The MoU for the EEA Financial Mechanism, established under the EEA Enlargement Agreement, will make 48.5 million euros available over a five-year period for projects in a broad range of sectors, including environmental protection, renewable energy, promotion of sustainable development, conservation of the European cultural heritage, human resources development, health and childcare.
Mr. Jan Kohout, Czech Ambassador to the European Union, signed the MoU on behalf of the Czech Republic, while the Ambassador of Iceland, Mr. Kjartan Jóhannsson, the Ambassador of Liechtenstein, H.S.H. Prince Nikolaus of Liechtenstein, and the Ambassador of Norway, Mr. Bjørn T. Grydeland, signed on behalf of the EEA EFTA countries.
The signing comes after the Czech Republic signed an MoU with Norway in Prague on 19 October 2004 on the use of funds available through the closely-related Norwegian Financial Mechanism, which was also established under the EEA Enlargement Agreement. The two mechanisms will in total make available close to 111 million euros over a five-year period for projects in the Czech Republic. The EEA Financial Mechanism and the Norwegian Financial Mechanism aim to reduce social and economic disparities within the EEA, and to enable all EEA countries to participate fully in the Internal Market.