EEA FM Programme

EEA Financial Mechanism Programme 2009–2014

Between 2009 and 2014, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway provided €988.5 million in EEA Grants to Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Spain.
The funding supported programmes and projects in priority areas agreed with each country. Environmental protection, climate change and renewable energies, civil society, health and children, cultural heritage and research and scholarships were key areas of support.
The EEA Financial Mechanism Programme for the Republic of Slovenia – in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding on the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism 2009–2014, which was signed by Iceland, the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Kingdom of Norway and the Republic of Slovenia on 21 May 2011 – comprised of 3 programme areas:

  • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services with the objective “Halt loss of biodiversity”,
  • Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage with the objective “Cultural and natural heritage for future generations safe-guarded and conserved and made publicly accessible”
  • Environmental Monitoring and Integrated Planning and Control with the objective “Improved compliance with environmental legislation” in pre-defined project called “Environmental Monitoring and Integrated Planning and Control”.

The total amount allocated for the programme was 8,812,500.00 Euros. Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, as the Programme Operator and the National Focal Point provided national co-financing in the amount of 1,555,147.00 Euros. For the programme, which actively promoted bilateral cooperation through networking and exchange of experiences and best practice, one open call for proposals was published.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

The objective of the programme area was to stop the loss of biodiversity and to improve the accordance with the legislation in the field of the environment.
The outcomed of this programme area were:

  • Increased capacity to manage and monitor Natura 2000 sites effectively, prevent the fragmentation of ecosystems,
  • Increased awareness and education in the field of biodiversity and ecosystem services, including raising awareness and education in relation to biodiversity and climate change and the economic evaluation of ecosystems

The programme supported the implementation of the Slovenian government programme Natura 2000 for the period 2007–2013, which was one of the national priorities in accordance with the National Environmental Action Programme 2005–2012.

Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage

The objective of the programme area was to protect and preserve cultural heritage for future generations. The outcomes of this programme area were:

  • Cultural heritage made accessible to the public,
  • Cultural heritage restored, renovated and protected.

Environmental Monitoring and Integrated Planning and Control

  • The objective of the programme area was to improve the accordance with the legislation in the field of the environment. In the framework of this programme area the MoU on the implementation of the EEA Financial Mechanism approved and included the pre-defined project, which was implemented by the Surveying and Mapping Authority of the Republic of Slovenia in cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture and the Environment and in partnership with The Norwegian Mapping Authority (Statenskartverk) and the National Land Survey of Iceland (LandmælingarÍslands).
  • The overall objective of the pre-defined project was to modernise the infrastructure for spatial information to reduce flood risks and the impacts of floods.
    On 27 December 2013 the call for proposals was published in the amount of 16,886,132 EUR for several programme areas::
  • Conservation and Revitalisation of Cultural and Natural Heritage with the objective to safeguard and conserve cultural and natural heritage for future generations and make it publicly accessible.
  • Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services with the objective to halt loss of biodiversity and improve consistency with the environmental legislation (expected outcomes were increased capacity to manage and monitor the Natura 2000 sites effectively, avoided fragmentation of ecosystems, increased awareness of and education in biodiversity and ecosystem services, including awareness of and education in the linkage between biodiversity and climate change, and economic valuation of ecosystems).
  • Public Health Initiatives with a view of improving public health and reducing inequalities in health (expected outcomes were reduced inequalities between user groups, reduced or prevented lifestyle-related diseases and improved local capacity for mental health services through establishment of new structures).

Programme (summary)