EEA Grants 2009-2014

The European Economic Area (EEA) consists of the European Union Member States and three countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, which share the same Internal Market.

Through the Financial Mechanism of the European Economic Area 2009-2014, under the European Economic Area Grants, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, as Donor States, finance in 16 European Union Member States (Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain) initiatives and projects in various program areas, with a view to:

• Reducing economic and social disparities;
• Strengthen bilateral relations between the Donor States and the Beneficiary States.

Through Protocol 38b to the Agreement for the European Economic Area financial mechanism for the timeframe 2009-2014 (EEA Grants 2009-2014), signed by the parties on 19th of August 2010, the total amount for funding was defined, about EUR 58 million available for Portugal, as well as the priority sectors:

a) Environmental Protection and Management;
b) Climate Change and Renewable Energy;
c) Civil Society;
d) Human and Social Development;
e) Protecting Cultural Heritage.

The breakdown of the allocated budget to Portugal, for the 2009-2014 period, for each priority programme area was: