“The funding from the EEA and Norway Grants will help to strengthen cooperation between Norwayand the beneficiary states, in part through the environmental technology programme. Spain and Norway complement each other well as cooperation partners in the environmental field,” said Norwegian Foreign Minister Jonas Gahr Støre.
Mr Støre pointed out that Spain is among the most important and advanced producers of new forms of renewable energy in the world.
Innovation Norway will be involved as a partner in the €18 million environment programme, aiming to promote greater cooperation between the Spanish and Norwegian private sectors and research institutions. The programme will focus on research and development in the field of renewable energies, in particular hydroelectric, solar, wind and wave power.
Spain and Norway signed the agreement in Madrid on Tuesday evening. Gender equality is another priority area in Spain. The Norwegian Ombudsperson for Gender Equality and Anti-Discrimination is the partner in this area. The €10 million gender equality and work-life balance programme will help to promote female entrepreneurship, gender balance on company boards and the inclusion of migrant and Roma women in working life. It will also seek to address gender-based violence.
Almost €4 million has been allocated to an EEA scholarship programme focusing on the mobility of higher education students and researchers, and cooperation between research groups and institutions in Spain and the donor states.
Funding worth €4.6 million has been allocated to an NGO Fund, with the same amount set aside for cultural heritage and cultural exchange programmes.
The EEA and Norway Grants represent the contribution of Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway to reducing social and economic disparities in Europe. Promoting cooperation is also an important dimension of the Grants. For the 2009-2014 period, a total of almost €1.8 billion is available under the EEA and Norway Grants to 15 beneficiary states. Norway provides 97% of the total funds.
Read more about the grants in Spain
Photo: Norwegian Ambassador to Spain, Torgeir Larsen, signs the agreement
Credit: Royal Norwegian Embassy, Madrid