Resumption of payment of EEA and Norway Grants to Greece

Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein will resume payment of the EEA and Norway Grants to Greece, which were suspended on 19 May this year. The objective of the Grants is to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe, and Grants have been awareded to various projects in Greece, for example in the areas of the environment, health and cultural heritage.

Mr Støre commented, “I acknowledge the steps taken by the Greek state to resolve the situation so that payment of the Grants can be resumed. I see this in the context of other reforms that the Greek authorities are implementing to bring the economy back on track.”

The Grants were suspended pending the payment of Greece’s share of the project costs and documentation relating to previous disbursements. The Greek authorities have now made the necessary payments and produced satisfactory documentation, and the disbursement of Grants to projects in Greece can now be resumed. In order to prevent interruptions to payments in the future, the Greek authorities have made changes to their payment systems.

Norway is pleased with the way the Greek authorities have followed up this matter, and hope that as many as possible of the projects can be successfully completed.

The donors and Greece have also reached agreement in principle on the use of the EEA for the period 2009–2014, and it is hoped that a formal agreement will be signed in the near future. A total of EUR 58.6 million will be allocated to the asylum and migration sector, environmental projects and support for Greek civil society.