Algeria joins PRIMA research and innovation partnership
The European Union and Algeria signed today an international agreement on Algeria's participation in the 'Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area' (PRIMA). This makes Algeria the first third country not associated to Horizon 2020 to participate in this partnership. The initiative will focus on developing much-needed solutions for a more sustainable management of water and agro-food systems in the Mediterranean. PRIMA is supported by Horizon 2020, the EU's research and innovation framework programme.
The agreement was signed in Brussels by Carlos Moedas i, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, and by Ambassador Lembit Uibo, Estonian Representative to the EU's Political and Security Committee, on behalf of the EU, and by Professor Tahar Hadjar, Minister for Higher Education and Scientific Research, on behalf of Algeria.
Commissioner Moedas said: "This agreement is an important step towards getting the PRIMA initiative up and running, and it also deepens our cooperation with Algeria. Together we can make a big difference to people's lives and to the economy."
PRIMA is the first public-public partnership under Horizon 2020 enabling the participation of third countries that are not associated to EU Research Framework Programmes on an equal footing with EU Member States and Associated Countries. The international agreement with Algeria is provisionally applicable from signature, making Algeria the first non-associated country that has become a PRIMA Participating State.
PRIMA aims at developing innovative solutions in two fields of strategic importance in the Mediterranean area - water management and food production - through joint research and innovation projects for the next ten years. Proposed by nine Member States in 2014, the PRIMA partnership is being created under Horizon 2020 and is based on Article 185 TFEU, which enables the EU to participate in research programmes undertaken jointly by several Member States.
The budget of the initiative is at present €494 million (of which €274 million from Participating States and €220 million from the EU). The EU participates in PRIMA on the basis of Decision (EU) 2017/1324 adopted by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU.
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