Considerations on COM(2023)359 - Amendment of Decision (EU) 2017/1324 as regards the continuation of the Union’s participation in the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe - Main contents
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| dossier | COM(2023)359 - Amendment of Decision (EU) 2017/1324 as regards the continuation of the Union’s participation in the Partnership for ... |
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| document | COM(2023)359 |
| date | April 11, 2024 |
(2) In accordance with the PRIMA basic act, the final calls for proposals under the relevant annual work programme will be launched in 2024 and all indirect R&I actions will be finalised by 2028.
(3) The Member States participating in PRIMA declared their intention to continue in their joint initiative beyond 2024 and called for the continued participation of the Union in the same institutional framework of Article 185.
(4) Since the initial rationale and objectives of PRIMA partnership are still valid 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.
(5) The continued Union financial support to PRIMA should come from the general budget of the Union allocated to the Specific Programme implementing Horizon Europe, established by Council Decision 2021/76421, and in particular from Pillar II ‘Global challenges and European Industrial Competitiveness’, and the relevant thematic cluster (vi) ‘Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment’.
(6) PRIMA is funded under Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council22. For the purpose of its continuation from 2025 onward, it should, be funded and operated under Regulation (EU) 2021/695 of the European Parliament and of the Council23. Therefore, Decision (EU) 2017/1324 should be aligned with the requirements of Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council24.
(7) Decision (EU) 2017/1324 should be aligned with the objectives and the research and innovation priorities of Horizon Europe and with the general principles and conditions laid down in Article 10, and Annex III and Annex VI of Regulation (EU) 2021/695. Therefore, it is necessary to have at least 40% of Member States participating in the extended PRIMA partnership. Moreover, the PRIMA partnership should operate in one of the priority areas for institutionalised European partnerships, and that all Participating States should express their long-term financial commitment. Those conditions are already met as current Member State participation rate is 41%, PRIMA partnership fits in the priority area Partnership Area 5: ‘Sustainable, inclusive and circular bio-based solutions’ of Annex VI, and the Participating States declared their long-term financial commitments to the PRIMA partnership.
(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.
(9) For the purpose of achieving the objectives of PRIMA, the aggregate contribution of the Participating States should be at least equal to the Union contribution. Participating States should therefore match the Union contribution under Horizon Europe in accordance with the principle set out in Annex III to Regulation (EU) 2021/695. In order to ensure that that principle is fully safeguarded, only contributions from Participating States made after 31 December 2024 should be taken into account.
(10) In order to ensure their continued commitment to the objectives of PRIMA funded under Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and commitment to new obligations pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2021/695 and Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046, Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Morocco should formally accept the new terms and conditions stemming from this amending decision, by concluding agreements with the Union, in the form of an exchange of letters, amending and supplementing the existing international agreements for scientific and technological cooperation concluded with them. This should not affect their participation in activities of PRIMA funded under Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013.
(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.
(12) Taking into account the objectives of PRIMA, entities established in third countries which are not Participating States should be eligible to apply for funding in specific call topics provided for in the PRIMA annual work programme. All appropriate measures, including contractual measures, should be taken to protect the financial interests of the Union. For that purpose, science and technology agreements with third countries in which such entities are established should be concluded.
(13) While ex post audits of expenditure on indirect action funded under Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 should continue to be performed in accordance with the relevant provisions of that Regulation, indirect actions funded under Horizon Europe should be audited in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2021/695.
(14) Regulation (EU) 2021/695 places an increased focus on access to the results and other action related information by the Commission for the purpose of developing, implementing and monitoring Union policies or programmes in the case of institutionalised European partnerships. Therefore, the PRIMA-IS should ensure that the Commission has access to all information related to the indirect actions it funds, including contributions and results of beneficiaries participating in indirect actions. To uphold their interest, the Participating States should also have access to information relating to proposals which include applicants established in their territories. Such access rights should comply with applicable confidentiality rules.
(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. 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.
(16) Decision (EU) 2017/1324 should therefore be amended accordingly.