Main objectives of the public consultation

Background: what is PRIMA?
PRIMA – Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area is the most ambitious joint programme to be undertaken in the frame of Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.
PRIMA consists of European Union Member States, Horizon 2020 Associated Countries and Mediterranean Partner Countries with the participation of the European Commission, under the framework of an art. 185 TFEU.
The full list of PRIMA Participating States is available here (http://prima-med.org/about-us/prima-in-brief/)
By funding R&I through competitive calls, PRIMA aims to build research and innovation capacities and to develop knowledge and common innovative solutions for agro-food systems and for integrated water provision and management in the Mediterranean area, a region heavily distressed by climate change, urbanisation and population growth.
The partnership will be financed through a combination of funding from PRIMA Participating States (currently €274 million), and a €220 million contribution from the EU through Horizon 2020, its research and innovation funding programme (2014 – 2020).

PRIMA´s thematic focus
The PRIMA programme is implemented on the basis of Annual Work Plans and according to the priorities described in the PRIMA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) (http://prima-med.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/PRIMA-SRIA_Strategic-Research-and-Innovation-Agenda.pdf). The PRIMA SRIA identifies three thematic areas, each with specific priorities and thematic/operational objectives:
· Integrated and sustainable management of water for arid and semi-arid Mediterranean areas
· Sustainable farming systems under Mediterranean environmental constraints
· Sustainable Mediterranean agro-food value chain for regional and local development

Purpose of this public consultation and target groups
This public consultation allows stakeholders to provide their inputs for the preparation of the next PRIMA Annual Work Plans 2020 and 2021 (AWPs) and related calls for proposals. PRIMA would like to involve in this co-creation process a broad number of stakeholders from both the public and private sector, be they individuals, institutions, groups or networks.
The feedback of the scientific community is very much sought, however, all citizens and organisations are welcome to contribute. Relevant stakeholders who are encouraged to participate in this public consultation include industry (large companies and SMEs), NGOs, CSOs and not-for-profit organisations, end-users (e.g. farmers, retailers, etc.), consumers, decision-makers (at all levels: local, regional, national), regulators and, last but not least, the general public.
Questions mainly focus on technical aspects related to project implementation and on the content of the future Annual Work Plans and calls for proposals. In the latter case, before answering the questions and making their suggestions, respondents may wish to read the PRIMA Annual Work Plan 2018 (http://prima-med.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/PRIMA-AWP2018-amend-clean.pdf), to know what specific topics and challenges have been already addressed by the calls for proposals in 2018. Respondents should also bear in mind that the content of the future PRIMA AWPs and calls for proposals shall always remain within the priorities set by the PRIMA Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) (http://prima-med.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/PRIMA-SRIA_Strategic-Research-and-Innovation-Agenda.pdf), which represents the programme´s technical and scientific basis.
Respondents are kindly encouraged to disseminate this survey to their networks: the wider the participation, the more PRIMA will be able to capture innovative ideas that can contribute to shaping the future of Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean area.

Period of consultation
From 1st October 2018 to 31st October 2018

Results of consultation and next steps
The results of the public consultation will be published on the PRIMA website later on in time and will also feed the work of the group of experts who will start drafting the Annual Work Plans 2020 and 2021.

Thanks for the time you will take to answer the questionnaire (approximately 15 mins. needed)!

The PRIMA Secretariat