The EU and Morocco have signed an agreement extending Morocco’s participation in PRIMA, a Mediterranean research and innovation partnership, for 2025 – 2027, with Morocco contributing €6.6 million over the period.
The deal was signed by Morocco’s ambassador to the EU, Ahmed Réda Chami, and Marc Lemaître on behalf of the European Commission, in the presence of European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva and Morocco’s higher education and research minister, Azzedine El Midaoui, the Commission reported on Friday.
The signing followed a bilateral meeting between Zaharieva and El Midaoui on EU – Morocco cooperation in research and innovation.
Morocco has participated in PRIMA since it began in 2018, with Moroccan partners involved in 137 of the 269 projects funded so far.
What is PRIMA and what has Morocco worked on?
PRIMA is a research and innovation initiative focused on the Mediterranean region, supporting cross-border projects on issues including water scarcity, sustainable agriculture and food systems, the Commission said.
Moroccan partners’ involvement in PRIMA projects to date represents a total investment of €25.9 million, including €11.9 million from the European Commission and €13.9 million from Morocco.
Moroccan researchers have worked on projects covering sustainable agriculture, integrated water management and food value chains.
“Morocco has been a committed and active partner in PRIMA from the very beginning, with its researchers playing a key role across projects in the Mediterranean,” Zaharieva stated.
