Strengthened cooperation with Slovakia on business and climate change

'As a result of the EEA and Norway Grants, there has been an upswing in cooperation and contact between Norway and Slovakia. We will build on what has been achieved so far, and will promote cooperation in new areas,' said Minister of EEA and EU Affairs Elisabeth Vik Aspaker.

Ms Aspaker and Slovakia's Foreign Minister, Miroslav Lajčák, signed the MoU on the EEA and Norway Grants today in Bratislava.

More than EUR 113 million has been allocated to a total of nine funds and programmes in Slovakia. In line with the Government's priorities, business development and innovation and climate change mitigation and adaptation are priority sectors for cooperation. Other programmes will include combating domestic and gender-based violence and improving the situation of the Roma population.

'I am also pleased that our work to develop cross-border cooperation between Slovakia and Ukraine will be continued under the new agreements,' said Ms Aspaker.

The Barents Secretariat will continue to be a Norwegian partner in this cooperation. In addition, the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority will continue a project to prevent the smuggling of chemical, biological, and nuclear material over the border from Ukraine.

Altogether, nine Norwegian public agencies and institutions will be involved in the implementation of the programmes, and will be responsible for recruiting Norwegian partners to projects. These agencies include Innovation Norway, the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education, the Norwegian Environment Agency, the Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate, the Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning, the Directorate for Cultural Heritage, the Arts Council Norway and the Norwegian Directorate of Health.

'The agreements with Slovakia provide an excellent opportunity for Norwegian actors that would like to participate in creating a green, competitive and inclusive Europe,' said Ms Aspaker.

Facts about the EEA and Norway Grants

• Under the EEA Agreement, Norway is part of the European internal market.
• The EEA Agreement sets out the common goal of working together to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe and strengthen cooperation between European countries.
• Norway contributes to this through the EEA and Norway Grants.
• EUR 2.8 billion will be available under the grant scheme for the period 2014-2021, and will be distributed between 15 beneficiary countries.
• Norway provides some 98 % of this funding, the rest of which is provided by Iceland and Liechtenstein.

See the fact sheet for an overview of the programmes that are to be implemented in Slovakia.