Romania
Beneficiary state since 2007 · EEA Grants & Norway Grants · Capital: Bucharest · Population 19.1m
Headline figures for Romania
Donor programme partners
Bilateral initiatives
201 recorded, showing the 12 largest by grant
M100 - Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: Planning, Piloting, Inspiring
Aims The initiative Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities: Planning, Piloting, Inspiring will support RO’s EU Mission cities—Cluj-Napoca, Suceava, and Bucharest–District 2—in advancing their 2030 climate neutrality goals. It will aim to strengthen governance, foster innovation, and engage citizens in climate-smart development. Expected bilateral benefits Partnerships with Nordic frontrunners will bring mutual learning: Cluj-Napoca with Oslo/Reykjavik, Suceava with Stavanger, and District 2 with Trondheim. Romanian cities will benefit from Nordic expertise in resilience, digital tools, and governance, while Nordic partners will test approaches in new contexts. Planned activities Cluj-Napoca: The city will launch a university course on urban climate resilience and the Climate Neutrality Young Ambassadors network, alongside urban labs and digital engagement tools. District 2: The district will focus on governance reform through a capacity assessment, action plan, Urban Lab, workshops for civil servants, and a local–Nordic ideathon. Suceava: Together with Stavanger and Nordic Edge, the city will conduct a governance audit and roadmap, and will organize ideathons, debates, and a Climate-Neutrality Urban Fest. Joint: Suceava and District 2 will co-develop a Net-Zero Dashboard to track emissions and test policies. Expected outcomes The project will deliver tools, methods, and knowledge, positioning the three cities as national leaders in urban climate action.
€1.4m awarded
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Aims The M100 Mirror Mission Cities Hub will extend the EU’s “100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030” vision to RO cities outside the Mission. It will focus on SM municipalities with limited resources, aiming to empower them to reduce emissions, strengthen governance, and align with the EU Green Deal. Expected bilateral benefits The initiative will connect ten RO cities—Alba , Bistrița, Brașov, Bucharest, Buzău, Constanța, Iași, Oradea, Reșița, and Timișoara—with NO and IS partners. Its objective will be to facilitate peer exchanges and transfer of knowledge on climate governance and innovation, enabling RO cities to benefit from Nordic expertise while Nordic partners test approaches in new contexts. Planned activities The Hub will provide coaching, technical expertise, and capacity-building workshops on emissions tracking, stakeholder engagement, and integrated planning. An objective will be the development of Climate City Contracts—EU-inspired frameworks defining targets, governance, and funding strategies to help cities translate EU policy into local action. Support will guide prioritization of green energy, smart mobility, circular economy, and participatory governance projects. Expected outcomes The initiative will build a national community of practice linking the ten cities with Cluj-Napoca, Suceava, and District 2. It will deliver toolkits, guides, and case studies, establishing a national model for inclusive, practical climate action with long-term impact.
€1.3m awarded
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The project aims to continue the efforts to adapt and implement in Romania the Norwegian correctional services principles and methods, respectively seamless transition, normality, dynamic and organizational security in 4 pilot prison units built in the predefined projects Correctional and 4-NORM. The initiative includes a cluster of activities such as the participation of Romanian prison staff to job shadowing sessions in Norway, mentoring sessions held by Norwegian experts in the pilot units, common working meetings of Romanian and Norwegian experts, and study visits in Norway, Lithuania and Poland. The initiative also intends to set up a framework for regular staff exchanges, outside the support of the grants by developing cooperation agreements. In terms of visibility, an international conference in Norway and joint participation in global correctional events will be provided in the project.
€1.3m awarded
9 - Promoting inclusion and quality education in education in Romania
The activities to be organized within this expression of interest aim to strengthen the capacity of the Romanian education system to provide inclusive, quality education, aligned with Council of Europe (CoE) standards and inspired by Norwegian good practices, through: training of a team of Romanian trainers specialized in inclusive education, in Calarasi and Suceava counties, to support local teacher in promoting inclusive education and the development of the Competences for Democratic Culture (CDC) involving school principals and local authorities in trainings aiming to increase their awareness on the importance of inclusive education providing in-school training sessions for teachers on inclusive education and CDC promoting the integration of CDC in initial teacher education, by involving universities in Romania in activities focused on the exchange of experience and good practices (roundtables, workshops/ study-visits) disseminating the outcomes and lessons learned at local level, by organizing a final conference The PO and the European Wergeland Centre (EWC) will jointly design the trainings concept and agenda. The PO will handle participant selection, while EWC will lead the training delivery. The CoE will contribute by shaping the concept and hosting a round table in Strasbourg. All the activities will reflect the bilateral common ambition by facilitating the exchange of knowledge and experiences between the Romania and Norway.
€531k awarded
RoNor - Stronger together against gender- based violence!
The project aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Romania and Norway in addressing domestic and gender-based violence (DGBV) by: - exchange of experience between Romanian and Norwegian practitioners on integrated and coordinated responses of authorities to DGBV; - evaluating the services provided by intervention centers for victims of sexual violence in Romania and presenting the challenges on the functioning of the centers in Romania and Norway. The initiative includes activities such as visits of Norwegian and international experts to intervention centers for victims of sexual violence in Romania and working meetings with local authorities responsible in the field of DGBV, dedicated bilateral events (conferences, seminars) for sharing knowledge on tackling DGBV and good practice models to better align the needs of victims with the services provided by different institutions, and awareness-raising activities to inform the population about sexual violence, available services, protection measures etc. The Romanian and Norwegian practitioners will participate to international meetings that promote best practice exchange between Donor and Norway grants beneficiary states on the prevention and combating of DGBV.
€467k awarded
Improving the accommodation conditions of the refugees from Ukraine
Considering the international situation generated by the conflict from Ukraine and the large number of refugees, it is mandatory to ensure proper conditions for persons who are entering in Romania. Thus, it is required to purchase heater, forklifts as well as folding bed containers. In this respect, an important objective of this Bilateral Initiative is to ensure proper living conditions for migrants hosted in tents or containers, by purchasing heaters to be installed in these living areas as well as folding bed containers in which refugees can be accommodated. The estimated number of necessary heaters is 80 and 41 folding bed containers. Furthermore, considering the large quantity of materials which are moved from GIES existing deposits (located in Prahova, Galati and Brasov counties) to the northern part of the country, 7 forklifts are needed. As described above, the target groups are the migrants looking for a temporary refuge in Romania, crossing the national borders, and the implementation of this Bilateral Initiative shall be performed by the General Inspectorate for Emmergency Situations (GIES).
€431k awarded
FLANKS 2 - dealing with the challenge of political warfare in the Covid 19 and Ukraine war context
The aim of the initiative is to develop and further consolidate the understanding and knowledge on how societies and institutions in the Nordic and in the Black Sea Region must be prepared to meet and deal with the challenge of political warfare caused by the use of various instruments of power short of kinetic warfare by actors operating in the changing international environment. OBJECTIVE: Present research-based policy relevant understanding of the challenges related to the political warfare faced by NO and RO in a period of Increased tensions in relations between Russia and the West. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: Strengthen bilateral cooperation of key national Institutions with STRATCOM responsibilities, contribute to enhancing societal and institutional resilience, present lessons (to be) learned In terms of political warfare patterns following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and expected use by Russia of instruments from political warfare in the post-war phase, build lasting new bilateral relationship between leading expert in NO and RO. SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES: assess and compare the challenges posed by political warfare In RO and NO, identify and promote best practices In NO and RO in dealing with challenges posed by political warfare operations launched by unfriendly powers; assess the impact of the resilience increasing measures taken at the EU and NATO levels as well as at the national levels in NO and RO; propose recommendations for the decision-makers in NO, RO and NATO.
€362k awarded
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The project aims to strengthen bilateral cooperation between Iceland and Romania in geothermal energy. It focuses on capacity building and knowledge transfer through a startup conference in Romania, bilateral meetings and a study visit for Romanian experts to Iceland. This initiative will promote joint projects, driving innovation in geothermal technology and ensuring both countries remain at the forefront of renewable energy. Additionally, it seeks to establish a long-term strategic partnership to address climate action, energy security, and sustainable development through promotion and implementation of geothermal focused projects. The expected results include enhanced understanding and knowledge among Romanian and Icelandic geothermal experts, the identification of areas for collaboration in future projects, as well as identification of potential future geothermal projects to be implemented in Romania.
€320k awarded
New Security Challenges in the Black Sea Region Due to the Russian Aggression in Ukraine
The main aim of this project is the development and continuity of the partnership between the University of Bucharest and the Nansen Institute, initiated on the occasion of the previous project, through the exchange of expertise and the organization of joint academic events on a current topic in the international relations research: Russian aggression in Ukraine. Objectives: 1. Extend the research according to the new developments on the international arena regarding the Russian aggression in Ukraine on the main topics: analysis of political statements, financial, humanitarian and military support, Russian propaganda and rebuilding the new security architecture in Europe. 2. Dissemination the expertise of the Romanian Centre for Russian Studies, acquired through the partnership with the Nansen Institute, through international scientific activities 3. Developing the expertise of the Romanian Centre for Russian Studies of the University of Bucharest regarding Russia's geopolitics in Eastern Europe, by providing the necessary human and financial resources and by exchanging expertise with the Nansen Institute.
€306k awarded
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The main objective of the bilateral initiative is to promote decent working conditions for workers, fair competition for companies and sustainable welfare systems by performing joint or coordinated inspections, sharing of good practice and information activities in close cooperation between the labour inspectorates and their partners in Romania and Norway.
€300k awarded
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The aim of the initiative is to develop enhanced knowledge of Russia's behaviour in the Kola Peninsula and the Arctic region, as well as in the Crimean Peninsula and the Black Sea region – and to compare in terms of similarities and differences. This will provide support for the institutions with responsibilities in the security and foreign affairs field, which can use this resource to better understand how Moscow plans its activities and can also contribute to the reinforcement of the means to address them.
€296k awarded
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The project aims at Strengthening bilateral relations of Romania and Norway and cooperation between relevant EEA/Norway Grants beneficiary and donor countries Contributing to building competence/commitment among European stakeholders for using the Convention on Preventing and Combating Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (Istanbul Convention). Thus a High-level international conference will be organized under the Romanian Presidency of EU Council on sharing good practice for more effective integrated policies for implementing Istanbul Convention. About 150 European and international professionals in the field including Romanian and Norwegian will attend the event. Two preparatory meetings will be organised. A Good Practice Guidance for Integrated Policies against gender based and domestic violence (GBDV) with good practice models presented in the Conference and a brochure linking the results of the present conference to those of the Conference held in Bucharest in November 2018 on coordinated responses against GBDV at operational level will be elaborated. A SYNERGY Network meeting will be held for exchanging experiences/challenges on the implementation of the programes/projects financed by EEA/Norway Grants for app. 65 representatives of different countries benefitting of said financing. The project contributes to further strengthening bilateral relations and cooperation of Romania and Norway on a topic of strategic importance for both states (GBDV).
€273k awarded