RSS
Government: Public health and reducing poverty - priorities in obtaining assistance through EEA and Norwegian mechanisms
The public health system, protecting cultural patrimony, education and reducing poverty are priorities for Romania for future assistance programs through the financial mechanisms EEA and Norwegian over 2014-2021, according to a government press release.
According to the source, Romania’s negotiations for the future assistance programs will have in view mainly the public health system, protecting the cultural patrimony, research, education, children and young people in risk situations, reducing/fighting poverty, justice and internal affairs, according to accords signed by EU with donor states on May 3, 2016.
Romania will benefit from an allocation of 502 million euros, of which 227 million euros through the Norwegian financial mechanism and 275.2 million euros through EEA, the press release shows.
In this respect, the government established on Thursday, through a memorandum, institutional and programmatic elements for the initiation of technical negotiations with donor states, taking into account the announcement made by donor states that Romania will be among the first beneficiary countries to begin negotiations. The two mechanisms will be managed by the Ministry of European Funds as National Contact Point, through the General Department of Financial Mechanisms and Instruments which will also carry out negotiations.
According to the press release, the 2014-2021 program period has the same financing domains as the two financial mechanism, allowing financing to concentrate on priority fields and the efficiency of implementation. Donor states decided that as of 2014 the program should last for 7 years, as in the case of program periods for structural and investment funds.
The European Economic Area (EEA) was set up in 1994, as a free exchange area between the European Community and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA). EEA gathers EU member states and three EFTA states (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) in an internal market based on free circulation of goods, persons, services and capitals. Cooperation between Romania and EEA started after EU accession based on the EEA Accord signed by Romania in 2007.