This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area
SUMMARY OF:
WHAT ARE THE AIMS OF THE DECISIONS?
Decision (EU) 2017/1324 approves the European Union’s (EU) participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon 2020.
The active operation of PRIMA under Horizon 2020, meaning the calls for proposals, lasted from 2018 to 2024. To allow PRIMA to continue working towards its goals, in 2024, the European Parliament and the Council decided to amend the PRIMA basic act. The amending decision (Decision (EU) 2024/1167) extends the funding of PRIMA for 3 more years (2025–2027), aligning this activity with the programme cycle under Horizon Europe.
KEY POINTS
Participating countries
PRIMA is an initiative involving a number of EU Member States and several non-EU countries in the Mediterranean area.
Currently, the participating countries are Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.
Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco joined PRIMA after concluding international agreements for scientific and technological cooperation with the EU, setting out the terms and conditions of their participation in PRIMA. These agreements must be revised, re-signed and concluded for the five countries to continue participating in PRIMA under Horizon Europe.
Other countries (both Member States and non-EU countries) may join the initiative, provided they fulfil the conditions for participation in PRIMA.
Objectives
The idea behind PRIMA is to pool the knowledge and financial resources of the EU and the participating states to build research and innovation capacities and develop knowledge and joint innovative solutions for water and agri-food systems in the Mediterranean area.
The main objectives are to:
- make the agri-food systems and integrated water provision and management more climate resilient, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially sustainable;
- contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems.
Management and organisation
The programme is managed by an implementation structure known as PRIMA-IS, based in Barcelona. PRIMA-IS benefits from the EU’s financial contribution and is responsible for implementing PRIMA and monitoring the EU-funded projects, along with the projects funded by the participating countries.
PRIMA operates on the basis of the annual work plans/programmes that it adopts, following the approval of the European Commission.
Approximately 25% of the PRIMA-IS funding is intended to finance the research work of legal entities (e.g. universities, research institutions, companies, etc.) in the participating non-EU countries. Information about the activities receiving support from PRIMA is publicly available on the PRIMA website.
In 2017–2018, the non-EU partner countries signed protocols to their respective Euro-Mediterranean agreements (see summary) on the general principles for participation in EU programmes.
Budget
PRIMA is a 10-year initiative (2018–2028), partly funded by the EU’s research and innovation framework programmes Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. The EU will be allocating up to €325 million from 7 August 2017 to 31 December 2031 (€220 million from Horizon 2020 and €105 million from Horizon Europe), while the participating non-EU countries’ contribution will be approximately €384 million for the same period.
FROM WHEN DO THE DECISIONS APPLY?
Decision (EU) 2017/1324 has applied since 7 August 2017.
The amended PRIMA basic act has applied since 9 May 2024.
BACKGROUND
For further information, see:
- Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) (European Commission)
- PRIMA foundation (PRIMA-IS)
- Questions & answers: PRIMA initiative (European Commission).
MAIN DOCUMENTS
Decision (EU) 2017/1324 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 July 2017 on the participation of the Union in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) jointly undertaken by several Member States (OJ L 185, 18.7.2017, pp. 1–15).
Decision (EU) 2024/1167 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 amending Decision (EU) 2017/1324 as regards the continuation of the Union’s participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe (OJ L, 2024/1167, 19.4.2024).
RELATED DOCUMENTS
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Arab Republic of Egypt, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Arab Republic of Egypt on the general principles for the participation of the Arab Republic of Egypt in Union programmes (OJ L, 2024/409, 30.1.2024).
Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 establishing Horizon 2020 – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation (2014–2020) and repealing Decision No 1982/2006/EC (OJ L 347, 20.12.2013, pp. 104–173).
Successive amendments to Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 28 April 2021 establishing Horizon Europe – the Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, laying down its rules for participation and dissemination, and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1290/2013 and (EU) No 1291/2013 (OJ L 170, 12.5.2021, pp. 1–68).
See consolidated version.
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Lebanon, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Lebanon on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Lebanon in Union programmes (OJ L 47, 20.2.2015, pp. 3–6).
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Tunisia, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Tunisia on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Tunisia in Union programmes (OJ L 96, 11.4.2015, pp. 3–6).
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria on the general principles for the participation of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria in Union programmes (OJ L 148, 13.6.2015, pp. 3–6).
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part, on a Framework Agreement between the European Union and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on the general principles for the participation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan in Union programmes (OJ L 117, 27.4.2013, pp. 2–5).
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Kingdom of Morocco, of the other part, on a framework agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco on the general principles for the participation of the Kingdom of Morocco in Union programmes (OJ L 90, 28.3.2012, pp. 2–5).
Protocol to the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the State of Israel, of the other part, on a framework Agreement between the European Community and the State of Israel on the general principles governing the State of Israel’s participation in Community programmes (OJ L 129, 17.5.2008, pp. 40–43).
last update 19.04.2024