The EEA and Norway Grants 2009-14 were recently launched. Fighting corruption and mismanagement will be a key priority in the implementation of the grant schemes.
Following a 2-day seminar in Berlin on 15-16 September, organised in cooperation with Transparency International, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein and the 15 beneficiary states of the grant schemes signed the following commitment to promote good governance and fight corruption:
COMMITMENT TO FIGHT CORRUPTION
We, representatives from donor and beneficiary states of the EEA and Norway Grants, participants at the workshop on “How to Reduce Corruption Risks in Grant Management”, Berlin, 15-16 September 2010, make a commitment to good governance and zero-tolerance towards corruption and mismanagement in the implementation of these grant schemes.
Through the EEA and Norway Grants, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, provide substantial funding to reduce economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area, and to strengthen bilateral relations between the three donor states and the 15 beneficiary states across Central and Southern Europe.
€1.8 billion in funding to the 12 newest EU Member States, Greece, Portugal and Spain has been agreed for the period 2009-14. Support will be provided to environmental protection, efforts to fight climate change, civil society, cultural heritage, academic research, human and social development, and justice and home affairs.
Good governance and fighting corruption are key principles of the EEA and Norway Grants. The zero-tolerance policy is reflected in the rules, guidelines and working method of the grant schemes which require that the highest degree of transparency, accountability and cost efficiency shall be applied.
The grant schemes are jointly implemented by the donor states and the beneficiary states and the fight against corruption and mismanagement of funds is a shared responsibility.
With the help of the Transparency International, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs organised a seminar in Berlin 14-16 September 2010 to raise awareness among the main partners involved in the EEA and Norway Grants on the devastating impact of corruption and the various tools to fight it, to learn from experience and to prepare for the future.
We end this workshop by making a commitment to good governance and zero-tolerance towards corruption and mismanagement under the EEA and Norway Grants. We agreed to meet again every year during the grant period to share experience on grant risk management and corruption challenges.