On Tuesday 10 April, Morocco and the European Union signed an international agreement on Morocco's participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), with immediate effect.
Morocco is now formally part of the 19 member states (Croatia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, Portugal, Slovenia) and countries from the Mediterranean rim (Algeria, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia and Turkey) that are working together to develop innovative solutions for the sustainable management of water and food production in a context where the Mediterranean region has been significantly affected by climate change, urbanisation and demographic growth (see EUROPE 11808).
The 10 year PRIMA initiative began this year. According to the Commission’s press release, it involves the first public-public partnership in the context of the Horizon 2020 research and innovation framework programme that allows countries that are not involved in research framework programmes to participate.
The PRIMA budget has increased to €494 million: - €220 million from the EU budget by way of Horizon 2020 and; - €274 million from states participating in the initiative.
Morocco is expected to provide €40 million in cash and in kind over the 10 years of the initiative, according to the Commission. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)