The European Union and Jordan have officially signed a renewed agreement under the Partnership for Research and Innovation in the Mediterranean Area (PRIMA), committing to collaboration on key regional priorities, including climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, and inclusive economic development
The agreement was signed in Brussels by Marc Lemaitre, Director-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, and Professor Mashhoor Al Refai, Secretary General of Jordan’s Higher Council for Science and Technology.
This renewed partnership ensures Jordan’s ongoing participation in PRIMA-funded projects and reinforces its role as a vital contributor to regional research and innovation efforts.
Investing in regional stability
The renewed PRIMA agreement demonstrates a shared ambition between the EU and Jordan to address critical Mediterranean challenges through science and innovation. With growing environmental, economic, and social pressures across the region, the agreement hopes to create joint solutions that benefit communities across borders.
Jordan will contribute €4.5 million to PRIMA over the 2025–2027 period. In return, Jordanian researchers and institutions will be granted full access to PRIMA’s competitive calls for funding, research networks, and joint innovation initiatives.
Improving Jordan’s role in science diplomacy
Jordan has been an active member of the PRIMA initiative since its inception and continues to play a leading role in shaping regional scientific collaboration. During the signing ceremony, EU representatives highlighted Jordan’s co-chairmanship of the Union for the Mediterranean’s Research and Innovation Platform. This platform hopes to create better cooperation among Mediterranean countries on shared scientific and societal challenges.
Through this leadership role, Jordan has consistently shown its commitment to promoting regional stability and sustainable development through cross-border partnerships in research.
Jordan is the first partner country to complete all necessary steps to formalise its participation in the next PRIMA cycle. The agreement will now come into force following ratification by Jordanian authorities, which is expected in the coming months. This conclusion enables the next wave of collaborative projects under the PRIMA framework, set to begin in 2025.
The renewed agreement follows negotiations that began in November 2023. After months of technical discussions and alignment on objectives, the contract was initialled in February 2024.
Framework for Mediterranean innovation
Launched in 2018, PRIMA is a joint initiative between the EU and 19 Mediterranean countries. It supports research and innovation projects that address some of the region’s most important challenges, including water scarcity, food insecurity, climate change, and environmental degradation. PRIMA is funded through both EU contributions and financial commitments from participating countries.
Jordan’s continued involvement in PRIMA complements its national priorities in science, agriculture, and sustainable development. It also enables local researchers to engage in international partnerships and explore opportunities to scale their innovations to the Mediterranean region.
