“As Norway’s Ambassador to Romania I warmly welcome the agreement reached in the negotiations for the accession of Romania and Bulgaria to the European Economic Area (EEA). The enlargement of the EEA will make Norway and Romania full partners in the EU Internal Market and will bring substantial financial benefits for Romania”, stated H.E. Leif Arne Ulland.
Ambassador Ulland was commenting on the signing of the agreed minutes from the EEA enlargement negotiations this afternoon in Brussels between the European Commission, Romania and Bulgaria and the three EEA EFTA states Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein.
“Trade and economic integration are main engines for prosperity and development in the enlarged EU and EEA. The enlarged European Economic Area will give Norway access to the rapidly growing market in Romania, and will contribute substantially to strengthening Romania’s social and economic development”, the Ambassador went on to specify.
“Romania will benefit from nearly 100 million Euros in Norwegian/EEA support until April 2009”, Ambassador Ulland pointed out. “This substantial assistance for Romania’s sustainable development will be structured in two financial arrangements, an EEA financial mechanism where Norway and the two other EEA states have committed 50.5 million Euros for Romania, and a bilateral Norwegian Cooperation Programme with Romania amounting to 48 million Euro.”
“I believe these two financial instruments will create historic opportunities for cooperation and bilateral projects, and lead to a further increase in our business and trade relations. For the bilateral programme, focus will be on energy, the environment, quality assurance, and health. For the EEA Financial Mechanism, the priority sectors may include the environment, sustainable development, cultural heritage, human resources development, and health and child care. Actors from the private and public sectors, NGOs and the social partners can benefit from project support from the mechanisms. Norway and the EEA countries will have follow-up discussions with Romania on the details of the two financial arrangements shortly", concluded Ambassador Ulland.
Background:
Through the EEA Agreement, three EFTA states - Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein - participate in the EU Internal Market, without being members of the EU. The EEA EFTA States financially contribute to social and economic cohesion in the internal market area. By far the largest part of the joint contribution, ca. 98 %, is provided by Norway. All EU members also become parties to the EEA Agreement.
The financial arrangements in numbers (million Euro) :
|
Contributor |
Recipient |
|
EEA Financial Mechanism: |
Romania |
Bulgaria |
|
Norway |
47,55 |
20,24 |
|
Iceland |
2,44 |
1,04 |
|
Lichtenstein |
0,51 |
0,22 |
|
Bilateral Co-operation Programmes: |
|
|
|
Norway |
48 |
20 |
|
TOTAL |
98,5 |
41,5 |
Media contacts:
The Norwegian Embassy in Bucharest: Ambassador Leif Arne Ulland, tel. +407 453 936 07.
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Kaja Haldorsen with the Communication Unit, tel. +47 41 55 48 28, may facilitate interviews with the political leadership of the MFA.
The Norwegian Mission to the EU: Frode Dal Fjeldavli, tel. +32 479 57 11 75