS', which should be the beneficiary of the Union's financial contribution and ensure the effective implementation of PRIMA.
PRIMA shall be implemented on the basis of annual work plans covering activities to be undertaken for a given year. PRIMA-IS shall adopt the annual work plans by 31 March of the reference year, after obtaining approval from the Commission. In adopting the annual work plans, both PRIMA-IS and the Commission shall act without undue delay. PRIMA-IS shall make the annual work plan publicly available.
PRIMA-IS shall aim to provide, through the annual work plan, an appropriate share of its funding, approximately 25 % of the Union financial contribution, reflecting the commitments of Mediterranean Partner Countries to PRIMA, to legal entities established in targeted third countries considered to be Participating States. It shall make information on the implementation of the actions funded publicly available.
By 31 December 2028, the Commission shall carry out a final evaluation of PRIMA, with the assistance of independent experts.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 7.8.2017.