Deputy Minister Maria Ejchart emphasized that the cooperation between the Polish Ministry of Justice, the Directorate of the Norwegian Correctional Service (KDI), and the Norwegian Ministry of Justice and Public Security is exemplary.

Kim Ekhaugen, Director of the International Cooperation Department at KDI, expressed satisfaction and appreciation for the ongoing collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. He particularly highlighted the fact that Deputy Minister Maria Ejchart presented a vision and concrete goals to be achieved within the framework of cooperation with Norway, which he believes is extremely important and will positively impact the effective implementation of the jointly planned activities.

The collaboration on justice-related projects funded by Norwegian funds contributes to strengthening bilateral relations between Poland and Norway. Projects funded by Norwegian funds yield significant results. An example is the construction of new penitentiary facilities and training provided for the Prison Service.

Norwegian funds also finance actions implemented by municipalities through grant projects from the Small Grants. The aim is to prevent domestic violence and violence against the elderly and people with disabilities. The projects under the current financial perspective of Norwegian funds are nearing completion, but the Ministry of Justice is already analyzing possibilities for planning and implementing activities during the next financial perspective.

Deputy Minister Maria Ejchart visited the Bergen Prison and the Bjorgvin Prison, where a dedicated unit for juvenile offenders has been established. There, she familiarized herself with, among other things, Norwegian methods of rehabilitating juvenile offenders.

The main topic of the extensive meetings with KDI representatives was discussing possible actions to improve the working conditions of Prison Service officers, increase safety, and reduce the workload while maintaining efficiency and a professional approach to duty.

At the end of May 2024, the Ministry of Justice resumed cooperation with the Norwegian Courts Administration, which will enable support for the Polish judiciary. The planning of activities will be handled by Polish and Norwegian experts, who will assess in working groups what actions should be taken to increase the efficiency of civil proceedings in the Polish judiciary.

The groups will focus on three areas: the digitalization of courts, increasing the use of mediation, and supporting the efficiency of court experts. The experts will analyze the needs and develop recommendations for actions to be considered in planning the next financial perspective of Norwegian funds and the European Economic Area for 2021–2028.