Portugal will benefit from an additional 126 million euros under the new funding cycle of the European Economic Area Financial Mechanism, strengthening cooperation between Portugal, Norway, Iceland, and Liechtenstein.
The official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding took place yesterday, July 8, at Campus XXI in Lisbon, with the presence of the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development, Hélder Reis, the Ambassador of Norway to Portugal, Hanne Brusletto, and the Ambassador of Iceland to Portugal, Unnur Ramette, who signed the document on behalf of their respective countries.
The ceremony, organized by the National Focal Point, was attended by the Secretary of State for Fisheries and Maritime Affairs, Salvador Malheiro, the Deputy Minister for Youth and for Equality, Carla Rodrigues, the Secretary of State for Digitalization, Bernardo Correia, and the Deputy Minister for Justice, Gonçalo da Cunha Pires. Also present were representatives from the Portuguese and Norwegian Ministries of Foreign Affairs and the FMO - Financial Mechanism Office. Other ministerial representatives, operators of the new programmes, and programme partners also took part in the ceremony, which marked the launch of the EEA Grants 2021–2028.
The new cycle represents a significant increase compared to the previous funding period, which provided 102.7 million euros and supported over 500 projects in Portugal. In the upcoming Financial Mechanism, the funds will be allocated to four priority areas: Blue Growth, Environment, Culture, and Combating Domestic and Gender-Based Violence, the latter including projects related to Justice. Civil society will receive 10% of the total amount allocated to Portugal, and additional support is planned for bilateral initiatives that promote stronger economic and social relations between the participating countries. There is also a specific allocation of approximately 6.3 million euros for projects addressing emerging challenges. Gender Equality and Digitalization will be cross-cutting themes across all programs.
Portugal has been a beneficiary of the EEA Grants for over 30 years and is now the fourth country to sign the Memorandum of Understanding in the new funding cycle, following Poland, Estonia, and Slovakia. In total, 15 European countries will benefit from the upcoming European Economic Area Financial Mechanism (EEA Grants 2021–2028).