Hungary is set to receive EUR 254.1 million (more than HUF 92 billion) in Norwegian and EEA funding after negotiations between Budapest and the donor countries were concluded. The agreement marks a major step towards restoring a funding programme that was suspended in Hungary in 2021.
Foreign Minister Anita Orbán announced the breakthrough on Facebook, saying negotiations on the Norwegian and EEA Financial Mechanisms had been completed. The parties are expected to sign a cooperation agreement on implementing the 2021–2028 funding period soon.
Norway provides around 97% of the financing for the overall scheme, which supports projects in participating countries. The funding is intended to help Hungary access resources that were unavailable during the previous period.
Why did Hungary miss out on the previous funding?
Hungary received none of the nearly HUF 78 billion allocated to it during the previous funding period, following a dispute over who should decide how part of the money was distributed.
The disagreement centred on the Norwegian Civil Fund, which is only one component of the larger funding scheme. The previous Hungarian government wanted a state body to oversee the allocation of the funds, but the EEA donor countries refused to accept this arrangement.
The dispute ultimately prevented Hungary from accessing the funding intended for the country, while negotiations over the programme’s return continued for years.
The Norwegian and EEA Financial Mechanisms are separate from the EU’s regular funding programmes. They are designed to reduce economic and social disparities in Europe and strengthen cooperation between Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein and beneficiary countries.
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Talks resumed under Hungary’s new government
The Hungarian government restarted bilateral negotiations in 2024, but progress remained slow. According to Telex, in April 2026, Norwegian Foreign Ministry State Secretary Astrid Bergmål said discussions with Hungary had been under way since the previous spring and would continue with the new Hungarian government. At the time, she expressed hope that the talks could conclude by the summer.
That deadline passed without an agreement. Anita Orbán resumed negotiations on behalf of the new government in September, eventually bringing the process to a close. The forthcoming cooperation agreement will formally set out how the 2021–2028 funding period is to be implemented.
Civil society funding has already returned
Some support for Hungarian civil society has already been restored through a separate part of the Norwegian funding system. In July 2025, the Ökotárs Foundation announced the return of the Norwegian Civil Fund to Hungary. The programme is set to provide EUR 20 million in support for Hungarian civil society through 2031.
