Norway, which held the 2008 men's tournament and co-hosted the women's with Denmark in 2010, is interested in all four of the sport's continental showpiece events available - the men's and the women's European Championships in both 2018 and 2020.

Croatia, which along with Hungary is hosting next year's Women's European Championship, is now bidding for the 2018 men's tournament, while next year's men's host Denmark - also the current men's champions - is interested in the 2020 edition of the competition, as is Austria - where the 2010 event took place.

Sweden, hosts of the men's event in 2002 and the women's in 2006, is bidding for the men's competition in both 2018 and 2020, while both France and Ukraine are aiming to host their first handball European Championship and have put themselves up for the 2018 women's event.

"We are delighted by the amount of expressions of interest we received from our member federations," said EHF President Jean Brihault.

"All nations that are showing an interest have a strong handball background.

"They have huge experience in hosting major sporting events and I am confident all of them would be the perfect hosts for the EHF's flagship national team event."

Formal applications from the nations now have to be handed to the EHF by December 10 this year, before the governing body elects the host or hosts of its flagship tournaments at its Congress in Dublin on September 19-20, 2014.

The 2014 Men's EHF European Championship will take place in Denmark on January 12-26, while the women's tournament will be held in both Hungary and Croatia on December 7-21.

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