Trans-national Nordic-Scottish Co-operation: Lessons for Policy and Practice Kai Böhme, François Josserand, Pétur Ingi Haraldsson, John Bachtler and Laura Polverari Nordregio 2003 Nordregio Working Paper 2003:3 ISSN 1403-2511 Nordregio - the Nordic Centre for Spatial Development PO Box 1658 S-111 86 Stockholm, Sweden Tel. +46 8 463 5400, fax: +46 8 463 54 01 e-mail:
[email protected] website: www.nordregio.se Nordic co-operation takes place among the countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. The Nordic Council is a forum for co-operation between the Nordic parliaments and governments. The Council consists of 87 parliamentarians from the Nordic countries. The Nordic Council takes policy initiatives and monitors Nordic co-operation. Founded in 1952. The Nordic Council of Ministers is a forum for co-operation between the Nordic governments. The Nordic Council of Ministers implements Nordic co-operation. The prime ministers have the overall responsibility. Its activities are co-ordinated by the Nordic ministers for co-operation, the Nordic Committee for co-operation and portfolio ministers. Founded in 1971. Stockholm, Sweden 2003 Preface Trans-national and inter-regional co-operation between Norden and Scotland has been an active area of policy for almost a decade. At the policy level, there have been a series of high-level meetings of senior officials, complemented by bilateral exchanges. Within the framework of EU co-funded programmes, 79 projects have been supported through Interreg and Article 10 during the 1990s. This co-operation is continuing under the new generation of Interreg III programmes covering the North Sea and Northern Periphery areas over the 2000-06 period.