What changed between the draft committee report and the plenary report

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

5 unchanged paragraphs

on the proposal for a decision of the European Parliament and of the Council amending 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

(COM(2023)0359 – C90213/2023 – 2023/0207(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2023)0359),

Changed:– having regard to Article 294(2), Article 185294(2) and the second paragraphArticles of185 Articleand 188188(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C90213/2023),(C9-0213/2023),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Changed:– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of ...20 ,September 2023,

– having regard to Rule 59 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed:– having regard to the report of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (A90000/2023),(A9-0378/2023),

1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Change 1

Removed:Recital -1 (new): (-1) The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe constitutes a positive choice for developing countries that are of strategic relevance for the interests of the Union and, in line with the Commission’s communication of 1 December 2021 on The Global Gateway, are in urgent need for design projects that are sustainable and of high quality, and are implemented with high levels of transparency and standards in order to deliver lasting social and economic benefits for local communities.

Added:AMENDMENTS BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT*

Removed:Recital -1 a (new): (-1 a) In its communication of 7 June 2016 on establishing a new Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration, the Commission emphasised the need for all policies, including research and innovation, to address the root causes of migration through a new cooperation model involving private investors, as well as the need to focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sustainable infrastructure.

Added:to the Commission proposal

Removed:Recital -1 b (new): (-1 b) Possible overlaps between PRIMA and other research and innovation projects carried out under Horizon Europe, or other Union instruments, such as the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), should be avoided.

Added:---------------------------------------------------------

Removed: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 throughout its life-cycle, including its implementation under both Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe. 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.

Added:2023/0207 (COD)

Removed:Decision 2017/1324

Added:Proposal for a

Removed:Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4 – point c, Article 4 - paragraph 3: deleted / (deleted)

Added:DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

Removed:Decision 2017/1324

Added:amending 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

Removed:Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 12, Article 11a – paragraph 1: 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.

Added:THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Removed:Decision 2017/1324

Added:Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 185 and the second paragraph of Article 188 thereof,

Removed:Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 14, Article 14 – paragraph 3: 3. By 31 December 2025 the Commission shall conduct an interim evaluation and by 31 December 2031 it shall conduct a final evaluation of PRIMA in the framework of the Horizon Europe evaluations, and corresponding evaluations according to the evaluation standards of Horizon 2020 for those actions carried out under the framework of Horizon 2020 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.

Added:Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Added:After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments,

Added:Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee,

Added:Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure,

Added:Whereas:

Added:(-1) The Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) under Horizon Europe constitutes a successful tool for the purpose of advancing in research and innovation, particularly with regard to research and innovation systems of the participating countries that are of strategic relevance for the interests of the Union and, in line with the Commission’s communication of 1 December 2021 on The Global Gateway, are in urgent need for design projects that are sustainable and of high quality, and are implemented with high levels of transparency and standards.

Added:(-1a) The Commission, in its communication of 18 May 2021 entitled ‘on the Global Approach to Research and Innovation - Europe's strategy for international cooperation in a changing world’, committed itself to strengthening the Union’s leading role in supporting multilateral research and innovation partnerships to deliver new solutions to green, digital, health, social and innovation challenges.

Added:(-1b) In its communication of 7 June 2016 on establishing a new Partnership Framework with third countries under the European Agenda on Migration, the Commission emphasised the need for all policies, including research and innovation, to address the root causes of migration through a new cooperation model involving private investors, as well as the need to focus on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and sustainable infrastructure. 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, integrity and gender equality. PRIMA should strive to serve as a regional model for science diplomacy and it should also foster relationships with Mediterranean countries not yet participating in PRIMA.

Added:(-1c) The topicality of the thematic scope of the PRIMA, namely agri-food systems and integrated water provisions and water management in the Mediterranean area, is increasing. Research shows that water scarcity is an important contributor to the rise in global migration. Climate change and associated natural disasters have a devastating impact on agricultural production. Preventive and adaptation measures, such as the development of cost-efficient desalinisation technologies, phytosanitary protection of plant species, such as olive trees, and the increase of plant tolerance to environmental stressors, are therefore important because they would be efficient adaptation strategies to cope with climate change. Further, 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 those most affected by the consequences of progressing climate change. PRIMA also contributes to supporting the region becoming a leader in climate-resilient solutions.

Added:(-1d) Possible overlaps between PRIMA and other research and innovation projects carried out under Horizon Europe or under other Union instruments, such as the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation Instrument (NDICI), should be avoided, while PRIMA should actively seek and promote synergies and complementarities with other regional, European and international partnerships, and other collaborative research programmes with common objectives and corresponding activities.

Added:(-1e) A worrying finding of the Interim Evaluation of the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) is that Southern Mediterranean Participating States (SM PS) received only 28 % of the total funds allocated by the Programme by March 2022. It is imperative that PRIMA support a range of research and innovation activities, including capacity building, training and synergies between individual projects to foster the building of longer lasting communities, increase Southern-Southern cooperation and the absorption rate of the SM PS.

Added:(1) Decision (EU) 2017/1324 of the European Parliament and of the Council was adopted under the previous Framework Programme for Research and Innovation, namely Horizon 2020, for a period up to 31 December 2028.

Added:(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.

Added:(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 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union.

Added:(3a) The PRIMA Programme is implemented by the PRIMA-implementation structure (PRIMA-IS), established in Barcelona. Considering that PRIMA is one of the most recent developments of the Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, also known as the Barcelona Process, which was established in 1995 with the aim of fostering stability, prosperity and dialogue in the Southern Neighbourhood, its location has been instrumental to PRIMA’s effectiveness and efficiency.

Added:(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 sustainable food systems an even more urgent priority for Mediterranean societies and the interim evaluation report 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.

Added:(4a) In addition, future evaluations of PRIMA should cover the extension of the scope of the partnership’s objectives referred to in Article 2 of Decision (EU) 2017/1324, considering also a corresponding increase of the financial allocation to PRIMA. In particular, the extension should encompass energy R&I and climate-related R&I, taking into account the impact of new portfolios on other primary resources (namely water, land, and agriculture). This would create opportunities for research areas that are not currently addressed and promote applications in other sectors. In particular, a new Water-Energy-Food nexus approach can help decision makers understand that complex energy system and integrate resources planning with sound technical expertise and governance.

Added:(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 2021/764, 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’.

Added:(5a) Changes are necessary in the management of the PRIMA programme. The Interim Evaluation of the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA) reveals some potential for improvement. The success rate in Section 1 is so low that this may discourage potential applicants in the future. PRIMA-IS and the Participating States should make additional efforts 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.

Added:(6) PRIMA is funded under Regulation (EU) No 1291/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council. 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 Council. 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 Council.

Added:(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.

Added:(7a) PRIMA should operate in a simple, agile, open and transparent way. PRIMA-IS and the Participating States should make dedicated efforts to strengthen dialogue with society, encourage active participation and ensure that the wider public is sufficiently and timely informed about their activities. To that end, PRIMA-IS should set up a reliable communication strategy to facilitate the exchange of information, best practices and research outcomes, with the involvement of academic, scientific and knowledge networks, social and economic partners, the media, industry SMEs and other stakeholders.

Added:(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.

Added:(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.

Added:(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.

Added:(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.

Added:(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.