EEA Grants and Norway Grants 2004-09

The EEA Grants and Norway Grants were established in connection with the historic enlargement of the European Union and European Economic Area in 2004. Between 2004 and 2009, the three donor states made €1.3 billion available to the 12 newest EU member states, and Greece, Portugal and Spain. All the available funding was committed in all countries.

Highlights
•   Bilateral partnership projects were encouraged and more than 1 in 5 projects had partners in the donor states, mainly Norway.
•   1/4 of the funding was spent on environmental projects. The largest part of this funding was focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy in public buildings, and cutting emissions of CO2 and other pollutants.
•   NGO Funds secured vital support to civil society, particularly in areas such as advocacy and social inclusion.
•   Research projects provided valuable insights, especially in the field of environment, and proved a catalyst for bilateral cooperation between donor and beneficiary countries.
•   Refurbishment of hospitals, new technology and training of medical staff made high-quality health services more accessible.
•   A large number of key landmarks, historical buildings and other cultural heritage sites were restored and made accessible for local communities and tourists.
•   Schengen and the judiciary projects strengthened general law enforcement in the beneficiary states and improved prison conditions through rehabilitation programmes for inmates and training for staff.
•   Scholarship Funds enhanced student and teacher mobility between donor and beneficiary countries, and strengthened institutional capacity, improved skills and triggered mutual learning.

Financial Instrument (1999-2003)

In the period 1999-2003, €119.6 million was made available for projects in Greece, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Projects were supported in the fields of environmental protection, urban renewal, pollution in urban areas, protection of cultural heritage, transport, education and training, and academic research. About 93 % of the funding was spent on projects related to environmental protection.

Financial Mechanism (1994-1998)

The first programme for economic support to projects covered Greece, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Portugal and Spain. Projects were supported in the fields of environmental protection, education and training, and transport. In addition to ECU 500 million in project support, interest rebates were granted on loans amounting to ECU 1.5 billion in the European Investment Bank (EIB).

When Austria, Finland, Sweden left EFTA for the EU on 1 January 1995, the European Commission took over responsibilities for the contributions of these three countries.