Sustainable regional development in the Nordic countries Keith Clement and Malin Hansen Nordregio 2001 First published in 2001 by Nordregio. PO Box 1658, SE-111 86 Stockholm, Sweden Tel. +46 8 463 54 00, fax: +46 8 463 54 01 e-mail:
[email protected] website: www.nordregio.se Keith Clement and Malin Hansen. Sustainable regional development in the Nordic countries Stockholm: Nordregio 2001 (Nordregio Report 2001:8) ISSN 1403-2503 ISBN 91-89332-20-2 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 2001 Foreword Several years ago, considerable attention was given to the need for regional policy to incorporate the added dimension of environmental protection. The outcome of this phase included a series of handbooks and experimental methodologies designed to facilitate a new form of integration, and this has been applied especially in the context of EU Structural Funds programmes. Currently, the challenges facing regional policy-makers continue to expand as environmental factors are subsumed within a more holistic approach striving to achieve sustainable development.