UNDERSTANDING AND TACKLING THE MIGRATION CHALLENGE: THE ROLE OF RESEARCH. MMS-Mediterranean Migration Studies POSITION PAPER

Mediterranean Migration Studies (MMS) is the name of the project launched by the National Research Council of Italy, which provides the basis for the approach described in this position paper. First and foremost, let it be noted that a cross-cutting initiative on migrations would integrate the perspectives opened up by the SC6 Work-Programme 2016-2017 calls on migration as well as by PRIMA (art. 185 TFEU) and the two ERANET COFUNDS ERANETMED and BLUEMED that are only focused on agri-food and water management issues in the Mediterranean area. The idea is to aggregate research performing organizations, universities, research infrastructures and cultural institutions for actions on migrations, cultural heritage, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, security, agri-food, health within the Mediterranean. The Informal Competitiveness Council of May 2014 in Athens and the subsequent e Competitiveness Council in Brussels identified the focus areas of Water and Food, with multidisciplinary aspects embracing health, climate change and energy, and sustainable social innovation as a cross-cutting aspect. It is clear, then, that in this framework, MMS is complementary to all actions planned in PRIMA and in the two ERANET COFUND ERANETMED e BLUEMED . Hence the urgency of inserting a priority on migrations on top of the already present priorities water, sea, shores and food.