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. The basis for this study is that it is an opportune moment to reflect on the experiences of the past decade. The aim of the study is to analyse the lessons learned by regions and other partners in trans-national and inter-regional co-operation projects in the fields of spatial planning and regional development in this part of Europe, and to identify the practical and policy lessons for effective inter-regional co-operation projects. In co-operation with the European Policies Research Centre (EPRC) Nordregio has analysed experiences from inter-regional co-operation projects under the previous North Sea and Northern Periphery programmes, to disseminate learning from the projects, to highlight the practical results achieved and to identify policy lessons with regard to effective project co-operation for the new programmes. This study was jointly financed by the Nordic Senior Officials' Committee for Regional Policy (NÄRP) and the Scottish Executive. The study was carried out by Kai Böhme (project leader, Nordregio) and François Josserand (EPRC), Pétur Ingi Haraldsson (Nordregio), Laura Polverari (EPRC), Frank Buchholz (TU Berlin and Nordregio) and Malin Hansen (Nordregio) supported by John Bachtler (director of EPRC) and Hallgeir Aalbu (director of Nordregio). Chris Smith language edited the report. Nordregio and EPRC Stockholm and Glasgow, November 2003. 3 Table of Contents SUMMARY...................................................................................................................7 PART A - INTRODUCTION......................................................................................11 1 Project objectives..................................................................................................11 1.1 Context.........................................................................................................11 1.2 Aim and task of the project..........................................................................12 2 Methodology.........................................................................................................14 2.1 Screening and reviewing of all 79 Projects..................................................14 2.2 In-depth analysis of selected Nordic-Scottish projects................................15 2.3 Reporting......................................................................................................16 PART B – CONTEXT.................................................................................................17 3 The Evolution of Nordic-Scottish Co-operation...................................................17 3.1 Background to the Co-operation..................................................................17 3.2 Ackergill: the launch of Nordic-Scottish Cooperation ................................17 3.3 Copenhagen-Kittilä-Copenhagen.................................................................18 3.4 Copenhagen to Oslo.....................................................................................20 3.5 From Skibo 2000 to Örnsköldsvik 2003: a new phase ................................20 4 EU Programmes for Trans-National Co-operation...............................................24 4.1 Policy background – Interrreg IIC ...............................................................24 4.2 Programmes covering Nordic-Scottish co-operation...................................27 4.3 Typical achievements...................................................................................28 5 Learning in Trans-national Projects......................................................................31 5.1 Different dimensions of learning .................................................................32 5.2 Trans-nationality and lesson-drawing..........................................................33 5.3 Learning in Nordic-Scottish co-operation projects......................................34 PART C – Trans-National Nordic-Scottish Co-operation ...........................................36 6 Overview of the Project themes (WHAT) ............................................................37 6.1 New or improved methods and techniques – private business development .....................................................................................................................41 6.2 New or improved methods and techniques – Improving public service and infrastructure management ..........................................................................43 6.3 Sustaining and utilising natural, cultural and social resources ....................47 6.4 Analysing spatial characteristics – the development and transfer of new knowledge ...................................................................................................51 6.5 Project outputs .............................................................................................54 6.6 Modes and geographies of co-operation ......................................................55 6.7 Between joint and common challenges and action......................................58 7 Co-operation and Learning in Nordic-Scottish Projects (HOW)..........................60 7.1 Learning in trans-national co-operation.......................................................60 7.2 Learning in interdisciplinary co-operation...................................................67 7.3 Importance of partnerships in learning processes........................................69 8 Benefits and Lessons to be Learned (CHANGES)...............................................70 8.1 Subtle impacts and benefits of Nordic-Scottish co-operation......................70 8.2 Lessons to be learned...................................................................................73 8.3 Policy Recommendations.............................................................................75 PART D – BACKGROUND MATERIALS ...............................................................79 9 Literature...............................................................................................................79 10 Project documentation and fieldwork...................................................................81 11 Interreg IIC NSR and Article 10 Northern Periphery Programme projects..........86 5 SUMMARY Trans-national Nordic-Scottish Co-operation: Lessons for Policy and Practice Trans-national and inter-regional co-operation between the Nordic Countries and Scotland has been an active policy area for almost a decade. With the growing interest in trans-national co-operation in an increasingly integrated EU, this is an opportune time to reflect on the experiences of recent co-operation programmes. By looking at project co-operation carried out under the Article 10 programme Northern Periphery and the Interreg IIC North Sea Programme, this study provides insights into the lessons learned by regions and other partners in trans-national and inter-regional co- operation projects in the field of spatial planning and regional development. This study is not to be understood as an evaluation of the programmes or projects discussed, but as a thematic study focusing on the learning aspect in trans-national co- operation. This study reflects on the process of learning which is integral to effective co- operation, in order to investigate the nature of the tacit knowledge and experience of project participants, and to make it usable for future co-operation projects and policy making. Projects funded under the Interreg IIC North Sea and the Article 10 Northern Periphery programmes have made a substantive and meaningful contribution to the topics for Nordic Scottish co-operation although they were not designed specifically to serve the policy aims for Nordic-Scottish co-operation and trans-national