EEA and Norway Grants and support to civil society

First of all, let me say how pleased I am to welcome representatives from all the intermediary bodies managing the NGO Funds. And welcome to representatives from Norwegian partner organisations. It is with pleasure I have learned that you all –with energy and determination – have contributed to ensure that the NGO activities under the EEA and Norway Grants deliver valuable, needed and creative projects in the beneficiary countries.

Last year’s conference was a chance for you to get together and discuss common challenges and share experiences of establishing the NGO funds. At the mid-term of the implementation of the NGO funds, I am pleased that we are meeting again. Let us grasp this opportunity to take stock of the learning gained and the most crucial impact obtained.

Have you ever asked yourselves why a Norwegian politician would care about civil society? Not least about the civil society in Central and Southern Europe?
Let us start in Norway.

In Norway, the state and our government are strong supporters of the civil society. Civil society activists and NGOs are crucial actors in nation building and democratic processes by being arenas for broad public participation and critical corrections to the state. One of the many excellent speakers present at this conference, Mr Wygnanski, has wisely stated that “building democracy is a continuous task”. Hence, continuous support to the civil society is of vital importance to our democratic nations.

Our government aims to develop close co-operation with voluntary and non-profit organisations. Although Norway has an extensive welfare state, we believe that we will increase our ability to ensure the wellbeing and security of our people by encouraging a thriving civil society and voluntary engagement. The challenges of our time can not be solved by politicians, governments and the market alone.

Combating domestic violence is one example where civil society activists were crucial in putting the issue on the public agenda and urging the state to take responsibility for the atrocities. Voluntary organisations, not the state, were central in building the first refuge centres for battered wives in Norway. It is thus – indeed – interesting to note that a project in the Czech Republic is providing assistance and support to victims of domestic violence.

Often we see that civil society activists are pioneers, both when it comes to identifying the problems and providing the best solutions.

For the Norwegian government it is vital to create places where different people – from different backgrounds – can meet. Norway is, like most countries in the world, a growing multicultural and multiethnic society. The voluntary organisations play an important role in forming common grounds for mutual understanding and respect for diversity: In civil society, diversity is of the essence.   

Having said this about internal affairs, I should stress that in a globalised world, domestic politics increasingly depend on international relations. The safety of our citizens depends on the security of the citizens of the rest of Europe and the rest of the world.

Through the EEA agreement we are all partners in a community uniting 30 countries and about 500 million citizens – all the EU member states and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.  This community shares a common responsibility for the future of Europe: In good times and in bad, I should add. With the financial crisis hovering over the world, it is even more important that we co-operate to find common solutions to common problems.

Thus, it is important for Norway to contribute to the reduction of social and economic disparities in Europe through the EEA and Norway Grants. The Grant programme has given us the opportunity to focus on important tasks such as sustainable development and environment, child and health care, human resources, regional development and academic research. 

From the very start, it was our hope and ambition that the EEA and Norway Grants should also contribute to strengthening civil society. Given the important role of civil society activists and voluntary organisations, we must provide space and opportunity for the civil society and NGOs so that they can play their role in reaching the long term goal of the Grants – to reduce social and economic disparity in Europe. That is why we – from the very beginning – promoted the creation of separate grant schemes earmarked for NGOs.

I am giving away no secret when I say that there was some scepticism around when a model of earmarked NGO funds was presented. We had to argue strongly for the idea, but it was agreed that such funds would be established in most of the recipient countries.

Having said that, we – at this stage – heartily appreciate the cooperation with and the support from governments in the beneficiary states, which have also financially contributed to these funds. This shows a clear commitment from the beneficiary state – in common understanding with Norway – of the fundamental importance of supporting civil society and its contribution to building an EU based on sustainable and democratic societies.

Today we have 19 NGO funds totalling 85 million Euros. In addition, other NGO projects are supported through individual projects under the Grant programme.

In a mid-term evaluation of the EEA and Norway Grants, the NGO funds were highlighted as particularly successful. We have seen a great interest in the funds and there has been a large number of applicants for all funds.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Despite this good news about the NGO funds, these are not prosperous times.  
Financial crisis and unemployment, social turbulence and unstable governments are key words that the media use daily to describe the current global situation.

Good news is rare in bad times. Hence, I would like to stress that the Norwegian government will continue to be one of the major contributors to civil society and NGOs in Central and Southern Europe. Financial support from other international donors has been reduced during the last years. And the financial crisis has strengthened this trend. Thus, it is of vital importance for the Norwegian government that the extensive contribution to support civil society in Central and Southern Europe continues.

Although the main goal for the EEA and Norway grants is to contribute to reduce social and economic disparity in Europe, another important goal of the Norwegian government is for the Grants to help strengthen the ties between our countries – including – of course – those between NGOs. 
Thus, I am pleased to see that quite a few projects have Norwegian partners.

We hope to see the EEA and Norway Grants continue to facilitate and develop strong and long-term cooperation between NGOs in Norway and in the recipient countries. It is with pleasure that we also witness an increased dialog between our governments as a result of the Grants. 

I am happy to learn that some of the projects are focusing on youth and children. The best assurance for a living and thriving democracy is to involve young people in the democratic processes.

Therefore, it is important that we lay the groundwork for assuring that they can participate in all parts of the political processes, also in the civil society.

I am eager to learn more about how the NGO funds can contribute to strengthening bonds within groups and build bridges not only between young people and grown ups, but also between majorities and minorities, between the haves and have nots. How can your funds contribute to bridging the gap between different people and different groups in your countries? How can you make sure that more people from different walks of life are included in the civil society, and thereby helping it to thrive? 

Through the EEA agreement we are all united in a common community. However, we are all part of the larger and global village. In solidarity with our children, born and unborn, the Norwegian government’s environmental policy is built on the concept of sustainable development and the precautionary principle. But global warming is not something that we can combat within our borders. Thus, I find it interesting that there are a total of 8 environment funds under the Grant programme.

The climate crisis is a result of political and market failure. This may be an area where the civil society is more important than ever. In Norway, the environmental organisations have been crucial in making the people and the politicians aware of the different environmental challenges we are facing. Although this is a global challenge, local solutions are vital. Climate change is an important responsibility of the political leaders around the world. However, the civil society would be important partners in this challenge. As in many other cases we have seen that those who know where the shoe pinches also have the key to the solutions of the problems.

Ladies and gentlemen

It is important that we can show results. We need to show that the funds have the impact we claim.

It is important to share experiences and lessons learned. We need them to facilitate the implementation of the funds in the period to come.

So far our support has been extensive and covered a wide range of target areas. But is it time we narrow our focus? 

How can we make sure that the Norwegian contribution is relevant, focused and well-targeted? How can we make a difference?

These are questions I pose to you, ladies and gentlemen, simply because I believe you are the best to answer them. I wish you the best of luck with the conference.