Through the EEA and Norway Grants, the donor countries Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein contribute to reducing economic and social disparities in the European Economic Area (EEA) and strengthening cooperation with the countries of Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. It is the strong emphasis on sharing and exchange of experience between donors and grantees that is an important aspect that distinguishes these grants from the EU Funds. The Czech Republic has been a beneficiary since it joined the European Union in 2004. The current programming period is the third for the Czech Republic and at the end of it, the funds received will amount to EUR 440 mil. 

"At present, the vast majority of calls have been completed and funds have been allocated to the successful projects, of which 726 have already been supported, and more than 90% of the grants have been secured by contract. The bilateral cooperation of Czech entities with partners from donor countries under the Bilateral Fund initiatives is also very successful and active. The last of the planned calls will be announced in the Programme "Environment" by the end of this year," said Deputy Minister of Finance Jiří Valenta.

However, the meeting itself was not only focused on a general summary of the implementation status, but was primarily a reflection of the concrete results that the implementation of the EEA and Norway Grants in the Czech Republic has brought so far. The projects presented at the conference undoubtedly demonstrate the diversity of priority areas supported by the EEA and Norway Grants. They reflect examples of good practice and we believe that they will be a great inspiration for the next period.