Morocco and the European Union (EU) signed an agreement on Monday in Brussels on the Kingdom’s expanded participation in the EU’s Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean (PRIMA) for the period 2025-2027.
Once approved, this agreement, inked by Morocco’s Permanent Representative to the EU Ahmed Reda Chami and Head of Unit for International Cooperation at the European Commission’s (EC) Directorate-General for Research and Innovation Nienke Buisman, will foster Moroccan universities, higher education institutions, research centers, foundations, and companies’ full participation in PRIMA projects over the 2025-2027 period, to address some of the most pressing challenges in the Mediterranean region.
In addition to the funding provided by the Commission for this program, the Kingdom will contribute €6.6 million to the Partnership between 2025 and 2027.
The successful conclusion of negotiations on Morocco’s expanded participation in this partnership portrays “an important step in strengthening scientific cooperation” between the Kingdom, the EU, and other countries participating in PRIMA, the EC said on this occasion, noting that this agreement demonstrates once again “both parties’ shared priority for regional stability, sustainable development, and prosperity through scientific and innovative cooperation.”
Morocco has been engaged in PRIMA since its launch in 2018 and has participated in 132 of the 269 projects funded by this partnership in support of sustainable agriculture, integrated water management, and food security, with total funding of €25.1 million, including €12.3 million from the EC and €12.8 million from Morocco, to the benefit of Moroccan partners.
In terms of funded projects, the Kingdom coordinates four notable projects and ranks fifth among the 20 PRIMA member countries. At the regional level, Morocco is “among the best-performing countries in the southern Mediterranean within the framework of this partnership,” according to Belgium.
The PRIMA partnership, supported by Horizon Europe, the EU’s framework program for innovation and research, strives to reinforce research and innovation capacities to develop innovative solutions to combat water scarcity, improve agricultural productivity, and enhance food systems’ resilience in the Mediterranean region.
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