The conference was hosted in collaboration with the Polish Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy and supported by the Norwegian Embassy in Warsaw, and brought together Polish public entities, Donor State partners, and International Partner Organisations to discuss the development of the 2021-2028 programmes.
The event marked the beginning of the development of eight programmes agreed upon in the Memoranda of Understanding between Poland, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway, that were signed on 23 April.
The main priorities in these programmes are green transition, green business and innovation, culture and local development, research, and justice and home affairs. Together these programmes are important contributions to a greener, more democratic, and resilient Europe.
New features of the EEA and Norway Grants 2021-2028
The conference provided a platform to present and discuss key highlights from the agreements and introduce new features of the 4th edition of the EEA and Norway Grants, including:
- Combating disinformation: Disinformation is increasingly used to undermine democratic processes and incite social unrest. The EEA and Norway Grants emphasise information integrity across various programme areas to enhance societal resilience.
- Promoting democracy and human rights: To enhance capacity and cooperation in beneficiary states and across the region, the International Partner Organisation Fund has been established. This fund aims to promote democracy, the rule of law, human rights, social inclusion, resilience, and the European green transition.
- Earmarked funding: The ongoing conflicts in Europe, particularly the invasion of Ukraine, have created significant challenges. Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway prioritise supporting Poland and other beneficiary states in addressing these issues, with earmarked funds allocated for this purpose.
With programme operators in Poland in the lead, the partners will be developing these programmes over the next six months.
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