On 9 October, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway signed new Memoranda of Understanding with Latvia in Riga, marking the beginning of the renewed cooperation under the EEA and Norway Grants funding period 2021–2028.
The donor states will allocate a total of 109.5 million euro to Latvia, supporting initiatives in local development and resilience, green business and innovation, and correctional services.
Building on the achievements of the 2014–2021 funding period, the donor states and Latvia have agreed on three programmes for the 2021–2028 period:
| Programme | Amount | Programme Operator | Partners |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local Development and Resilience | €43 million | Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia |
Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection (DSB), Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS) |
| Green Business and Innovation | €27.5 million | Investment and Development Agency of Latvia | Innovation Norway |
| Correctional Services |
€15 million | Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Latvia | Directorate of Norwegian Correctional Service Council of Europe |
Strengthening civil society will continue to be an important priority. Around €10 million will be earmarked for the EEA Civil Society Fund, which will be operated by an independent Fund Operator, selected later in the autumn.
Furthermore, approximately €5.5 million is allocated to address challenges resulting from the invasion of Ukraine, integrated across the programme and bilateral funds.
An additional €3.2 million is earmarked to strengthen bilateral relations between the donor states and Latvia, including cooperation with the Baltic Centre for Media Excellence.
Four public entities from Norway will be involved in the development and implementation of the programmes. They will play a key role in facilitating cooperation between partners in the Donor States and Latvia.
