2023/0207(COD) | [ParlTrack]

Proposal for a decision
Recital 3 a (new)

(3a) The Programme is implemented by the PRIMA-implementation structure (PRIMA-IS), established in Barcelona, and this location has been instrumental to the effectiveness and efficiency of the Partnership.

Amendment 11 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4

(4) Since the initial rationale and objectives of PRIMA partnership are still valid, especially, as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has further destabilised already fragile Southern Mediterranean agriculture markets, making the transition to unpolluted natural resources and healthy, equitable, resilient and sustainable food systems an even more urgent priority for Mediterranean societies and the interim evaluation report20 concluded that PRIMA is a successful instrument with an added value for the Union, the Union should continue to provide financial support to allow PRIMA to fund research and innovation actions under the same thematic scope until 2027, and bring that instrument in synchronisation with the Union’s multiannual financial framework (MFF) and MFF-aligned programming cycles of R&I programmes. Moreover, the overall duration of PRIMA should be extended until 2031 to allow for the full implementation of supported research and innovation actions. _________________ 20 COM(2023) 285final

Amendment 12 #

Ladislav ILČIĆ

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4 a (new)

(4a) The topicality of thematic scope of the PRIMA, namely agri-food systems and integrated water provisions and water management in the Mediterranean area, is only increasing. Water deficits are linked to 10% of the rise in global migration. Climate change and associated natural disasters have a devastating impact on agricultural production. This requires increased actions in preventive and adaptation measures, such as the development of cost-efficient desalinisation technologies, phytosanitary protection of plant species, as well as breeding of species and varieties, such as olive trees, resistant to changed conditions, as this would be the most efficient adaptation strategy to cope with climate change.

Amendment 13 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4 a (new)

(4a) According to the 6th Assessment Report of Working Group II of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Mediterranean ecosystems are expected to be among the most impacted by the consequences of the progressing climate change. Therefore, the share of funding for climate-related projects must increase further.

Amendment 14 #

Ladislav ILČIĆ

Proposal for a decision
Recital 4 b (new)

(4b) In addition, future evaluations of PRIMA should also assess the need for the extension of the scope of the partnership’s objectives. In particular, the inclusion of cooperation on clean energy should be fully considered, taking into account the impact of new energy portfolios on other primary resources (i.e. water, land, and agriculture). A new Water-Energy-Food nexus approach can help decision makers understand this complex energy system and integrate resources planning with sound technical expertise and governance.

Amendment 15 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 5 a (new)

(5a) Although the thematic scope of PRIMA should be maintained, changes are necessary in the management of the program. The assessment of the program reveals some potential for improvement. The success rate in Section 1 is so low that this may discourage potential applicants in the future. Additional resources, smaller but numerous projects, more tailored calls and further refinement of the call procedure in a two-stage call process could improve the situation and make participation in the Section 1 calls more attractive.

Amendment 16 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 5 b (new)

(5b) Another worrying finding of the interim assessment is that South Mediterranean Participating States (SM PS) received only 28% of total funds. It is imperative that PRIMA supports a range of research and innovation activities, including capacity building, training, awareness-raising and dissemination actions in order to increase the absorption rate of the SM PS.

Amendment 17 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 a (new)

(7a) With a view to helping with the global energy transition, PRIMA can play a role and contribute to enhancing cooperation in the energy sector with the aim to promote sustainable development in the Mediterranean Area, while preserving the economic well-being of local communities. Closer cooperation between the participants to promote research and innovation activities focused on the development of renewable energy, the development of electricity interconnections and the development and deployment of renewable and low-carbon hydrogen can pave the way for introducing this area of action in the objectives of PRIMA in the near future.

Amendment 18 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 b (new)

(7b) PRIMA should operate in a simple, agile, open and transparent way, providing all relevant information to its participants in a timely manner, as well as promoting their activities, including information and dissemination activities, to the wider public. PRIMA-IS should foster its activities by engaging in awareness-raising campaigns and promoting educational and dissemination activities, with the involvement of academic, scientific and knowledge networks, social and economic partners, the media, industry and SME organisations and other stakeholders. PRIMA-IS and the Participating States should make dedicated efforts to ensure that the public is sufficiently and timely informed about their activities, in order to strengthen the dialogue with society, raise awareness about research and innovation and encourage active participation, in order to promote constructive attitudes towards the results of the activities that are carried out. PRIMA-IS should set up a reliable communication platform to facilitate the exchange of information, best practices, and research outcomes among the Participating States and beyond.

Amendment 19 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 c (new)

(7c) PRIMA should strive to serve as a regional model for science diplomacy, promoting cooperation and constructive engagement between Member States and Mediterranean neighbours, recognising the crucial role of science in international relations. It should also foster relationships with Mediterranean countries not yet participating in PRIMA and international stakeholders to address common challenges. Science and technology play an increasingly important role in the geopolitical landscape and can support diplomatic efforts in many ways, including the promotion and defence of European values such as academic freedom, research ethics and integrity, gender equality and diversity, and open science and data. Hence, the Participating States should recognize the geopolitical relevance of research and innovation in the Mediterranean Area, and emphasise the cooperative nature of the Partnership in addressing regional challenges.

Amendment 20 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 d (new)

(7d) PRIMA should actively seek and promote synergies and complementarities with other regional, European and international partnerships, and other collaborative research programmes. Particular attention should be paid to the European partnerships, the Joint Undertakings and other initiatives with common objectives and corresponding activities. This would create opportunities for research areas that are not currently addressed and promote applications in other sectors. Synergies should also be sought with relevant activities and programmes at regional level, including with the European Regional and Structural Funds, as well as with European financial institutions philanthropic foundations and trusts.

Amendment 21 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 7 e (new)

(7e) PRIMA-IS and the Participating States should make additional effort to improve the efficiency of their activities by simplifying the complexity caused by different national funding schemes, streamlining national administrative procedures, reducing time to grant and enhancing accessibility to research and innovation funding. These efforts should also focus on reducing bureaucracy, ensuring reliable and speedy processes, and promoting efficient use of resources.

Amendment 22 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 8

(8) The Union’s financial contribution to the PRIMA Partnership should be subject to a formal commitment by the Participating States to make a financial contribution at least at the level of the Union contribution. For that reason, compliance with the formal financial commitments should be closely monitored by the PRIMA implementation structure (PRIMA-IS) on a regular basis. The Commission should assess on a regular basis the fulfilment of commitments undertaken by the Participating States and, following this assessment, should be authorised to take appropriate measures, where necessary.

Amendment 23 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 8

(8) The Union’s financial contribution to the PRIMA Partnership should be subject to a formal commitment by the Participating States to ~~make a financial contribution at least at the level of the Union contribution~~contribute to the financing of PRIMA with an adequate contribution from national resources relevant to the objectives of PRIMA. For that reason, compliance with the formal financial commitments should be closely monitored by the PRIMA implementation structure (PRIMA-IS) on a regular basis.

Amendment 24 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 11

(11) ~~The overall Union contribution should be set as a maximum amount.~~ It should be possible, in accordance with Article 16(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, that the Union contribution from Horizon Europe to PRIMA be increased by such contributions from third countries associated to Horizon Europe. This should be subject to the total amount by which the Union contribution is increased being at least matched by the contribution from the Participating States.

Amendment 25 #

Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ, Carlos ZORRINHO, Josianne CUTAJAR, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Proposal for a decision
Recital 14 a (new)

(14a) To maximise the impact of the programme, as well as to utilise the value of science diplomacy, there is a need to strengthen communication and dissemination activities that would increase the awareness about the programme and ensure the broad diffusion of its results.

Amendment 26 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 15

(15) The extension of PRIMA requires monitoring and evaluation of this partnership in accordance with Horizon Europe related provisions. The Commission should conduct an interim evaluation of PRIMA by 31 December 2025 at the latest, and, a final evaluation by 31 December 2031 at the latest, that should feed into the overall interim and final evaluations of Horizon Europe. The evaluations should assess the quality and efficiency of PRIMA and the progress made towards achieving its objectives, implementing the monitoring and evaluation of this partnership in accordance with both Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe related provisions. The Commission should publish and disseminate the results and conclusions of those evaluations. In accordance with Article 10(2), point (c), of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, PRIMA should have a clear life- cycle approach, be limited in time and include the conditions for phasing-out the funding under Horizon Europe.

Amendment 27 #

Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ, Carlos ZORRINHO, Josianne CUTAJAR, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Proposal for a decision
Recital 15 a (new)

(15a) The interim evaluation of PRIMA should also look into possibilities of extending the objectives of PRIMA partnership to other areas, in particular to the energy sector. Continuous efforts are needed for a sustainable global energy transition. A strong cooperation with the Mediterranean Area in this regard is of particular interest for the European research. The final evaluation of PRIMA could assess possibilities for further cooperation between European Union and Mediterranean Area in the field of research and innovation with particular focus on research in the field of energy.

Amendment 28 #

Proposal for a decision
Recital 15 a (new)

(15a) To improve the impact and the results of PRIMA, synergies with other instruments of Horizon Europe should be reinforced. In addition, synergies between the projects should be intensified to boost the exchange between individual projects, to foster the building of longer-lasting communities, increasing the overall number of beneficiaries and Southern- Southern cooperation.

Amendment 29 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 2

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 2 – paragraph 1

1. PRIMA shall contribute to the general and specific objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and in particular Article 3 thereof and shall deliver on ~~the general objectiv~~objectives guided by public interest and national policies of building research and innovation capacities and developing technical knowledge and ~~common innovativ~~adequate solutions for agro-food systems, making them economically, socially and environmentally sustainable, and for integrated water provision and management in the Mediterranean area, making those systems, their management ~~and the~~, provision and access public, more climate resilient, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially sustainable, and contribute to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems upstream.;

Amendment 30 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 2 – paragraph 1

1. PRIMA shall contribute to the general and specific objectives of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and in particular Article 3 thereof and shall deliver on the general objectives of building research and innovation capacities and developing knowledge and common innovative solutions for agro-food systems, making them sustainable, and for integrated water provision and management in the Mediterranean area, making those systems, their management and the provision more climate resilient, efficient, cost-effective and environmentally and socially sustainable, and contribute to improving cooperation in the energy sector and to solving water scarcity, food security, nutrition, health, well-being and migration problems upstream.;

Amendment 31 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 3 – paragraph 1

The Union financial contribution, including EEA appropriations, shall equal the Participating States’ contributions to PRIMA. The Union contribution shall be up to EUR ~~325~~650 000 000 and shall be distributed as follows:

Amendment 32 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – point b

(b) up to EUR ~~105~~430 000 000 from Horizon Europe.

Amendment 33 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 3 – point a

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 3 – paragraph 1 – subparagraph 2

The amount of the Union financial contribution from Horizon Europe may be increased by contributions from third countries associated to Horizon Europe in accordance with Article 16(5) of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 ~~and provided that the total increase in the Union contribution is at least matched by the contribution from the Participating States referred to in Article 1(1)~~.

Amendment 34 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point a

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 4 – paragraph 1 – point c

(c) the commitment by each Participating State to contribute to the financing of PRIMA with an adequate contribution from national resources relevant to the objectives of PRIMA ~~that is at least equal to the Union contribution~~;

Amendment 35 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 4 – paragraph 3

The Commission shall assess on an ongoing basis the fulfilment of commitments undertaken by the Participating States and, following this assessment, may take appropriate measures, in~~cluding those in Article 9.~~ particular the measures defined in Article 9, including the decision to terminate, reduce or suspend the Union financial contribution;

Amendment 36 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 4 – paragraph 3

The Commission shall assess on an ongoing basis the fulfilment of commitments undertaken by the Participating States and ~~may take appropriate measures, including those in Article 9.~~shall publish that assessment;

Amendment 37 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 6 – paragraph 1

1. PRIMA shall support a wide range of research and innovation activities, addressing a wide range of Technology Readiness Levels and ensuring an appropriate balance between small and large projects, including capacity building and training in South Mediterranean Participating States (SM PS), as described in its annual work programme, by means of:

Amendment 38 #

Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ, Carlos ZORRINHO, Josianne CUTAJAR, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 6 – paragraph 10 – point b

(b) the proposals shall be selected following transnational calls for proposals and shall be evaluated by at least three independent experts, on the basis of the following award criteria: excellence, impact, ~~and~~fulfilment of sustainability criteria, quality and efficiency of the implementation;

Amendment 39 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12

1. The PRIMA- IS shall provide the Commission access to all information related to the indirect actions it funds. Such information shall include contributions and results of beneficiaries participating in indirect actions, or any other information deemed necessary for developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Union or where applicable Participating States’ policies or programmes. Such information shall also be accessible to the European Parliament and authorities of the Participating States where it refers to indirect actions which include beneficiaries established in their respective territories. Such access rights are limited to non-commercial and non- competitive use and shall comply with applicable confidentiality rules.

Amendment 40 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1.º – paragraph 1 – point 12

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 11a – paragraph 2

2. For the purposes of developing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating Member State and Union policies or programmes, the PRIMA-IS shall provide Member States and the Commission with the information included in submitted proposals. This shall apply mutatis mutandis to Participating States regarding proposals which include applicants established in their respective territories.;

Amendment 41 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 13

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 12 – paragraph 4

The Secretariat of PRIMA-IS shall set up a reliable communication platform to facilitate the exchange of information, best practices and research outcomes, in order to raise awareness and dissemination of PRIMA activities.

Amendment 42 #

Lina GÁLVEZ MUÑOZ, Carlos ZORRINHO, Josianne CUTAJAR, Miapetra KUMPULA-NATRI

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 14 – paragraph 1

1. The activities ~~of PRIMA~~, efficiency and transparency of PRIMA as well as evaluation of the success rates shall be continuously monitored and subject to periodic reviews to ensure the highest impact, scientific excellence and the most effective and efficient use of resources. The outcome of the monitoring and of the periodic reviews shall feed into the monitoring of European partnerships as part of the Horizon Europe evaluations, pursuant to Articles 50 and 52 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695.

Amendment 43 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 14 – paragraph 3

3. TBy December 2025 the Commission shall conduct an interim evaluation and by 31 December 2031 a final evaluation of PRIMA in the framework of the Horizon Europe evaluations, in accordance with Article 52 of Regulation (EU) 2021/695, with the assistance of external independent experts selected on the basis of an open and transparent process.

Amendment 44 #

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 14 – paragraph 4

4. The interim and final evaluations referred to in paragraph 3 shall examine the success rates and the absorption rates of the SM PS as well as how PRIMA fulfils its mission and objectives, cover all its activities and evaluate its European added value, effectiveness, efficiency, including its openness and transparency, the relevance of the activities pursued, including in NGOs, civil society, industry and by SMEs, and their consistency and complementarity with relevant regional, national and Union policies, including synergies with other parts of Horizon Europe, such as other partnerships, missions, clusters and thematic or specific programmes. The evaluations shall take into account the views of all relevant stakeholders, at both Union and national level. They shall include, where relevant, an assessment of the most effective policy intervention mode for any future action, as well as the relevance and coherence of any possible renewal of PRIMA, given the overall policy priorities and the research and innovation support landscape, including the positioning against other initiatives supported through Horizon Europe. When carrying out those evaluations, the Commission shall fully consider the administrative impact on PRIMA and shall seek to reduce the administrative burden and to ensure that the evaluation process is kept simple and fully transparent. Interim and final evaluation shall also examine the possibility of adding new climate-related R&I topics.

Amendment 45 #

Ladislav ILČIĆ

Proposal for a decision
Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14

Decision (EU) 2017/1324
Article 14 – paragraph 4

4. The interim and final evaluations referred to in paragraph 3 shall examine how PRIMA fulfils its mission and objectives, cover all its activities and evaluate its European added value, effectiveness, efficiency, including its openness and transparency, the relevance of the activities pursued, including in industry and by SMEs, and their consistency and complementarity with relevant regional, national and Union policies, including synergies with other parts of Horizon Europe, such as other partnerships, missions, clusters and thematic or specific programmes. The evaluations shall take into account the views of stakeholders, at both Union and national level. They shall include, where relevant, an assessment of the most effective policy intervention mode for any future action, as well as the relevance and coherence of any possible renewal of PRIMA, given the overall policy priorities and the research and innovation support landscape, including the positioning against other initiatives supported through Horizon Europe. The evaluations shall assess the need for extension of scope of PRIMA objectives referred to in Article 2, in particular inclusion of cooperation on clean energy. When carrying out those evaluations, the Commission shall fully consider the administrative impact on PRIMA and shall seek to reduce the administrative burden and to ensure that the evaluation process is kept simple and fully transparent.

Amendment 46 #