27
1st Standard Projects
600
37
57.4
2nd Standard Projects
1095
39
65
Strategic Projects
300
19
82
Total
1995
95
204.4
Table3 – ENPI CBC MED projects (2007-2014)
Out of 95 projects funded, 11 are relevant to PRIMA thematic scope/objectives (7 in the first
standard call, 3 in the second standard call, 1 in the strategic call). They deal with the following
themes:
Sustainable Water Use
Adaptation to Climate Change in Irrigated Agriculture
Nanotechnology for water treatment
Valorization of wastewater
Groundwater pollution
Environmental sustainability
of irrigated production
Risk Analysis
Pest Management Control
The majority of these projects has been closed in 2014 and 2015, therefore a joint programming
action could ensure continuity to their results, with particular reference to PRIMA main themes. An
evaluation report
on the implementation of CBC Med Programme affirms that a significant number
of projects approved faced strong delays in implementation – mainly due to administrative
constraints - and that a fragmentation of efforts have also occurred.
On the other hand, an added value of these projects is the high diversification of actors involved,
including also no profit organisations and private sector (SMEs, industry).
The latters could be
identifiedas actors for further synergies in research joint programming initiatives as they are
involved in cooperation in the Euro-Mediterranean scenario.
Looking at an analysis of the new work programme 2014-2020 of ENPI CBC Med, two overarching
objectives are in line with PRIMA priorities:
Overarching Objective no. 1: Promote Economic and Social Development (with particular
reference to thematic objective no. 1 – Business and SMEs; no. 2 – Support to education,
research, technological development and innovation
Overarching Objective no. 2: Address Common Challenges in Environment (with particular
reference to Water Priority)
The calls for the new work programme have not been published yet.
Surely synergies should be
sought in this phase for a coherent planning of the PRIMA activities.
2.5 Structural Funds: LIFE + Programme and
European Regional
Development Fund
Concerning EU Structural Funds, a good potential for up-scaling activities carried out in recent years
can be highlighted in Life + Programme and the European Regional Development Fund. Although
these programme do not have a focus on research, they address relevant challenges like
environment / climate, food and agriculture, resource efficiency through joint cooperation actions.
28
As for the first one, among the huge number of projects funded in the frame of LIFE + Programme,
some Best Practices have been identified by LIFE Unit’s External Assistance Team.
Under the Environment projects component of LIFE and LIFE+, some of the
projects identified as
Best Practices
in 2014 (8 projects) and 2012 (4 projects) deal with issues of interest for PRIMA,
namely: water & climate change, water &
animal production, agriculture & climate change, water
& animal production, sustainable use of pesticides.
It is worth noting that among the beneficiaries of such projects, the private sector as well as NGOs
are well represented. They also include local authorities. None of these projects involves
Mediterranean Partner Countries or Associated Countries from the Mediterranean region.
However, the model of LIFE +, which is very inclusive and open to diversified range of actors can
be considered as a best practice itself for the planning and implementation of long-term joint
programming initiatives. In addition, LIFE programmes have the intent to put in place with concrete
actions EU Environment and Climate policies. This coherence is surely to be considered as a model,
since PRIMA initiative will also be aligned with national policies and priorities.
As for the European Regional Development Fund, between 2007 and 2013 some interesting projects
have been implemented involving PRIMA EU members States, particularly: Italy, Germany, France,
Spain, Greece, Malta. A table of projects is given as example in Annexes. These projects,
dealing
mainly with RTD in Environment (including water) and Agriculture had a variable size, ranging
from 600.000 Euro to 2.000.000 Euro.
The projects achieved remarkable results such as: water management systems in drought risky
areas; improving irrigation infrastructures; new methods of food testing and processing; new
services to assess health and quality potential of vineyards.
The examples given show that not only central administrations (i.e.: Ministries) have a stake in
challenges addressed by PRIMA but also local administrations have strong interest and support
transnational cooperation.
This is a positive factor to envisage potential for synergies between national and local priorities.
Among local authorities of EU Member States (which are the main beneficiaries of EU structural
funds) there are good premises for the creation of a critical mass on research, innovation and
development in PRIMA thematic areas. The results of such efforts could be up-scaled at the
national/international level and could pave the way for a stronger integration and cooperation
including local entities of non-EU Mediterranean countries.
3. International
Programmes
In addition to initiatives funded in the frame of national, bi-lateral and EU programmes, it is worth
considering potential synergies to be established between PRIMA initiative and projects funded by
international donors targeting the Mediterranean region and addressing PRIMA thematic
challenges.
Intergovernmental organizations such as UN (particularly UNEP), FAO, CIHEAM have funded and
implemented several projects and initiatives in the recent years.
Many of them are ongoing and have a limited duration (few years) and some of them are
permanent like the research/cooperation capacity building programme of CIHEAM, whose results
