Norway and Malta sign new agreements on EEA and Norway grants

The agreements were signed in connection with Prime Minister Erna Solberg's visit to Valletta today.

A total of EUR 8 million (about NOK 74 million) is to be allocated to four funds and programmes:

• Local development and poverty reduction (EUR 5.98 million/ca NOK 55 million)
• Fund for non-governmental organisations (EUR 700 000/ca NOK 6.5 million)
• Decent work (EUR 36 000/ca NOK 330 000)
• Fund for bilateral relations (EUR 340 000/ca NOK 3.1 million).

In addition to local development and poverty reduction, key areas for the first of these programmes will include health, children and youth at risk and culture. Refugees and migrants will be a particularly important target group for a number of projects.

'Relations between Malta and Norway are good, but relatively limited in scope. The agreements signed today open up opportunities for strengthening cooperation in sectors that are important for us,' said Minister of EEA and EU Affairs Frank Bakke-Jensen.

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 to 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, to be distributed among 15 beneficiary countries.
• Norway provides some 98 % of this funding; the remainder is provided by Iceland and Liechtenstein.

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