PURPOSE : to continue the EU's participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe for the period 2025-2027.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Decision (EU) 2024/1167 of the European Parliament and of the Council 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.
CONTENT: the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) is an institutionalised European partnership as referred to in Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council (Horizon Europe).
PRIMA has 20 participating states: 12 EU member states (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain), 3 countries associated to Horizon 2020 (Israel, Tunisia and Türkiye) and 5 other third countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco).
PRIMA's main aim is to pool the knowledge and financial resources of the EU and the participating states in order to build research activities and capacities and develop innovative solutions for sustainable and resilient water provision and food systems in the Mediterranean area.
Even though PRIMA activities are foreseen until 31 December 2028, its last calls for proposals will be launched in 2024 under the Horizon 2020 framework, which means that PRIMA's active period was due to end in 2024. The participating states have expressed their interest in the continuation of PRIMA as an effective instrument to tackle multiple societal crises.
PRIMA’s initial rationale and objectives remain valid, in particular in light of Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified war of aggression against Ukraine, which has further destabilised fragile Southern Mediterranean agriculture markets, making the transition to sustainable food systems an even more urgent priority for Mediterranean societies. PRIMA should retain its ambition and resources which make it an essential instrument for international cooperation and scientific diplomacy in the Mediterranean area.
Accordingly, this decision stipulates that the EU should continue to provide financial support to allow PRIMA to fund R&I actions under the same thematic scope until 2027, and to synchronise PRIMA with the Union’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) and MFF-aligned programming cycles of R&I programmes. Moreover, PRIMA’s overall duration should be extended until 2031 to allow for the full implementation of those R&I actions.
The Union's total contribution to the enlarged initiative will be EUR 325 million. The amount of the Union's financial contribution to Horizon Europe may be increased by contributions from third countries associated with Horizon Europe, provided that the total increase in the Union's financial contribution is at least matched by the contribution from the Participating States.
PRIMA needs to operate in a simple, agile, open and transparent way. PRIMA-IS needs to make dedicated efforts to strengthen dialogue with society, encourage active participation and ensure that the wider public is sufficiently informed about its activities in a timely manner. Moreover, PRIMA-IS will provide the Commission and, where applicable, the authorities of the Participating States with access to all information related to the indirect actions it funds.
The Commission should carry out an interim evaluation of PRIMA by 31 December 2025 and a final evaluation by 31 December 2031.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 9.5.2024.