MEPs approve Mediterranean food and sustainability agenda

ITRE approves negotiation mandate with the Council on EU participation in PRIMA

The committee on industry, research and energy (ITRE) of the European Parliament approved on March 22 the negotiation mandate with the Council on the participation of the European Union in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA).

The agreed mandate asked that PRIMA’s main objective was the creation of sustainable agro-food systems and integrated water management in the Mediterranean region, in line with the priorities of Horizon 2020, the European Parliament said in a press release.

MEPs emphasised the need for a “stable, long-term, common strategic agenda” to be implemented by means of coordination among national programmes, and for strengthened research and innovation capacities.

A wide range of research and innovation activities can be financed under PRIMA, from training, awareness, and dissemination to research and innovation projects, under the conditions that they are included in an annual work plan.

Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Tunisia are the participating states, and Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco will join them after the conclusion of the science and technology agreements with the EU.

The Union’s financial contribution to PRIMA will be €200 million. The plenary needs to approve this mandate before the opening of the negotiations with the Council.

 New Europe

Related posts

Comments are closed.