Poland has been the largest beneficiary of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism. The attendees were pleased to observe that the very good Polish-Norwegian relations were the result of cooperation and reciprocity. The Norwegian partners have noted that the upcoming edition of the Norwegian Funds is currently in the works.
The Ministry of the Interior and Administration was the Programme Operator for the ‘Home Affairs’ Programme with a total budget of €23.5 million. Funds were disbursed in three areas, namely disaster prevention and crisis management, crime-fighting and international law enforcement cooperation, as well as asylum and migration. 

Polish-Norwegian Partnership

During his speech, Minister Tomasz Siemoniak noted that he was grateful for the Polish-Norwegian partnership, highlighting the importance of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and its positive impact on Poland's security and development.

'Norway's involvement in funding various projects is crucial, and the results can be clearly seen in Poland. The Polish-Norwegian alliance is extremely strong', the Minister said.
Minister Siemioniak also pointed out the strong ties and friendly relations between the two countries throughout history, underscoring several common challenges, such as the efforts aimed at combating the COVID-19 pandemic and supporting Ukraine. 

Norwegian Funds support Poland's security

Poland and Polish authorities in particular have many reasons to be happy with how the Norwegian Funds were spent. In the vast majority of the projects, more than 90% of the funds were disbursed for their intended purposes. Both countries expressed their willingness to continue this Partnership, especially in the area of developing state resilience.
'The issue of security has been key in recent years. The Polish and Norwegian governments are focusing on the efforts to foster the resilience of our societies and states based on a variety of projects', Minister Tomasz Siemoniak noted. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs of Norway Espen Barth Eide noted that while the current edition of the Norwegian Funds might be coming to an end, this does not mean the end of the ongoing partnership – as one chapter ends, another one begins. Both countries see this partnership as mutually beneficial, strengthening ties between the two states and enabling the exchange of experience. Despite not being a Member State of the European Union, Norway is deeply integrated with the rest of Europe due to numerous bilateral agreements and its membership in the European Economic Area. The Norwegian Financial Mechanism is seen as a way to strengthen ties and contribute to development and cohesion in Europe.