EEA Grants and Norway Grants

The foundation of the EEA and Norway Grants lies in the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement. The EEA Agreement brings Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and the EU together in a single market – often referred to as the internal market.

The EEA and Norway Grants are funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The objective of the Grants is to reduce social and economic disparities and strengthen bilateral relations. This strengthens the internal market, leading to a more prosperous Europe.

The Grants are composed of two funding schemes – the EEA Grants and the Norway Grants. The main difference between the two lies in where the funding comes from and which countries receive the funding:

• The EEA Grants are funded jointly by all three donor countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. The EEA Grants are allocated to 15 countries in Europe
• The Norway Grants are funded by Norway alone. The Norway Grants are allocated to the 13 countries which joined the EEA after 2004. This means that Greece and Portugal do not receive Norway Grants funding.

The EEA Grants have been running since 1994 when the European Economic Area (EEA) agreement entered into force. The Norway Grants were established as an additional funding mechanism in 2004 in connection with the enlargement of the European Union.