3 Results of the EEA and Norway Grants scheme 2004–09
3.1 Implementation
By 30 April 2009, the deadline for awarding grants, all the funds under the EEA and Norway Grants had been allocated to 1 250 projects and funds in the beneficiary states. By 30 April 2011, the deadline for completion, 1 106 projects had been completed. One hundred and nine projects had received a one-year extension and 35 had not yet been completed or had been cancelled before completion. About 97 % of the projects had been completed by the end of April 2012, which is a high percentage compared with the completion rate for EU funds and programmes. However, there are large variations between the beneficiary states. For example, Poland is expected to complete over 95 % of its projects, while in Greece only about half are likely to be implemented.
The final evaluation of the EEA and Norway Grants 2004–091 pointed to a number of factors that contributed to the high proportion of completed projects. The first is that there was fierce competition for funding and the project selection process was very thorough. Secondly, the projects have been closely followed up by the donor states and by the beneficiary states themselves, and external expertise was used for the appraisal process and to monitor performance. Thirdly, the projects were relatively small, which made monitoring easier. The final evaluation concluded that the completion rate of the projects under the EEA and Norway Grants had been higher than that of EU-financed programmes.
Figure 3.1 Improving energy efficiency in buildings is one of the most effective means of reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This building in Busko, Poland, is one of seven school buildings that have been reinsulated and given new windows and doors.
Photo: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
About 90 % of the funding is expected to be disbursed. The remainder consists mainly of savings due to lower costs, down-scaling of projects, and delayed or cancelled projects. These funds have been retained by the donor states.
Implementation of the projects has been closely monitored, both by the donors and by the individual beneficiary state. Few serious breaches of the rules were detected in the period 2004–09. Those that did occur consisted mainly of deviations from public procurement procedures, lack of building permits, a shortage of co-financing in the private sector and use of funds to cover costs that were not refundable. In such cases the sum disbursed for the project was reduced by a corresponding amount, or a demand for reimbursement was issued. In a few cases fraud or mismanagement of funds was detected, and these cases were properly dealt with.
3.2 Reducing social and economic disparities in the EEA
The final evaluation concluded that the EEA and Norway Grants 2004–09 have helped to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe. However, since in many sectors the funding under the grants scheme is small compared with EU internal transfers and the beneficiary states’ own budgets, it is not always possible to document exactly how the Grants have contributed to development in these sectors at the national level. On the other hand, the projects have been in line with national strategies for economic and social development, and in some sectors their impacts are also highly visible at the national level. Support for civil society has increased the capacity of NGOs and given them a stronger role in society as a whole. Another example is projects in the health and childcare sector, which have benefited 6 % of Polish children.
The individual projects were relatively small. This has made it easier to target priority groups such as ethnic minorities, children and persons with disabilities, and priority areas such as economically disadvantaged geographical areas. The final evaluation showed that in the largest beneficiary states over 30 % of all projects have benefited vulnerable groups.
3.3 Partnerships and strengthening of bilateral relations
The agreements with the EU on the EEA and Norway Grants 2004–09 did not state explicitly that the projects should promote bilateral cooperation between the donor and the beneficiary states. However, when the agreement was being reviewed by the Norwegian Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence, the Committee expressed a wish that the funds should also be used to strengthen bilateral relations between Norway and these countries.
The Government has accordingly taken steps to facilitate participation in relevant projects by Norwegian actors such as companies, educational and research institutions, NGOs and government agencies. Thus when Bulgaria and Romania joined the EU in 2007, a requirement was included in the two-year Norway Grants scheme that all projects should under that scheme have a Norwegian partner. In 2008 a separate support scheme for social dialogue was established, under which Norwegian organisations could apply for funding. Bilateral funds for research, scholarships and cultural exchange were also established in some of the beneficiary states.
As a result of these efforts, 298 individual projects, or about 25 % of all projects, have had a partner from a donor state. Most of these were Norwegian. In addition, partnerships were established for about 600 smaller projects financed by funds and programmes. The extent of participation, however, has varied considerably. In some projects the Norwegian partner has been heavily involved in planning and implementation, while in others cooperation has been more limited and ad hoc, for example in the form of study tours for knowledge transfers. The relevance of the partnerships in four beneficiary states was discussed in the final evaluation. Most of the institutions with a Norwegian partner reported that the partnership had been crucial or important for implementation of the project. This is a high proportion and indicates that the project cooperation was successful.
The grant scheme has also been used as a tool for developing cooperation between Norway and the beneficiary states that extends beyond the cooperation on specific projects. Considerable attention has been paid to the EEA and Norway Grants cooperation on state and official political visits, and the Norwegian embassies in the beneficiary states have worked hard to make Norway’s contribution widely known.
Figure 3.2 Partnership projects1 2004–09, by sector (EEA and Norway Grants)
1 The figure shows partnerships in individual projects; partnerships in funds and programmes are not included.
Source Financial Mechanism Office
Figure 3.3 Partnership projects1 2004–09, by country (EEA and Norway Grants)
1 The figure shows partnerships in individual projects; partnerships in funds and programmes are not included.
Source Financial Mechanism Office
3.4 Important results in the various sectors
For details of the results for the various sectors, see the website of the EEA and Norway Grants: www.eeagrants.org. Figure 3.4 EEA and Norway Grants 2004–09, by sector. Source Financial Mechanism Office
3.5 Results in selected beneficiary states
The final evaluation on the EEA and Norway Grants provides a more detailed description of four countries: Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania and Latvia. These four received a total of 63 % of the funding for 2004–09.
Figure 3.5 The Cultural Exchange Fund in Poland supported more than 70 projects and promoted extensive cooperation between Norwegian and Polish cultural workers. Teatr Baj, Oslo Teatersenter and the Norwegian Theatre of Cruelty cooperated on the production of Garmanns Verden.
Photo: Teatr Baj
Textbox 3.1 Cultural exchanges with Poland
The Cultural Exchange Fund for Poland was established in 2008. The Fund amounted to almost EUR 10 million and supported 72 partner projects in a wide range of fields. Seventy-eight Norwegian cultural organisations participated in the organisation of more than 400 cultural events. The projects have had broad geographical distribution in both Norway and Poland. The Fund was well received by the Norwegian organisations in spite of certain administrative difficulties. The Norwegian actors reported that they had learnt a great deal from Poland’s long cultural tradition and that the technical benefits of the cooperation had been considerable. The Fund will be continued in the period 2009–14 in a revised form that takes account of the experience gained in this first period.
3.5.1 Poland
Poland received the largest tranche of the EEA and Norway Grants. The projects were successfully implemented and performance was high, thanks partly to efficient planning and follow-up on the part of the Poles. Ninety individual projects had a partner from a donor state, and in most cases the Polish actors felt that the partnership had proved extremely fruitful. In addition extensive cooperation took place through the cultural exchange and the research funds.
The EEA and Norway Grants have achieved good results in the field of energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy sources, and in pollution control. Insulation, thermo-installation and replacement of doors, windows and inefficient oil-fired water heaters have resulted in considerable annual energy savings and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Most of the upgraded buildings were public buildings such as schools and health institutions, and in addition to the environmental benefits they have resulted in better facilities for the users. Otherwise the environmental projects were relatively small, but the evaluation stated that they were focused and relevant to Poland’s targets in this area.
Poland received substantial support for strengthening the police and justice sector and combating international organised crime. A number of projects were partnered with the Norwegian police. Border security was also improved in order to meet the requirements under the Schengen Agreement.
The support for the cultural heritage has resulted in the restoration of a number of architectural landmarks in the historic centre of Cracow, which is on the World Heritage List. In Warsaw the original cellars beneath the old city, which are also listed, were restored. An important requirement was to make such buildings accessible to the public. The final evaluation pointed out that support under the grant scheme had considerably increased the potential for tourism.
In the health and childcare sector one of the priorities was the training of medical personnel. The final evaluation pointed to the fact that while EU funding was mainly being used for physical infrastructure, much of the funding from the EEA and Norway Grants scheme has been used for training. Playgrounds and sports facilities have been built to encourage a healthy life style among children and young people. The evaluation estimated that the grant scheme had benefited 320 000 children, many of them in poor areas, which amounts to almost 6 % of all Polish children. This figure underlines the significant impact of the grant scheme in Poland.
Support for the local government sector has mainly been concentrated on systematic networking to improve public service provision. The Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities has developed a network model for sharing ideas and information between Norwegian local authorities, and the grant scheme has made this accessible to Polish municipalities as well. In addition a four-year project was implemented that enabled more than 1 000 Polish local government employees to visit their Norwegian counterparts.
Research funding has been particularly focused on projects in health and environment, often in partnership with Norwegian research institutions. About 1 000 Polish students, teachers and employees received support from the Scholarship Fund to study or work in Norway.
Support for Polish civil society has been particularly targeted at democracy, social inclusion, and environmental protection and sustainable development. The evaluation of the NGO funds confirmed that although the projects were spread geographically and thematically over a broad area, the results were positive. The evaluation emphasised that the support has raised public awareness and resulted in concrete solutions to a number of local issues.
3.5.2 The Czech Republic
The results in the Czech Republic have been very positive, and almost all the projects achieved their objectives. Nineteen projects had Norwegian partners; for example the Norwegian and Czech police cooperated on the fight against international organised crime. The scholarship fund has also supported extensive research cooperation and exchanges.
The Czech Republic has a large number of historic buildings and protected cultural monuments and sites. However, much of this rich cultural heritage is suffering from neglect, which also affects the country’s attractiveness as a tourist destination. Thus great emphasis has been put on preserving the cultural heritage, and more than 40 % of the funding from the EEA and Norway Grants was allocated to efforts in this sector. Many historical monuments, cultural objects, documents and paintings have been preserved from irreversible damage, and many historic sites have been opened to the public, as a result of the grant scheme.
The focus in the health and childcare sector has been on improving child-care institutions, schools and playgrounds. The Bulovka University Hospital in Prague has established an advanced medical centre for newborns and infants that will reduce disease and mortality. In the final evaluation it was pointed out that the size of the projects has made it possible to target particularly vulnerable groups.
The NGO Fund supported projects targeted at human rights and cultural diversity, children and young people with disabilities, and environmental protection.
A number of environmental projects were implemented in areas such as water resource management, forest management, air pollution monitoring and biodiversity. The final evaluation pointed out that although support for the environment sector was limited, it was relevant for the areas concerned. Other projects have helped the Czech Republic meet the requirements of the Schengen cooperation and combat international organised crime.
3.5.3 Romania
Romania has been receiving support from the EEA and Norway Grants since it joined the EU in 2007. The Norway Grants have been administered by Innovation Norway, and all projects under this scheme have had a Norwegian partner. Romania is among the countries where projects have suffered from the greatest delays, due to lack of local capacity. According to the final evaluation, however, the projects have been both targeted and relevant.
The largest sector to receive support was environment and sustainable development. Projects included promoting the inclusion of environmental technology and environmental specifications in the rules for public procurement, promoting the use of renewable energy, and development of a strategy for energy efficiency and nuclear safety. Ecotourism and sustainable agriculture also received support. Thirty-five per cent of Norway Grants funding was allocated to the private sector.
Many of the projects in the health sector were targeted at the needs of children and families. These included health services for children and young people, support for families with handicapped children to enable them to care for the children at home, and campaigns for a healthy lifestyle. A total of 7 200 children benefited from the projects.
The Romanian police received new equipment and training for combating internet-related child pornography in cooperation with their Norwegian counterparts. Other projects to receive support were improving the social dialogue and working conditions in the manufacturing industry, measures and training programmes for improving public services, and land use planning.
In the cultural heritage sector, support was given to restoration of cultural objects and buildings of historical value and making them accessible to the public. The regional development projects mainly dealt with sustainable development and provision of more favourable conditions for the business sector.
The Romanian NGO Fund financed 115 projects in areas such as human rights, social inclusion, children and youth, social services, environmental protection, and cultural heritage. NGOs play an important role in Romania in democratic development and promoting accountability among the public authorities. Previously there were few support schemes in this area, and the EEA and Norway Grants have therefore made a substantial contribution.
3.5.4 Latvia
Twenty-six of the individual projects, most of them in the justice sector, had a Norwegian partner. Many contacts and extensive cooperation were also established with support from the regional development funds.
In the Schengen and judiciary sector, the EEA and Norway Grants were used to support a number of projects targeted at the prison system. These included programmes for prisoners’ reintegration in society, better building standards, and better systems for registration and exchanging information about prisoners. A total of 1 100 juvenile offenders have benefited from the projects. Funding was also provided for efforts to fulfil Schengen requirements for border control.
Support in the environmental protection and sustainable development sector included funding for the use of renewable energy to heat public buildings and for promoting sound management of natural resources. Funding was also provided for a materials recycling facility and improving environmental monitoring and control.
Two funds for regional development were established. One was for efforts to promote development in outlying districts, and involved cross-border cooperation with Estonia, Lithuania, Belarus and Russia. The other fund was used to promote public–private cooperation on infrastructure development. A number of projects were implemented to strengthen regional development through network-building and new working methods. Five hundred persons received training under these funds. Two transfer of knowledge funds were also established, one of which was a scholarship fund for Latvian students, teachers and educational personnel, and the other for research.
In the cultural heritage sector, a number of partnership projects were implemented for important activities such as restoration of the Museum of the Kuldiga Region, where a new centre for restoration of wooden architecture was also established. This project was implemented in close cooperation with Norwegian Crafts Development and the Norwegian municipality of Frogn.
Footnotes
Nordic Consulting Group (2012) EEA and Norway Grants, End Review