An Open Nordic RegionLooking back at the past year

in the Nordic Council and

Nordic Council of Ministers 2003

Excerpt from the Exhibition Brochure

The art of glasswork can be extremely versatile.In the hands of renowned Nordic artists, thistraditional material has entered new aestheticdimensions. Glass sculptures, painting, objectsand tableware are only few of the multipleartistic forms that glass can take. This exhibi-tion includes works of both young artists andalready recognized masters, each distinguishedby an original creative approach. The exhibi-tion will acquaint the viewer with the infiniteand exciting possibilities of this medium, alter-ing our common conceptions of what glass-work can be.

Artists who normally work with paintingand sculpting find ways to express new ideas inthe medium of glass. Glass is undoubtedly anold and familiar material. Traditional tech-niques of glass working have been known sincethe time when stained glass was manufacturedin the Middle Ages. However, in the hands ofcontemporary artists this material becomescapable of transforming a traditional art into aprogressive one, breaking out of its ordinaryboundaries. In addition to the significance ofthe artist and of the artist’s work in this exhibi-tion, there is another factor that contributes to

the experience: All of the works presented have been created in the studio of Per SteenHebsgaard.

It is impossible to imagine the world ofDanish art without Per Hebsgaard, who hasalso earned an international reputation. Due to his vast knowledge and particularly tohis unlimited desire to experiment with glass,he enjoys universal acclaim. Nothing seems tobe impossible for him. A variety of fresh andoriginal techniques have emerged out of hisinnovative spirit. The glassworks created in hisstudio are more than merely applied art in thetraditional sense. Reflections – in a New Nordic

Light attempts to introduce the public to themultitude of embodiments and forms ofNordic glasswork.

The pictures on the back cover and on pages ,

and are from the exhibition Reflections –

in a New Nordic Light.

On the back cover, left is a work by Magne

Furuholmen (Norway), top right one by Vignie

Johansson (Iceland), and bottom right one byTrondur Patursson (Faroe Islands). On page isa work by Olle Bonnièr (Sweden), and on page Per Kirkeby (Denmark) is supervising the instal-lation of a large decorative piece. On page ,

left is a picture of Per Hebsgaard’s glass studio,top right a work by Frans Widerberg (Norway),and bottom right one by Per Kirkeby.

Photo: Lars Gundersen.

An Open Nordic RegionLooking back at the past year in the Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers

2003

An Open Nordic Region – Looking back at the past year in the Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers 2003

ANP 2004:708 © 2004 Nordic Council and Nordic Council of Ministers, Copenhagen

Print: Akaprint a/s, Århus 2004Text: Information DepartmentDesign: Kjell OlssonCopies: 1,000Printed on environmentally friendly paper that meets the requirements of the Nordic environmental label

Printed in Denmark

isbn 92-893-0972-5

541 312Tryksag

Nordic Council of MinistersStore Strandstræde 18DK-1255 Copenhagen KDenmark

Phone +45 3396 0200Fax +45 3396 0202

Nordic CouncilStore Strandstræde 18DK-1255 Copenhagen KDenmark

Phone +45 3396 0400Fax +45 3311 1870

www.norden.org

For further information please contactthe Information Department

www.norden.org/informationsavdelningenE-mail info@norden.orgFax +45 3393 5818

PhotoFront cover, pages 4, 9, 17, 18, 20 and 27: Karin BeateNøsterud; pages 7, 8, 11, 13 and 25: Mikael Risedal;Back cover, pages 1, 2 and 24: Lars Gundersen

5 Preface6 Nordic Co-operation6 Nordic Council7 Nordic Council of Ministers7 Building Blocks of an Open Nordic Region8 »Integration Norden«

10 New Secretary General for the Nordic Council of Ministers10 Nordic Council Session in Oslo12 International Nordic Region12 Nordic Countries and the European Union12 Nordic Co-operation in a European Framework13 Synergy through Better Co-ordination14 Stronger Northern Dimension15 Nordic-Baltic Dimension16 Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health 16 Baltic States Join Nordic Investment Bank17 Focus on Baltic Sea Region18 Safety at Sea and the Environment19 Focus on West Nordic Region20 Freedom of Movement20 Poul Schlüter Promotes Freedom of Movement21 Nordic Region as a Single Market21 Cross-border Obstacles on the Session Agenda22 Positive Nordic Integration23 Nordic Culture on Tour23 Nordic Design23 Cultural Exchange with West Balkans24 Nordic Glass Art in St Petersburg25 Nordic Region as Global Research Leader25 White Paper on Research and Innovation26 Nordic Dimension in National Research Institutes26 Open Source Programmes from Nordicos27 New NordPlus Educational Programmes29 Facts32 Loss of a Great Nordic Politician

charac-terised Nordic co-operation in .

The most important were the intensifica-tion of co-operation all round the BalticSea – a natural reaction to enlargement– and the efforts to remove border obsta-cles in the Nordic Region. The signifi-cance of this co-operation is growing.

Within Nordic co-operation work con-tinued with undiminished effort to findsolutions to cross-border barriers in .

The simplification of customs procedures,joint vocational qualifications, a newNordic social convention, and new andfaster national civil registration systems aswell as a tax agreement for Swedish andDanish border commuters are some ofthe results. Through these and futureefforts to make it simpler to work in theneighbouring countries, the NordicRegion will gain a competitive edge inter-nationally.

Further steps were taken towards co-operation between partners of equalstanding with the Baltic States. Forms ofco-operation within Europe and the

were debated both at governmental andparliamentary levels. Through jointNordic-Baltic ministerial and parliamen-tary meetings, relationships were consoli-dated in order to create a joint region inNorthern Europe, and to take advantageof common interests e.g. in the .

The Nordic Annual Report for is asimplified edition in comparison to previ-

ous years. Nevertheless, we hope that theselected items give a representative pic-ture of Nordic co-operation over the pastyear. Please also visit www.norden.org tofind more detailed information on Nordicco-operation. Formal statements ofaccounts and other facts will be issued bythe respective organisations during thefirst half of .

A brand new publication focusing onissues relating to the future of the Nordiccountries will appear in the second halfof .

The Nordic Region which is being builtnow is an open Nordic Region – facingtowards our neighbours and all those whoare seeking a new future in our part ofEurope.

5

Preface

Director of the Nordic Council

Secretary General of

the Nordic Council of Ministers

6

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

close political co-operationbetween the Nordic countries aroseimmediately after World War II. TheNordic Council was set up in to facil-itate co-operation between Nordic parlia-mentarians, and a series of groundbreak-ing reforms were implemented over thenext few years. The Nordic governmentshave co-operated in the Nordic Council of Ministers since .

The Nordic passport union, the jointNordic labour market and the same socialsecurity rights for Nordic citizens living inanother Nordic country are three impor-

tant results of early Nordic co-operation.In later years, the focus has been on issuessuch as the environment, gender equality,education and research, and integration.Co-operation with the Baltic States andNorthwest Russia has especially beenemphasised.

Nordic co-operation involves Denmark,Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden aswell as the autonomous areas of theFaroe Islands, Greenland and the ÅlandIslands.

See also the organisation diagrams

on page .

Nordic Co-operation

■ Nordic Council

The Nordic Council is the inter-parlia-mentary body of the parliaments ofDenmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden andFinland, as well as of the autonomousareas of the Faroe Islands, Greenland andthe Åland Islands.

The Council consists of memberselected by their respective parliaments.

The political composition shouldreflect the political balance in the individ-ual national parliaments as far as possible,but in the Council the members worktogether in party groups across nationalboundaries.

The Nordic Council’s task is to takeinitiatives, advise the Nordic ministers and

to monitor the implementation of deci-sions about Nordic co-operation. ThePresidium consisting of the President and ordinary members is in charge of theeveryday affairs of the Nordic Council.

The Nordic Council of Ministers is theinter-governmental body of the govern-ments of the Nordic countries and of theautonomous areas. The one-year Presi-dency alternates between the five Nordiccountries.

General responsibility for the NordicCouncil of Ministers lies with the PrimeMinisters but is delegated in practice tothe Ministers for Nordic Co-operation andto the Nordic Committee for Coopera-tion. In addition to the Prime Ministersand the Ministers for Nordic Co-opera-tion, the Nordic Council of Ministers

consists of about different ministerialcouncils. The Nordic Council of Ministersco-operates across national boundaries. In exceptional circumstances, decisionstaken by the Nordic Council of Ministersare subject to approval by the nationalgovernments or parliaments.

The Nordic Council of Ministers isresponsible for approximately , on-going projects, and more than Nordicinstitutions are financed either wholly or in part by its budget. The institutionssolve specific tasks in clearly definedspheres.

7

■ Nordic Council of Ministers

■ Building Blocks of an Open Nordic Region

The removal of remaining obstacles toand the reduction of friction for freedomof movement were among the objectivesof the Nordic Council in . The cre-ation of a stronger connection betweenNordic co-operation and the national par-liaments was another goal.

In the international arena, the Councilaimed at using regional co-operation as arole model at European as well as atglobal level. Co-operation with the BalticAssembly was to be strengthened and theCouncil was to contribute to the imple-mentation of the Northern Dimension.Conflict prevention and civilian crisismanagement as well as the fight againstcross-border crime and trafficking inhuman beings were to be highlighted.

Emphasis was placed on fightingracism, developing research and the society, and on improving the situation ofchildren and young people.

Norwegian Inge Lønning was electedPresident of the Nordic Council to lead

Inge Lønning,Nordic Council President in 2003

parliamentary co-operation and to followup on the Council guidelines. At thebeginning of his period in office hedeclared that Nordic co-operation shouldcontribute towards making life easier forthe people living in the Nordic Region.

“We still have problems in many areas inall Nordic countries. It is now high timethat we face up to the truth and accept thechallenges ahead,” Lønning pointed out.

Throughout the year Lønning referredseveral times to the importance of solvingthe various obstacles to freedom of move-ment in the Nordic countries. In an articlehe wrote that the Nordic countries will beless attractive in the future if freedom ofmovement is limited within the region.

Integration was another subject thatLønning raised. In his opinion, all theNordic countries have set admirable tar-gets for their integration policies, but theymust be self-critical enough to realise thatthere is a wide gap between aims and reality. Targets as such do not resolve anyproblems.

“Building a diverse and multiculturalsociety is no easy task. Integration is notthe same as assimilation. It requires sacri-fices to be made by everyone, even by therelatively homogenous majority popula-tion,” said Inge Lønning.

enlargement and the NorthernDimension were also on the agenda underLønning’s Presidency.

8

■ »Integration Norden«

The theme of the Swedish Presidency ofthe Nordic Council of Ministers in

was “Integration Norden”. The SwedishMinister Berit Andnor was chairperson for the Ministers of Nordic Co-operationin .

“ enlargement makes the deepeningof Nordic co-operation a pressing matter.It is also important to extend it to includethe new Baltic Member States. Then wecan collectively promote issues such as theenvironment, consumer policies, genderequality and welfare with greater weightwithin the ,” commented Berit Andnorabout the work of integration in theNordic countries.

The programme for the Swedish Presi-dency addressed four different aspects ofintegration.

The first concerned integration within

the Nordic countries – e.g. influence in politi-cal, economic, social and cultural life,

immigrant women’s involvement and par-ticipation in society and stopping housingsegregation.

Above:“Integration Norden”,

the Swedish Presidency logo 2003

Berit Andnor, Swedish Minister for Nordic

Co-operation in 2003

A conference was held in Malmö to discuss the lives of immigrant women inthe Nordic countries. Approximately

delegates attended from the entire NordicRegion, including ministers, civil servantsand immigrant women. The conferencedealt with widely differing subjects, suchas arranged marriages, discrimination ineveryday life and “men in alien cultures”.

The second aspect concerned integra-tion between the Nordic countries. Althoughthe Nordic countries have shared a com-mon labour market for years and all thecountries are included in the internalmarket, differences in certain nationalregulations raise unnecessary barriers forthe free movement of people, businessesand organisations.

During its Presidency Sweden syste-matically dealt with specific obstacles andalways set a fixed time frame for achievingresults. A number of obstacles to freedomof movement were abolished during theyear. An important element in theremoval of cross-border obstacles was theappointment of former Danish Prime

Minister Poul Schlüter as special envoy topromote freedom of movement. Schlüterwas a major contributor towards givingthis work a central focus during the year.

The third aspect concerned the integra-tion between the Nordic countries and the

adjacent areas. It is important to developco-operation with the Baltic States – especially against the background of

enlargement. Co-operation with North-west Russia was given high priority in theNordic programme for co-operation withthe adjacent areas. Greater importancewas attached to the work between the

and Russia to create a common Europeaneconomic area.

The fourth aspect concerned the inte-gration of the Nordic countries in Euro-

pean co-operation. Three Nordic countriesare members of the European Union andtwo are part of the internal marketthrough the Treaty. Sweden workedto increase the impact of Nordic positionswithin the internal market. Nordic co-operation can conversely produce valu-able input to the European agenda.

9

Per Unckel from Sweden took over as Sec-retary General of the Nordic Council ofMinisters on January . Per Unckel isa former member of the Swedish Parlia-ment. In he became chairman of theCommittee on the Constitution, and in he was elected leader of the parlia-mentary party of the Moderate Party.

“I believe in networking with peoplerather than having them work in a hierar-chy. I am goal-oriented and not afraid ofchange, and I adhere to the principles of

visionary management. That is the bestway to achieve results,” he said in a com-ment at the time of taking office.

“There are many important areaswithin Nordic co-operation. Last yearfreedom of movement and the difficultiesof moving between the Nordic countriesdrew most attention. Contact with thecountries around the Baltic Sea will be ofincreasing importance in the new Euro-pean co-operation structure which isbeing outlined now,” said Per Unckel.

10

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

■ New Secretary General for the Nordic Council of Ministers

■ Nordic Council Session in Oslo

The discussion on freedom of movementwas the main theme at the Nordic CouncilSession on ‒ October.

Co-operation with East and West, aswell as with the , was the subject ofmuch debate during the Session. Theannouncement of the Nordic Prime Min-isters that the Baltic States had officiallybeen invited to become full members ofthe Nordic Investment Bank () metwith wide acclaim. is the first Nordicinstitution to include them. According toSwedish Prime Minister Göran Persson,this was a tangible expression of Nordicwillingness to deepen Nordic-Baltic co-operation, and could be the first of many.

Another example of advances in theNordic-Baltic relationship was that, for thefirst time in the history of the NordicCouncil, the chairman of the Baltic Coun-cil of Ministers, Lithuanian Prime Minis-ter Algirdas Brazayskas, made a speech atthe opening of the Council Session. TheSwedish Moderate Party leader, FredrikReinfeldt, repeated his party’s demand forfull Council membership for the BalticStates. The possibility for future Nordic-Baltic co-operation in Europe was empha-sised from several sides.

Exchange programmes for young peo-ple in the Nordic countries and NorthwestRussia, parliamentarians from Kaliningrad

Meetings of the European Council arenow preceded by a meeting of the NordicPrime Ministers. This year the Baltic swere invited to these meetings. Duringthe Swedish Presidency, formal co-operation was extended to the Ministers

of Gender Equality, Consumer Affairs andthe Environment. Furthermore, the entireNordic Council of Ministers is involved in issues to a greater extent in accordancewith guidelines drawn up in a programmeon an international Nordic Region.

visiting the Nordic countries, a thememeeting on the Northern Dimension withRussian parliamentarians, and an environ-mental action plan for the Murmansk areaare some concrete measures for furtherco-operation with the East in .

The sustainable use of marine resources,lack of transport infrastructure and thedesire of the Faroe Islands for full mem-bership in the Nordic Council were issuesin the debate on the West Nordic Region.Many issues will be followed up during by the Icelandic Presidency of theCouncil of Ministers.

The Nordic countries need to coordi-nate their research resources to cope withEuropean and American competition.There was broad agreement between par-liamentarians and ministers when theCouncil of Ministers presented its WhitePaper on the future of research in theNordic Region. This Paper proposes that aNordic Research and Innovation Council,NoFIR, be set up. The debate stressed theneed for attractive research environmentsto retain the best scientists and to ensurethat Nordic Centres of Excellence areworld leaders in their fields.

Environmental issues, especially con-cerning the Baltic Sea and oil transport,prostitution and trafficking in humanbeings, wolf hunting and whaling stirredup much emotion. The news of the estab-lishment of a Nordic Film Prize wasreceived with great interest by the media.

The annual Nordic prizes wereawarded at a festive ceremony. The SwedeEva Ström won the Literature Prize forher poetry collection “Revbensstäderna”(The Rib Cities), and the Finnish NatureLeague the Nature and EnvironmentPrize for their work with children andyoung people. The winner of the MusicPrize, Marie Boine, attracted attention by

11

Poul Schlüter, special envoy of the SwedishMinister for Nordic Co-operation to promotefreedom of movement

Mari Boine and Eva Ström

expressing her support for Sami member-ship of the Nordic Council.

The Nordic Prime Ministers met andalso held a meeting with their Baltic col-leagues. The Council Presidium met theleadership of the Baltic Assembly andagreed to hold the next joint session inPärnu in Estonia in April . The Envi-ronment, Citizens’ and Welfare Commit-tees debated e.g. gas and oil extraction aswell as nuclear waste with the leader ofthe Murmansk Regional Duma, PavelSazhinov. The goal was to establish con-tacts with Northwest Russia.

“The Northern Dimension is more andmore about democracy and sustainabledevelopment in Northwest Russia,” saidJens Chr. Larsen from the Centre Group.

Swedish parliamentarian GabrielRomanus from the Centre Group waselected President of the Nordic Councilfor , and Swedish Social DemocratAnita Johansson was elected to the newlyestablished office of Vice-President.

“As the European Union welcomes newmembers it is taking a large and importantstep towards European unity, prosperityand peace. An enlarged will influenceco-operation in other internationalforums too. Many different forms ofco-operation will develop between the

Member States, amongst other things co-operation in regional groups.”

This is a summary of the new chal-lenges facing the Nordic countries in the

introduction to “Nordic Co-operation inthe . The Nordic Council of Ministers’European Activities ‒”.

It is a report submitted by the NordicCouncil of Ministers to the Nordic Council. Partnerships in Nordic co-opera-tion will have to be adjusted to meet therequirements of the new challengesemerging from a Europe with a com-pletely new political map.

12

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

International Nordic Region

■ Nordic Co-operation in a European Framework

■ Nordic Countries and the European Union

The Nordic Council of Ministers issues ayearly report on its European activities. In the focus was on the relationshipbetween Nordic co-operation and theenlarged European co-operation. Particu-lar emphasis was placed on collaborationwith Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania andwith Northwest Russia. The reportcontains “The International NordicRegion – Nordic Co-operation in a Euro-pean Framework”. This document wasadopted by the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation on September as guide-lines for the future collaboration of theNordic Council of Ministers with the surrounding world. Here are three quota-tions from the report:

“In a global age with a greatly enlarged, the challenge facing Nordic co-operation is to develop the intra-Nordic dialogue on international questions andon European questions even further.”

“The challenge is to maintain anddevelop Nordic influence on European co-operation as the is being expandedfrom to Member States. The NordicRegion pressed for membership to its Eastern European and Baltic neigh-bours. When the is enlarged, new institutional forms and decision-makingprocesses will be unavoidable.”

“A joint Nordic regional approachwithin the is not synonymous with aNordic bloc policy, but indicates that the

intention is to co-operate at a Europeanlevel as far as possible. Conversely the

has both a political and an operationalinterest in efficient regional co-operation

structures that can relieve the pressure onthe ’s ‘own’ institutions and capacity. In this way Nordic co-operation willstrengthen the Nordic Region in the .”

13

■ Synergy through Better Co-ordination

“Nordic advantage must be the basis forall of our work in the adjacent areas. Weneed to co-ordinate efforts in order to useresources as efficiently as possible,” saidthe Finnish Minister for Nordic Co-opera-tion, Jan Erik Enestam, during the debateon co-operation with the adjacent areas at the Nordic Council Session in Oslo.

He referred to the Council of Minis-ters’ report on the Nordic Region andEurope, and drew particular attention tothe forging of closer contacts between theNordic Council of Ministers, the Councilof the Baltic Sea States, the Barents Coun-cil and the Arctic Council. While theCouncil of Ministers has an operatingbudget, the other councils are financedthrough programmes or on a project byproject basis.

Enestam stressed that the entire BalticSea region is being strategically evaluated.

The Danish Minister for Nordic Co-operation, Flemming Hansen, was alsoconcerned with the new Nordic directionduring the European debate at the NordicCouncil Session at the end of October.

“We have long been inward looking inthe Nordic countries. We now need toturn the compass around and look at howinternational developments will affect theNordic Region,” said Flemming Hansen.

“The Nordic Region must continue tobe a growth region in Europe and a modelfor others, but that will require prioritisa-tion,” he pointed out. Minister Hansensees progress towards closer co-operationwith the Baltic States – including fromwithin the institutions of the Council of

Three Prime Ministers meet the press: Kjell Magne Bondevik, AndersFogh Rasmussen and Göran Persson

Ministers – as a positive factor in the futuredevelopment of Nordic co-operation.

Norwegian Prime Minister, KjellMagne Bondevik, was also engaged withthe new Europe during the Session, eventhough Norway, like Iceland, is not part ofthe but is a member of the economicco-operation through the .

Extended co-operation through the/ is also of importance for futureNordic co-operation. This involves a rein-forcement of Nordic-Baltic collaboration.

“We have many political tools today forthe development of Nordic co-operation.The Nordic contribution in the future will also be significant with regard to thedevelopment and enlargement of the ,”said Kjell Magne Bondevik.

The top priority for Iceland will be tostrengthen Nordic co-operation on themarine environment, sustainable develop-ment and on the management of marineresources in the neighbouring regions inand around the North Atlantic. But Ice-landic Prime Minister, Davi∂ Oddsson,was also concerned with the NordicRegion’s neighbours to the east:

“Nordic co-operation with the BalticStates and Northwest Russia has beenfruitful, and we must continue to takegreat care of this region. Now that theBaltic States are joining the we musttake stock of this co-operation to ensurethat it continues to be efficient in thealtered political climate.”

14

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS The enlargement of the to include

Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania willmove its centre of gravity towards theNorth. This will strengthen the NorthernDimension. The Nordic work in the adja-cent areas has been led by the responsibleCouncils of Ministers as part of their nor-mal activities, but also through a separateAdjacent Areas Programme. The Councilof Ministers has information offices inTallinn, Riga, Vilnius and St Petersburg.

In new efforts were made to openan office in Kaliningrad. The followingactivities in the Baltic States and North-west Russia are worth noting:• Development programmes in the

public sector, for companies and forspecialists in e.g. energy.

• An action plan for children and young people.

• Cross-border co-operation.

As a partner in the Northern Dimen-sion the Nordic Council of Ministers’ambition is to coordinate Nordic efforts inthe adjacent areas with the work takingplace within the .

Once Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania jointhe , the nature of the activities in thesecountries will change towards more nor-mal partnership. A large number of jointNordic-Baltic ministerial meetings wereheld in .

The Council of Ministers has decidedto increase its efforts in Northwest Russia.An evaluation of the activities in the adja-cent areas will take place in the first halfof . The result will form the basis fordeveloping the future strategy for co-oper-ation with Estonia, Latvia and Lithuaniaand with Northwest Russia.

■ Stronger Northern Dimension

15

■ Nordic-Baltic Dimension

Environmental issues and safety at sea, the war on organised drug-related crimeand on trafficking in women and childrenwere the central themes of the joint meet-ing of the Nordic Council and the BalticAssembly in Lund. Discussions at themeeting included issues, the NorthernDimension and co-operation in the Nordic-Baltic region as well as specific questionson civil crisis management and conflictresolution.

Co-operation between the Nordic andBaltic parliamentarians began in andhas gradually expanded since the inde-pendence of the Baltic States, the fall ofthe Berlin Wall and the dismantling of thecommunist dictatorships in the formerEastern European bloc.

Another theme was the protection ofthe marine environment of the Baltic Sea.This was brought about by the work inprogress to classify the Baltic Sea as a par-ticularly sensitive sea area ().

“The fact that parliamentarians from allof the countries around the Baltic Seawant to classify it as a particular sensitivesea area, and to ban single-hulled oiltankers, represents a major breakthroughfor marine safety,” said Outi Ojala, chair-person of the Presidium for the th BalticSea Parliamentary Conference in Oulu inSeptember.

“The political process and practical co-operation with the Nordic Council in therun-up to Baltic membership are ofgreat significance for our joint future inEstonia, Latvia and Lithuania,” stated thehead of the Baltic Assembly, Giedre Pur-vaneckiene, during the Lund conference.She underlined the importance of the

referendums and hoped that the Baltic

electorate would seize this historic oppor-tunity to vote their countries into modernEurope.

Giedre Purvaneckiene did not believethat Baltic membership would jeopar-dise co-operation with the Nordic Region.She believed that since the Nordic coun-tries consult each other before meet-ings even though they are not all mem-bers, there is no reason why a combina-tion of Baltic membership in the andinstitutionalised co-operation with theNordic Region should not be of mutualbenefit.

In the long term, Purvaneckienethought the Baltic States should be mem-bers of the Nordic Council, and believedthat a parliamentary body embracingeight countries would make a greaterimpact than one with five.

The President of the Nordic Council,Inge Lønning, stressed after the meetingsthat organised crime, the environmentand especially the new regional policies in the discussed at the conference are subjects of mutual interest for bothNordic and Baltic politicians.

The fact that the issue of alleged cor-ruption in Latvia was addressed from thefloor shows that the new democracies arealso beginning to exercise self-criticism.Inge Lønning thought this was a positivesign. “It takes time to build democracyafter decades of suppression but the open-ness of the discussion is encouraging,”stated Lønning.

16

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

■ Baltic States Join Nordic Investment Bank

At the Nordic and Baltic Prime Ministers’meeting at the Session in Oslo, the BalticStates were officially invited to participatein the Nordic Investment Bank ().

is the joint international financialinstitution of the Nordic countries. It offers companies and organisations,both in the private and the public sector,long term loans for environmental pur-poses, amongst other things.

“This is a historic day,” said EstonianPrime Minister, Juhan Parts, at the subse-quent press conference. He also officiallyaccepted the invitation to participate inthe bank. The two other Baltic States also expressed themselves positively onmembership.

is giving an environmental loan of million euros to the largest waste watertreatment project in the Baltic. The con-struction of the south-west waste watertreatment plant in St Petersburg can now

begin. The plant will be completed withinthree years.

Waste water from almost one millionpeople currently flows untreated into theGulf of Finland and negatively affectswater quality throughout the Baltic.

The project also includes the construc-tion of a sludge incinerator. The invest-ment will greatly reduce outflows of dirtyand polluted water into the Gulf of Fin-land and the Baltic Sea. Thus the projectwill have a significant ecological impact.

■ Northern Dimension Partnership in Public Health

The Nordic Council of Ministers needs topush the Northern Dimension in a pos-itive direction. The Nordic countries havetheir own Adjacent Areas Programmethat could help produce results within theNorthern Dimension.

The Council of Ministers released itscontribution to the Northern Dimen-sion Action Plan ‒ in Marchwith proposals for increased Nordic effortsto implement the Northern Dimensionand to strengthen work in northernEurope. This submission should be seenas an expression of joint, regional, Nordic

action within the European framework.The experiences of the Council of Minis-ters from long-term work in the BalticStates, especially with regard to environ-mental work and the exchange of know-how, could be of immense benefit. Fundsfrom the Nordic budget could also be usedto implement projects within the North-ern Dimension.

A further step was taken when fifteenstates, including the Nordic countries, and eight international organisations,inter alias the Nordic Council of Minis-ters, decided to establish a Partnership

in Public Health and Social Wellbeingwithin the framework of the NorthernDimension. This Partnership aims to

improve quality of life through the co-ordination of efforts and increased co-operation.

17

■ Focus on Baltic Sea Region

“The Nordic Region has demonstratedhow co-operation can solve mutual prob-lems. Now it is high time for the entireBaltic Sea region to be integrated in asimilar way,” said former Danish ForeignMinister, Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, in a lec-ture in the joint Nordic Embassy Complexin Berlin in September. This lecture wasjust one of a series organised by the fiveNordic embassies in Berlin together withthe Nordic Council of Ministers. Otherspeakers have been the former President

of Iceland, Vigdís Finnbogadóttir, and for-mer Swedish Prime Minister, Carl Bildt.Bildt asserted that a more wholeheartedNordic participation in the European inte-gration process would generate newopportunities for co-operation with theBaltic States. This would create betteropportunities for affluence in the entireNordic-Baltic region, he pointed out.

The lectures were part of the NordicCouncil of Ministers’ international pro-gramme. Seminars in Northwest Russia

and in Poland also focused on the newopportunities in the Baltic Sea area. HelleDegn, the Baltic Council Commissionerfor Democratic Development, was amongthe speakers at a seminar in Petrozavodsk,capital of the Russian Republic of Karelia,in May. She spoke of values such as socialresponsibility, human rights, openness,access to information, environmentalconsiderations and food safety, which are

seen as common to Northern Europe.These values should be emphasised in theexpanded European family.

Regional co-operation in the newEurope was the theme of three eventsheld in Warsaw and Gdansk in November.At the seminar in Gdansk, the new oppor-tunities for collaboration and the Nordicefforts to renew the strategy for sustain-able development were discussed.

“Regional co-operation can assist inattaining sustainable development. It maycreate mutual respect and understandingbetween people otherwise divided byphysical, historical or religious barriers,”

said Svein Ludvigsen, the Norwegian Min-ister for Nordic Co-operation and Ministerof Fisheries.

18

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

■ Safety at Sea and the Environment

Nordic politicians and the various organi-sations in the Baltic region have madetremendous efforts to ensure that theBaltic Sea environment is protected. With-out the agreement of the Russian govern-ment, the International Maritime Organi-sation can not classify the Baltic Sea as aparticularly sensitive sea area.

The Russian parliamentarians signed adeclaration at the Baltic Sea ParliamentaryConference in Oulu in Finland in theautumn, but if this is not followed up by action by the Russian government, thesignatures are nothing more than an

expression of willingness to comply withthe conventions.

“Now it is time to agree on safety for oiltransports in the Baltic Sea,” said AsmundKristoffersen, chairman of the NordicCouncil Environment and NaturalResources Committee at the Baltic SeaParliamentary Conference.

“If we are not able to deal with the prob-lems of oil slips, how can we expect tosolve the other serious problems we arefacing, such as nuclear waste?” askedAsmund Kristoffersen.

There are several causes of concern in

relation to the marine environment in theBaltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is like an inlandsea, and it is fed by large amounts of freshwater. The less oxygen the sea water con-tains, the poorer the growth conditionsfor fish and shellfish. Pollution killing thefish comes from algae growth, and theremoval of algae naturally occurring inbrackish water is not possible in aninstant. The problem is certainly notsolved by political resolutions – initiativesthat produce tangible results are required.

The enormous volume of maritimetraffic through the Öresund Sound and inthe Baltic Sea worries politicians for sev-eral reasons. Some ships carry dangerouscargoes, and the dumping of ballast waterin the Baltic Sea has become widespread.Single-hull vessels still transport heavy oils

in pack ice conditions. Oil transport hasbeen particularly in focus lately, but otherforms of transport must be carefullymonitored too. Every day ships sailthrough the Sound and more than ,

ships are on their way to or from a port inthe Baltic at any given time.

Proposals for improved safety at seainclude the compulsory use of a pilot,banning single-hull vessels in frozen seasand better surveillance of all shipsattempting to dump ballast water.

The Nordic Ministers of the Environ-ment have led the way to have the BalticSea classified as a particularly sensitive seaarea. Furthermore, efforts have beenmade to protect the environment in theBarents Sea with regard to unregistered oil transport in the area.

19

■ Focus on West Nordic Region

In recognition of the fact that marineresources and environmental and climateissues are vitally important, the NordicCouncil of Ministers launched a specialprogramme for the West Nordic Regionin . Iceland continues to focus on thisarea in its Presidency programme for, which has nature, culture, identityand democracy as its major themes.

Focus on the West Nordic Region natu-rally attaches great importance to thequestion of resources and in particular tothe significance of marine resources to theeconomy. In short, the Nordic countrieswill concentrate on surveying the NorthAtlantic marine area to improve the eco-nomic benefit as well as the environmentas a whole. The countries will achieve thisobjective through international involve-ment at conferences and in research in

Arctic core competencies. The transportinfrastructure in the West Nordic Regionneeds to be improved. Existing networkscan be exploited and central decision mak-ers and the responsible traffic authoritiesin the various countries will be approachedto achieve this goal. A stronger co-ordina-tion of efforts in cultural partnership isalso needed in the region. Collaborationbetween the different cultural NordicHouses in the region should be extendedso that each individual Nordic House cantake on a co-ordinating role.

Icelandic Minister of the Environment,Siv Fri∂leifsdóttir, who chairs the Minis-ters for Nordic Co-operation in :

– Neighbouring policies also affect the Northern Dimension which, in geo-graphical terms, stretches all the way westto Greenland.

Freedom of movement across Nordicboundaries was high on the agenda ofboth the Nordic Council and the NordicCouncil of Ministers in .

The Swedish government appointedthe former Danish Prime Minister, PoulSchlüter, as its special envoy to applypolitical pressure in order to reduce thenumber of cross-border obstacles.

The Nordic Council parliamentariansimmediately welcomed this initiative.Referring to Poul Schlüter, Ole Stavad,who is chairman of the Danish Delegationto the Nordic Council and of the Councilspecial working group on an “OpenNordic Region”, said:

– Previous agreements have not beenmodernised and brought up to date. Insome areas there are no agreements at all,and many people struggle with unneces-sary bureaucracy when they move withinthe Nordic countries. We must maintainand further develop Nordic co-operation,whilst at the same time developing andstrengthening European co-operation.

Ole Stavad had the opportunity to dis-cuss freedom of movement with PoulSchlüter during the joint Nordic-Balticmeeting in Lund in April:

– Even though he is working for theCouncil of Ministers, I told him that weparliamentarians on the Nordic Council

also consider him ‘our man’. He is good atasking questions which may sound naive,but are actually very pointed. I am certainhe will present proposals for specificimprovements. However, there will alsobe areas in which he will need the aid ofparliamentary pressure to removeobstructions to freedom of movement.

An example was when several Councilmembers simultaneously posed a ques-tion in their respective Nordic parliamentsabout the high bank charges for transfer-ring money between the Nordic countries.

20

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

Freedom of Movement

■ Poul Schlüter Promotes Freedom of Movement

During the course of Poul Schlütertook part in several ministerial meetingsunder the auspices of the Nordic Councilof Ministers. Furthermore, he addressed a number of conferences arranged by the Swedish Presidency of the NordicCouncil of Ministers on themes such as“The Nordic Region as a Single Market”.

In a number of areas efforts to promotefreedom of movement have already bornefruit, and some of the irritations experi-enced by commuters and people movingto another Nordic country have beeneradicated. In other areas there is still aneed to put political pressure on theresponsible politicians and officials, so the efforts continue.

Poul Schlüter’s interim report gives

examples of solutions to difficulties, largeand small, experienced in crossing Nordicboundaries. These cover simplified cus-

toms procedures for commercial traffic,inter-Nordic job procurement on the Inter-net, a virtual Nordic taxation office as wellas improved processing of prescriptions.

The day before Schlüter presented hisinterim report at the Nordic Council Session in Oslo, the Danes dropped theirDanish language requirement for Swedishand Norwegian students applying to studymedicine in Denmark. The matter hadbeen the subject of debate amongst theparliamentarians of the Nordic Council,and it was abandoned by the Danishgovernment just before the start of theSession.

21

■ Nordic Region as a Single Market

■ Cross-border Obstacles on the Session Agenda

A tax agreement benefiting the com-muters across the Öresund Sound wasconcluded by the Danish and SwedishMinisters of Taxation just as the NordicCouncil Session opened. “However, sev-eral barriers to cross-border freedom stillremain – for example, other tax issues,unemployment benefit funds, and insur-ance and child benefit contributions,” said Kent Olsson from the ConservativeGroup on the Nordic Council.

The importance of this issue was statedright at the very start of the Session by thePresident of the Norwegian Parliament,Jørgen Kosmo.

“If the Council of Ministers can notshow some results of its work, this Coun-cil Session could be the beginning of theend for Nordic co-operation,” he claimed.

The competitiveness of the Nordiccountries is linked to free movement. TheFederation of Nordic Associations believesthat the credibility of Nordic co-operationrests on removing cross-border obstacles.

A satisfied Swedish Minister for NordicCo-operation, Berit Andnor, stated thatmany obstacles had been torn down dur-ing the year. Results are e.g. joint voca-tional qualifications and the new Nordicsocial convention.

Andnor reported furthermore that itwill be easier to bring pets and prescrip-tion drugs with you across Nordic borders.

“Cross-border obstacles can be of differ-ing importance for different people. Forthose directly affected, for example, thematter of a national social security num-ber is very important. The results we haveachieved through better communicationmean a great deal to many small busi-nesses and especially to commercial traf-

fic. For example a Swede working with hismechanical digger in Norway used to haveto pay a deposit of % of the value of thedigger, which could be worth three mil-lion – a huge sum for him to find. We havesolved this problem by working with theauthorities involved and with industry.”

Other issues which came up in thedebate were a Nordic taxation office,lower bank charges and shorter transfertimes for Nordic money transactions.

22

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

■ Positive Nordic Integration

“Results such as the tax agreementbetween Denmark and Sweden are part of a positive circle as far as integrationbetween the Nordic countries is con-cerned,” the Secretary General of theNordic Council of Ministers, Per Unckel,said at a meeting in the Danish parliamentin Copenhagen in November .

Per Unckel called for a vision of thedevelopment of the Nordic Region.According to him the removal of barriersto freedom of movement does not onlyaffect individuals. In a greatly enlarged , greater mobility will make nationaleconomies more competitive.

Poul Schlüter will continue his work asspecial envoy for the Ministers of NordicCo-operation in the first six months of during Iceland’s Presidency of theNordic Council of Ministers. The nextstep will be to focus in particular on free-dom of movement for business.

The main task still is to find solutions to specific legal and bureaucratic barriersto individual mobility between the Nordiccountries.

To focus attention on the issues sur-rounding cross-border barriers, the Nordic

Council of Ministers has established a spe-cial Secretariat for Nordic Cross-BorderMobility. This Secretariat co-ordinatesefforts between Poul Schlüter’s work, thespecific issues arising from the Nordicinformation service Hello Norden, andthe regional border committees. The Sec-retariat’s mandate is to render vigour, con-tinuity and cohesion to the work of pro-moting freedom of movement.

The information service Hello Nordenis available in all the Nordic countries –addresses and telephone numbers can befound on www.hallonorden.org. HelloNorden provides answers to questionsregarding the formalities of moving fromone Nordic country to another. Thesequestions concern e.g. education and train-ing, commuting, taxation, health insur-ance, child benefits, and pensions.

A number of large projects characterisedNordic cultural co-operation. Scandina-

vian Design beyond the Myth, a large Nordicexhibition, was opened in Berlin inNovember by Swedish Minister of Cul-ture, Marita Ulvskog, and German FederalMinister of Culture, Christina Weiss.

This exhibition commissioned by theNordic Council of Ministers is based onNordic design co-operation and recentresearch. It is partly retrospective anddebates the myths and stereotypes thathave flourished around the topic Scandi-navian Design. In addition, the exhibits

represent contemporary design from eachof the Nordic countries.

The exhibition will tour several coun-tries after Berlin, opening in Milan, Ghentand Prague in . The tour continuesto Budapest, Riga, Glasgow, Copenhagenand Gothenburg in followed byOslo, Reykjavík and Helsinki in .

23

Nordic Culture on Tour

■ Nordic Design

■ Cultural Exchange with West Balkans

The Nordic Ministers of Culture havelaunched a collaboration and exchangeproject with the West Balkan region, i.e. Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia,Macedonia and Serbia and Montenegro.

The project entitled Speak Up! covers awide range of contemporary art and vari-ous forms of culture but concentrates oncontemporary art, modern dance, film,literature and music. Individuals and insti-tutions in both regions will continue towork together throughout .

Several galleries take part in the projectand arrange exhibitions, for example

in Zagreb, the Museum for Contempo-rary Art in Belgrade and Rooseum inMalmö.

As part of the project Mika Hannulaand Tere Vadén will publish a book, Rock

the Boat, which discusses ethical questionsaround the theme “Local–Global” andhow these issues are expressed in contem-porary art.

Reflections – in a New Nordic Light is a majorexhibition of Nordic glass art, whichopened in September in St Petersburg.The exhibition consists of works by youngand established Nordic artists and was alsoshown in Petrozavodsk.

All of the works were created in PerSteen Hebsgaard’s glass studio in Den-mark. The exhibition presents a broadrange of Nordic artistic collaboration thathas arisen in the long history of Hebs-gaard’s workshop.

24

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

■ Nordic Glass Art in St Petersburg

The Nordic Region can – and must –become a global leader in the field ofresearch. If not, Nordic research will loseground, in particular to the .

This was the main conclusion of theWhite Paper “ – Nordic Researchand Innovation Area”. This paper is basedon a recommendation to review Nordicresearch policies given by the NordicCouncil in October . Professor Gus-tav Björkstrand, Rector of Åbo AkademiUniversity in Finland, was appointed totake charge of the project. The WhitePaper produced a number of proposals:• A Nordic Research and Innovation Area

() should be established. TheNordic Research Council should playan important role in the start-up phase.

• A new advisory body (NoFIR) shouldbe established by integrating both theNordic Research Council and theNordic Academy for Advanced Study.

• There should be major investment inNordic research institutes where youngresearchers can work together and thuscreate a critical mass in a strong andcompetitive research environment.

• Nordic programmes for Centres ofExcellence should be launched to makethe research facilities more attractiveand to create higher quality and greatervisibility.

Today the Nordic countries spend about billion Danish kroner of public fundson national research, whereas a mere

million kroner are available in the Nordicbudget, including the existing researchinstitutions. The author of the WhitePaper believes that there should be jointfinancing between Nordic and nationalbudgets.

The White Paper is being circulated forcomment among relevant organisationsand ministries, and a definitive proposal isanticipated at the beginning of June .

25

Nordic Region as Global Research Leader

■ White Paper on Research and Innovation

Professor Gustav Björkstrand

The Nordic Council of Ministers hasdecided to re-organise the Nordic insti-tutions in the education, research and sectors.

In the future, some of the Nordicresearch institutions will be transferred tonational level to give them a deeper rootin their research environments. This willapply to the Nordic Sami Institute, Scandi-

navian Institute of Maritime Law, Nordic

Institute for Theoretical Physics, Nordic Insti-

tute of Asian Studies and the Nordic Vol-

canological Institute. There are still deliber-ations over some of these institutions onwhat the change of responsibility willentail. Their Nordic profile will be main-tained – thus the institutions will continueto be Nordic programmes or Nordic cen-tres with their own board of directors.

In addition, the Nordic Institute in Fin-

land (Nifin) is transferred from the Minis-ters of Education to the Ministers ofCulture. Finally, the Nordic Council for

Scientific Information will be closed downon July . A working group will beestablished to make proposals for thedevelopment of network collaboration for scientific information.

In the future, co-operation in the fieldof adult education will take place within aNordic network of the relevant organisa-tions through a new programme, Nord-plus Adult, which is administered by in Denmark. The Nordic FolkAcademy will close on 1 August .

These changes are made as a result ofproposals presented by Dan Brändströmin “A Nordic Dimension in NationalResearch Environments – Nordic researchinstitutes under national responsibility”.

26

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

■ Nordic Dimension in National Research Institutes

■ Open Source Programmes from Nordicos

In August the Nordic Council ofMinisters launched a joint Nordic website,from which open source programmes may bedownloaded free of charge for both pri-vate and professional use. The basic ideaof open sources is simple: when users canmodify the source codes of a programme,it can be improved by the users.

The website www.nordicos.org hasbeen developed by Consumer Information

in Denmark with the support of the otherNordic countries. The intention is tomake it easier for computer users to get an overview of which open source pro-grammes can be recommended for down-loading and installation.

In small language areas such as theNordic countries open source pro-grammes have an additional advantage. As the users can make changes in thesource code themselves, the programmescan freely be translated. Thus open sourcecodes become an important tool in retain-ing language and national identity.

Running parallel with this, the Businessand Industry Committee of the NordicCouncil is working intensively on a com-mittee proposal aiming to create a Nordiccentre of competence for using opensources. The subject has been thoroughlydiscussed through hearings with ,Microsoft and Nordicos.

The Nordic Council of Ministers’ educa-tional action programmes, NordPlus, havebeen well-established in the education andtraining sector for years. The objective ofNordPlus is to promote a spirit of fellow-ship in Nordic culture, language and val-ues; to develop knowledge, competency,education and research; and to improvecompetitiveness of the Nordic countriesand of the adjacent areas.

As of January the NordPlus educational action programmes have beenrestructured to address these objectives.There are five new programmes reflectingdifferent target groups, regions and cul-tures:

NordPlus Junior supports co-operation in primary and secondary education,whereby schools can apply for grants tosupport mobility of pupils and teachers inthe Nordic countries. The activities musthave an educational content, be rooted inschool work and, for the pupils, take placevia the Nordic Schoolnet www.nordskol.org. This programme is administered inSweden.

NordPlus supports co-operation betweenuniversities and colleges in the Nordiccountries, both within subject areas andacross them. Universities and colleges canapply for grants for networks which createa foundation for a wholehearted Nordiceducational fellowship in which eachinstitution’s special competencies areutilised. This programme is administeredin Finland.

NordPlus Adult provides funding for co-operation and professional motivation inthe field of adult education and lifelonglearning. Funds can be granted for thedevelopment of new ideas, teachingmethods, course models and the like forboth teachers and participants. Impor-tance is attached to the dissemination ofproject results. This programme is admin-istered in Denmark.

NordPlus Language is a cross-sector pro-gramme emphasising the importance ofcontinued political initiatives to promotethe understanding of the Nordic languages.

27

■ New NordPlus Educational Programmes

The purpose is to ensure that Nordic co-operation be conducted in the Nordic languages in the future too. Grants can begiven to institutions, organisations, net-works and individuals who meet specificrequirements. This programme is admin-istered in Iceland.

The main objective of the NordPlusNeighbour programme is to developcross-sector network co-operationbetween the Nordic countries and the

adjacent areas of Estonia, Latvia, Lithua-nia and Northwest Russia. It focuses oneducation and the transfer of know-how.This programme addresses all areas ofeducation from primary to higher educa-tion, including adult education and volun-tary educational organisations. This pro-gramme is administered in Norway.

28

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

Ministers for Nordic Co-operationThe Ministers for Nordic Co-operation have overall responsibility for Nordic Co-operation. In eachcountry a Minister for Nordic Co-operation is appointed by the government. In addition to his/herown ministry, the Minister has particular responsibility for the co-ordination of Nordic co-opera-tion. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers rotates annually.

Ministers for Nordic Co-operation as of October 2003:Berit Andnor Sweden Svein Ludvigsen NorwayJan-Erik Enestam Finland Lise Lennert GreenlandSiv Fri∂leifsdóttir Iceland Høgni Hoydal Faroe IslandsFlemming Hansen Denmark Olof Erland Åland Islands

Presidium of the Nordic Council as of January 2003:Inge Lønning President NorwayEero Akaan-Penttilä Conservative Group FinlandBerit Brørby Social Democratic Group NorwayRannveig Gu∂mundsdóttir Social Democratic Group IcelandAnita Johansson Social Democratic Group SwedenJens Christian Larsen Centre Group DenmarkRagnwi Marcelind Centre Group SwedenOuti Ojala Left-wing Socialist and Finland

Green GroupÍsólfur Gylfi Pálmason Centre Group IcelandRiitta Prusti Social Democratic Group FinlandJan Sahl Centre Group NorwayOle Stavad Social Democratic Group DenmarkSigrí∂ur A. ∏ór∂ardóttir Conservative Group Iceland

Rotating PresidenciesThe Presidencies of the two Councils rotate according the following roster:

Nordic Council of Ministers Nordic CouncilNorway FinlandSweden NorwayIceland SwedenDenmark IcelandFinland Denmark

29

Facts

30

AN

OPE

N N

ORD

IC R

EGIO

N•

THE

NO

RDIC

CO

UN

CIL

& C

OU

NC

IL O

F M

INIS

TERS

Welfare, trade and industry

Environment, resources, adjacent areas

Secretariat, other joint activities

Education and training, research, IT

Culture

25 %

13 %

25 %

19 %

18 %

Nordic Council of Ministers Expenses BreakdownIn 2003 the budget of the Nordic Council of Ministers was 811 million Danish kroner.

Main Areas Million DKK PercentWelfare, trade and industry 150 18 Environment, resources, adjacent areas 199 25 Secretariat, other joint activities 106 13 Education and training, research, IT 204 25 Culture 1 5 1 19

Nordic Council BudgetThe Council budget of 2003 was 31 million Danish Kroner.This amount covers parliamentary co-operation.

Approximately 20 percent of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ budget goes towards co-operationwith Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Northwest Russia.

31

Election Committee Control Committee

Structure of the Nordic Council

CopenhagenNuukTórshavnHelsinki

MariehamnReykjavíkOsloStockholm

Copenhagen

Conservative GroupCentre GroupSocial Democratic GroupLeft-wing Socialist and Green Group

PA

RL

AM

EN

TA

RI

AN

S

Culture and Education andTraining Committee

Citizens’ and ConsumerRights Committee Welfare Committee Business and Industry

Committee

87 members

Nordic CouncilPlenary Assembly

13 members

Presidium

Environment and NaturalResources Committee

National DelegationSecretariats

Council Secretariat Party Group Secretariats

20 members

DenmarkFolketing

2 membersGreenland

2 membersFaroe Islands

2 membersÅland Islands

20 members

FinlandEduskunta

7 members

IcelandAlπingi

20 members

NorwayStorting

20 members

SwedenRiksdag

in Danish delegation in Finnish deleg.

Structure of the Nordic Council of Ministers

DenmarkGovernment

GreenlandProvincial Govt

Faroe IslandsProvincial Govt

Åland IslandsProvincial Govt

FinlandGovernment

IcelandGovernment

NorwayGovernment

SwedenGovernment

Nordic Council of Ministers

Committees of Senior Officials

Secretariat of the Nordic Council of Ministers

Institutions and other co-operation organs

Programmes, scholarships and projects

Committees and working groups

Loss of a Great Nordic Politician

, . These were the reactions to themurder of Swedish Foreign Minister Anna Lindh in September . She was an outstanding and hugely popularpolitician who will be sadly missed in the Nordic arena. Anna Lindh leaves a major void in the entire Nordic Region.She was strongly committed to Nordic and Barents co-operation. In she was chairperson of the Nordic ForeignMinisters as well as of Barents co-operation.

As Foreign Minister from Anna Lindh took part in theNordic Council Sessions. She was also deeply involved in theprocess leading up to the enlargement of the to amongstothers the Baltic States and Poland.

As Minister of the Environment she took the initiative to formulate a Nordic Strategy for Sustainable Development that was adopted by the Prime Ministers in the autumn of. This strategy has not only been the Nordic instrumentfor managing sustainable development but it has also aroused interest in other parts of the world.

Anna Lindh will be remembered for her many political achieve-ments, and not least for her personality, radiant smile andrelaxed manner which rubbed off on everyone around her.

An Open Nordic RegionLooking back at the past year

in the Nordic Council and

Nordic Council of Ministers 2003