A new Partnership on Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) will soon start to develop much-needed solutions for a more sustainable management of water and agro-food systems. A proposal to set up PRIMA was today adopted in a vote in the European Parliament plenary meeting in Strasbourg.
The main objective of the ten-year initiative (2018 – 2028) is to develop solutions to improve water availability and sustainable agriculture production in a region heavily distressed by climate change, urbanisation and population growth.
The partnership currently consists of 19 participating countries: Algeria, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.
As the initiative is evolving over time, more participants, from both EU and non-EU countries, are expected to follow. The partnership will be financed through a combination of funding from participating countries (currently €269 million), and a €220 million contribution from the EU through Horizon 2020, its research and innovation funding programme (2014 – 2020).
The PRIMA legislation will come into force following a formal approval of the Council of the EU, expected on 26 June 2017.
European Commission, News Alert Research & Innovation
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