Expert consultation on the local development programme and public health programme within the NOR and EGP framework

13. 1. 2026

Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development

Today, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development hosted an expert consultation on the development of the local development programme and public health programme within the framework of the Norwegian Financial Mechanism and the European Economic Area (EEA) Financial Mechanism for the period 2021-2028. The purpose of the consultation was to align the content of both programmes and to discuss the next steps in the programming process.

Participants at the consultation sitting at a table — Author Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development

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The consultation was opened by the State Secretary responsible for cohesion policy, Marko Koprivc. In his address, he underlined the key role of donors and programme partners from donor countries in preparing high-quality programmes and strengthening bilateral cooperation, which is one of the key added values of the financial mechanisms.

The event was attended by representatives of the Financial Mechanism Office in Brussels, representatives of programme partners from donor countries, and Slovenian stakeholders. On the Slovenian side, participants included representatives of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy, the Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Justice, and representatives of the Financial Mechanisms Division at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development.

The broad participation of stakeholders reflects a strong commitment to developing programmes that effectively address local needs while remaining aligned with common European values and strategic priorities.

The shared goal of Slovenia and the donor countries is to align the programme content as soon as possible and establish the conditions for signing the Memorandum of Understanding, which will enable the launch of the 2021–2028 programming period.