PRIMA - Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Region

Presentation

The PRIMA Partnership was launched at the 2nd Conference of Euro-Mediterranean Research and Innovation Ministers on May 4, 2017, in Valletta, Malta, through the Declaration on "Strengthening Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation through Research and Innovation" (stemming from the Barcelona Process, 1995).

Highlights

• PRIMACalls open: section 1 - until July 15, 2025, 4 p.m.; section 2 - until July 8, 2025, 4 p.m.
• PRIMA information session on the 2025 Calls takes place on April 14, 2025. Access the Agenda and Register here.

Calls history

PRIMA 2024 Calls : Section 1; Section 2

Results of PRIMA Calls from 2018 to 2021

Projects with Portuguese coordination and participation from 2018-2023

You can consult all the information on the projects funded under the PRIMA Partnership, including projects involving Portuguese researchers, in the PRIMA Intelligent Analytical Tool, a Power BI app for analyzing the Partnership's various performance indicators. NOTE: the data contained in this tool refers to the data of the proposals at the funding decision stage and not to the contracts established, both for budgets and partners.

Rules for Communicating and Disseminating Funded Projects

You can consult the rules for communication and dissemination of funded projects via the following links:

• Funded projects Section 1: communication and dissemination standards;
• Funded projects Section 2: communication and dissemination standards and Standards for Information and Publicity of Support for Beneficiaries (Funding exclusively from National Funds).

Partnership Development

The PRIMA Partnership resulted from the development of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership (also known as the Barcelona Process). Established in 1995 with the aim of fostering peace, stability, prosperity and dialogue between cultures in the region, this process witnessed the establishment of the Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) in 2008, of which all European and UfM states are members. In turn, it also contributes to the European Neighborhood Policy, revised in 2011, and Science Diplomacy in the Mediterranean and Europe.

The first step towards consolidating a proposal for an ambitious initiative in the science, technology and innovation sector was taken at the 1st Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on Research and Innovation in April 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. The principles of co-ownership, mutual interest and shared benefits were particularly emphasized in this proposal.

The Informal European Council of Ministers of Science, Technology and Innovation in June 2012 in Nicosia, Cyprus, led to the formation of a group of European countries that began informal discussions on launching an initiative jointly with partner countries in the Mediterranean. This initiative would be based on national funds from the participating states and the European Union's framework program for science and innovation. The benchmark for this initiative would be the instrument provided for in Article 185 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), a program jointly funded by the states and the European Commission.

Finally, the initiative was launched at the 2nd Euro-Mediterranean Ministerial Conference on May 4, 2017, in Valletta, Malta, through the Declaration on "Strengthening Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation through Research and Innovation".

PRIMA Partnership Proposal

A Partnership proposal was submitted to the European Commission on December 22, 2014, with national cash commitments amounting to 211.5 million euros, while in-kind contributions were estimated at around 123 million euros.

Following an impact assessment, the European Commission decided in July 2016 to prepare a legislative proposal for co-decision between the European Council and the European Parliament with a view to creating a program under Article 185 of the TFEU, in accordance with the wishes of the participating countries. The decision, taken on July 4, 2017, establishes the allocation of no more than 220 million euros of contribution under the H2020 Framework Program to projects with varying levels of technological readiness that meet the objectives set out in the Strategic Agenda for Research and Innovation, in addition to support for the implementation structure. This contribution will be granted over 10 years (between 2018 and 2028) and includes an indicative global sum of 440 million euros. The participating countries are Algeria, Cyprus, Croatia, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Jordan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Tunisia and Turkey.

The implementing structure takes the form of a foundation under Spanish law. Established on June 19, 2017, the foundation operates in Barcelona, in conjunction with the Union for the Mediterranean, based in that city. The decision to locate the PRIMA Foundation's headquarters in this way is due to the desire of the participating countries to foster synergies of importance for the Euro-Mediterranean region with that organization, and vice versa.

Recent Developments

In 2023, Bulgaria joined PRIMA.

PRIMA (2018-2028), funded by the Horizon 2020 framework program, provided for the launch of annual Calls from 2018 to 2024, with the monitoring and evaluation of funded projects planned from 2024 to 2028. However, in 2023 and following the positive results of the first evaluation of the program, the countries participating in PRIMA showed the European Commission their interest in continuing to launch three more annual Calls , from 2025 to 2027. The European Commission complied with the request and made efforts to allocate funds from the Horizon Europe framework program (not foreseen) for this extension period, a process that was approved by the Council and European Parliament in April 2024. The negotiation period is still underway, so the 2025 Calls have been delayed compared to the established annual timetable.

Meanwhile, a coordination and support action, coordinated by the PRIMA Secretariat - Future4PRIMA and in which FCT participates, was funded by the European Commission and began in January 2024, with the aim of preparing the future of PRIMA after 2028.

Strategic Agenda for Research and Innovation (2018 - 2028)

PRIMA focuses on the themes of food systems and water resources, although the countries involved are guaranteed flexibility. The full version can be downloaded here. The three thematic areas and their respective objectives are:

1. Water management

• Test and encourage the adoption of water preservation and conservation solutions appropriate to each context, particularly in agriculture;
• Improving soil and water sustainability in semi-arid Mediterranean basins;
• Develop and encourage the adoption of new policies and protocols for the governance of water management systems.

2. Agrarian systems

• Developing intelligent and sustainable agricultural systems to conserve natural resources and increase production efficiency;
• Designing and promoting the adoption of new approaches to reducing the impact of pests and pathogens on agriculture, including the impact on human health.

3. Agri-food value chain

• Innovating in Mediterranean food products based on the heritage of the Mediterranean diet, strengthening the link between nutrition, physical activity and health;
• Finding solutions adapted to contexts to increase efficiency in the food and water chain, reducing losses and waste;
• Design and implement innovative and quality models in agribusiness as a potential source of employment and economic growth.

Representation of the three thematic areas in research and innovation and their nexus. Other cross-cutting topics include soil sustainability, food security, the digital revolution, socio-economic research and stakeholder involvement and empowerment.

PRIMA Corporate Video