Norway and Romania expand EEA cooperation with anti-disinformation funding

Romania and Norway have signed a new EEA and Norway Grants agreement that introduces dedicated cooperation measures against disinformation, reflecting growing European concerns over information manipulation, democratic resilience and geopolitical instability.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide signed the agreement in Bucharest alongside Romania’s Minister for European Investments and Projects, Dragoș Pîslaru. The agreement forms part of the wider 2021-2028 EEA and Norway Grants framework, which supports social, economic and institutional development across Europe.

The new cooperation programme will fund initiatives aimed at strengthening resilience against disinformation through partnerships involving public institutions, specialist communities and civil society organisations in both countries.

The agreement also supports broader programmes covering justice and police cooperation, green transition projects, energy efficiency, and measures designed to strengthen the rights and living conditions of Roma communities.

Romania will receive €596.3 million under the current funding cycle, making it the second-largest beneficiary after Poland. Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein together provide €3.268 billion through the EEA and Norway Grants programme, with Norway contributing approximately 97% of the overall funding.

Why does it matter?

The agreement shows how disinformation is becoming part of broader European cooperation on democratic resilience and institutional capacity, not only a media or platform issue. By funding partnerships between public institutions, expert communities and civil society, the programme links information integrity with governance, security and social cohesion at a time of heightened geopolitical pressure in Europe.

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