IDN had the pleasure of welcoming the Biroul Regional pentru Cooperare Transfrontaliera Iasi (BRCT Iasi) to Trondheim on a study visit with the intention of finding common grounds and develop project ideas for future cooperation.

The visit took place in Trondheim between 24th and 28th of October and the program was filled with visits to different Norwegian stakeholders with energy efficiency and public lighting as the main topic. Our project partner the Satu Mare County Intercommunity Development Association on a two-day study trip to Trondheim. Representing our partner in the project “Partnership for an enlightened future” was the CEO of the Association and two mayors from municipalities in the county.

On the first day, the partners visited Steinkjer Municipality in the county Nord-Trøndelag. Waste management in the municipality was presented by Esther Stølan and the “LED light District” project was described in detail. Steinkjer being one of the municipalities that have installed LED lights in many of its street lights.

The project partners visited Innovation Norway for an introduction to their organization and how they work with promotion of green technology in the Norwegian market. Supplementing this visit with a presentation from Enova gave the visitors great insight into how the Norwegian government works with climate change and renewable technology. Further on, the company ENOCO presented their solutions for intelligent management systems for energy efficiency in public buildings. They have installed their system in many buildings in Norway and municipalities experience big savings.

Besides the visits to Norwegian stakeholders, the two parties had a project development workshop where they discussed potential projects in the border region of Romania and Moldova. This is a region with some challenges but great potential.

The project was funded by the EEA & Norway Grants. Through the Norway Grants and EEA Grants, Norway contributes to reducing social and economic disparities and to strengthening bilateral relations with the beneficiary countries in Europe. Norway cooperates closely with the EU through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA).

For the period 2009-14, Norway’s contribution is €1.7 billion. Grants are available for NGOs, research and academic institutions, and the public and private sectors in the 12 newest EU member states, Greece, Portugal and Spain. There is broad cooperation with Norwegian entities, and activities may be implemented until 2016.

Key areas of support are environmental protection and climate change, research and scholarships, civil society, health and children, gender equality, justice and cultural heritage.