THE KOLARCTIC CBC Programme 2014-2020 - DRAFT January 2015
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THE KOLARCTIC CBC
Programme
2014-2020
DRAFT January 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... 3
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAMME.................................................................................. 5
2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROGRAMME AREA ........................................................................ 18
2.1 Core regions .......................................................................................................................... 18
2.2 Adjoining regions .................................................................................................................. 27
2.3 Major socal, economic or cultural centres and regions outside of the programme
region ............................................................................................................................................ 28
2.4 Map of the programme area ............................................................................................... 28
3. PROGRAMME’S STRATEGY .................................................................................................... 29
3.1 Description of the programme strategy ............................................................................. 29
3.2 Justification for the chosen strategy .................................................................................. 29
3.3 A description of objectively verifiable indicators .............................................................. 38
3.4 Description of ways to mainstream the cross-cutting issues, where relevant ............ 39
4. STRUCTURES AND DESIGNATION OF COMPETENT AUTHORITIES AND
MANAGEMENT BODIES ............................................................................................................... 40
4.1 The composition of the competent authorities and management bodies .................... 40
4.2 The Managing Authority and its designation process ..................................................... 40
4.3 National authorities of all participating countries, in particular, the authority in each
participating country, and where relevant support structures .............................................. 41
4.4 The procedure for setting up Branch offices/ the Joint Technical Secretariats .......... 42
4.5 The audit authority and the members of the group of auditors ..................................... 42
4.6 The body or bodies designated as control contact points in all participating countries
and its/ their tasks ....................................................................................................................... 45
5. PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION ......................................................................................... 46
5.1 A summary description of the management and control systems ................................ 46
5.2 A timetable for programme implementation ..................................................................... 46
5.3 A description of project selection procedures .................................................................. 46
5.4 A description of types of support per priority, including a list of projects to be
selected through direct award procedure, or contributions to financial instruments. Also,
an indicative timetable for the selection of projects to be financed shall be included. ..... 48
5.5 A description of planned use of technical assistance, and applicable contract award
procedures.................................................................................................................................... 48
5.6 A description of the monitoring and evaluation systems, together with an indicative
monitoring and evaluation plan for the whole duration of the programme ......................... 49
5.7 The communication strategy for the whole programme period and an indicative
information and communication plan for the first year .......................................................... 49
5.8 Information on fulfilment of regulatory requirements laid down in Directive
2001/42/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 of June 2001 on the
assessment of the effects of certain plans and programmes on the environment ........... 52
5.9 An indicative financial plan containing two tables (without any division per
participating country): ................................................................................................................. 54
5.10 Rules on eligibility of expenditure .................................................................................... 54
5.11 The apportionment of liabilities among the participating countries ............................ 56
5.12 The rules of transfer, use and monitoring of co-financing............................................ 56
5.13 A description of IT systems for the reporting and exchange of computerised data
between the Managing Authority and the Commission ......................................................... 58
5.14 Languages adopted by the programme .......................................................................... 58
2
SUMMARY
The Kolarctic Cross Border Cooperation 2014-2020 Programme continues and strengthens cr oss-
border cooperation between the countries in the North Calotte and north west Russia (see map on
page 28). T he Programme is mainly built on t he experien ces gained in long-term cooperation
between the participating countries. Cooperation has been based on both bilateral agreements and
on multilateral Programmes. The Programme is co-fund ed by the European Union from the
European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI CBC), Finland, Norway, Russia and Sweden. Each with
their national and regional financing. Funding shall be granted to joint projects operating in line with
the strategy and priorities jointly agreed by the Finnish, Swedish, Norwegian and Russian partners.
The overall aim of the Programme i s to promote viable economy and a ttractiveness of the region,
where inhabitants and visitors are enjoying the arctic nature and where the natural r esources are
used in a sustainable way.
In order to achieve the o verall aim, t he programme is divided into two priority axes t hat recognize
regional strengths and problems. These priority axes are:
1. Viability of Arctic economy, nature and environment
2. Fluent mobility of people, goods and knowledge
The priority axes form t he framework for the Progr amme and project activities and they are based
on three str ategic obje ctives, which the Programming doc ument 2014-2020 lists f or ENI Cro ss
Border Cooperation. These strategic objectives are: A. promote economic and social development
in regions on both sides of common borders, B. addre ss common challenges in environ ment,
public hea lth, safety an d security, C. promote better conditions and m odalities for facilitating t he
mobility of persons, goods and capital.
The priority axes are also based on the guidelines for actio ns stipulated in the Concept of Cross-
Border Coo peration of the Russian Federation. These guidelines are: a) cooperation in cross-
border trade; b) coopera tion in investment projects; c) co operation in tr ansport and logistics and
communication; d) cooperation in sustainable e xploitation of natural resources and environment al
protection; e) cooperation in law-e nforcement; f) cooperation in regulating migration and labour
market; g) cooperation in science and research and people-to-people contacts.
The Programme will contribute to t he needs of the Programme area i dentified in t he priority axes
by supporting projects under following thematic objectives:
1. Business and SME development
2. Environmental protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation
3. Improvement of accessibility to the regions, development of sustainable and climate-proof
transport and communication networks and systems
4. Promotion of border management and border security, mobility and migration management
Promotion of local cross-border people to people actions and support to education, research,
technological development and inn ovation are consi dered as horizont al modalities. Cross-cutting
issues, in p articular environmental sustainability and gender equality will be promoted throughou t
the Programme implementation.
The fundamental requirement for actions to be financed is the added cbc value of t he Programme
when compared to national strategies and supp ort within the Programme area. The common focus
of any action carried out with the support of the Kolarctic CBC Programme is on internationalisation
3and cross border cooperation within the implementat ion of the priority axes. T he strategically
important themes for ea ch year as well as project selecti on criteria will be reflecte d in the annual
plans and guidelines f or calls for proposals. The annual plans sha ll also spe cify the financing
resources available for each call for proposals.
41. INTRODUCTION TO THE PROGRAMME
The Kolarctic Cross Border Cooperation 2014-2020 Programme co mplements national cro ss-
border activities by focusing on cooperation between the European Union Member States (Finland
and Sweden) and Norway and Ru ssia. Within the Kolarctic Cross Bord er Cooperation 2014-202 0
Programme context, Norway parti cipates as an EEA an d Schengen country an d has an equal
status with the EU Member States o f Finland and Sweden. The CBC is a practical implementation
of the strat egic partner ship betwee n the European Union and the R ussian Fed eration, as the
Russian Federation and the EU member-states have a large boundary.
The new Kolarctic CBC Programme contributes to fu lfilling the objectives of t he EU-Russia
1
Common Spaces , the objectives of the Northern Dimension and the Kirkenes Declaration of 1993,
which the Barents co- operationis based on. During the summit on the occa sion of the 2 0th
anniversary in June 2013, a new declaration was signed by the pri me ministers of the Barents
Region. The new declaration will form the framework for the future co-operation.
The Kolarctic CBC Programme 2014-2020 has been drawn up for the EU part in a legal framework
of
Commission Implementing Regulation (EC) No 897/2014 of 18 August 2014 laying down
implementing rules for cross-border cooperation programmes (CBC IR)
Regulation (EC) No 232/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 1 1 March
2014 (ENI Regulation)
Council Reg ulation (EC, Euratom) No 966/2012 on the Financial Reg ulation app licable to
the general budget of the European Communities
CBC Strategy/Programming document 2014-2020, with indicative programme 2014-2017.
The Kolarctic CBC Pro gramme 20 14-2020 for the Russia n part has been drawn up in a le gal
framework of
the Concept for the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation
the Strategy of the Social and Economic Development of the North-West Region of the
Russian Federation till 2020
the Strategy for the Development of the Arctic Zone of the Russian Federation and
Safeguarding of the National Security for the period till 2020
Federal law on procurement
Tax Code of the Russian Federation
Relative decree of the President of the Russian Federation and the Russian Government
As it is highlighted in the CBC Programming Document, Cross-border cooperation on the external
borders of the EU is a key priority both in the European Neighbourhoo d Policy and in the EU’s
strategic partnership with Russia.
As for the Russian side, according to the Concept for the Foreign Policy of the Russian Federation
the development of the regional and cross-border co-operation is an im portant reserve of bilatera l
relations wit h the releva nt countries and regions in comme rcial and economic, humanitarian and
other fields. The Cross-border co-operation is important f or strengthening of trust and mutu al
understanding between the Russian Federation and the European Union.
Cross-border cooperation is orient ed on principles su ch as multi-annual programming, equ al
partnership and co-financing. Furthermore, the Programme is based on the experiences and b est
practices g ained durin g the implementation of its pr edecessors, Kolarctic Neighbourhood
Programme during the 2004-2006 and Kolarctic ENPI CBC Progra mme 2007-2013. As in the
1
http://eeas.europa.eu/russia/common_spaces/index_en.htm
5previous programmes, Norway is contributing na tional funding equal to t he community funding for
Norwegian project activities.
In establishing the present cross-border cooperation, the programme partners from all participating
countries have reached common agreement on the joint ma nagement structures, the objectives to
be pursued and the activities to be funded. The preparation of the programme is p erceived as a
mutual undertaking in t hat the part icipating co untries jo intly submit the proposal for a common
programme to be ado pted by the national governments of the p articipating states and the
European Commission.
Programming process has been carried out in accordan ce with the guidance provided by the
INTERACT and the EC, and in active cooperation with the Joint Programming Committee (JPC),
represented by national and regional memb ers from each particip ating count ry. The Join t
Managing Authority of the Kolarctic ENPI CBC 2007-2013 programme and its Bra nch offices in
Norway, Russia and Sweden have gathered and analysed information based on consultations wit h
regional and national authorities, pub lic and private organizations and other relevant stakeholders.
Strength, Weaknesse s, Opportunities, Thre ats (SWOT) -analysis has been produced in
cooperation and with active involvement of the Joint Programming Committee members.
The basis o f the joint cross-border developmen t strategy of the Kolarctic CBC Programme is the
geographical position o f the programme area and well-established cooperation between the
regions. The programme strategy responds to t he development needs and opportunities ident ified
in the SWOT analysis o f the programme area, as well as in the consultations with the regional and
national stakeholders. Compatibility with other programmes and relevant objectives included in the
Regional St rategic Prog rammes of the particip ating region s have bee n taken into account. T he
programme strategy goals shall be r ealised by implementing joint activities within four (4) selected
thematic objectives and two (2) priority axes. Joi nt vision, derived from t he programme strategy, is
as follows: t he Kolarctic CBC Programme area is f lourishing, environmentally-friendly area with
viable econ omy, fluent mobility of people, ide as and tech nologies, an d where people to peo ple
cooperation is an essential value.
Coherence with Barents Working Groups action plans, as well as Arctic Strategies of the European
Union and the participating countries has been t aken into account while preparing the Programme
content and priority axes. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) was developed in dialogue
between external environmental experts, the Joint Managing Authority, the Joint Programming
Committee and the wider audience via public hearings and consultation events, arranged in each
country. In addition to the public hearings and consultations, th e draft Joint Operational
Programme (JOP) and the SEA were published on th e website www.kolarcticenpi.info, which
facilitated fl uent accessibility to the draft docu ments from the whole programme a rea. Feedback
from public hearings and consultations, as well as comments received via internet have been taken
into account and reflected in the final Joint Operational Programme.
Experiences from previous CBC Programmes
EU CBC programmes have been carried out jointly between the regions of nort hern Finlan d,
Sweden, Norway and northwest Russia since 1996. In the programming period 2007-2013 the
cooperation was based on the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), which
allowed regional administration of the EU neighbourhood policy implementation. Experience has
also been g ained from t he implementation of the European Territorial Programmes and from an
older instrument, Tacis. The Barent s II A Programme was i mplemented in 1996-1999 with a to tal
funding of € 36 million and Kolarctic 2000-2006, a s ubprogramme of INTERREG III A North, was
carried out with funding amounting to € 61.5 million. The INTERREG III A North 2000-2004
Programme consisted of three subprogrammes; Kolarctic, North Calotte and Sápmi.
Kolarctic ENPI CBC Programme 2007-2013 was implemented in the f ramework of the European
Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument and on the basis of the Fina ncing Agreement between
the Govern ment of the Russian F ederation a nd the European Community on Financing a nd
6Implementing the Cross Border Cooperation Pr ogramme “Kolarctic” o f 18 November 2009. Even
though the launch of the ENPI programmes was ser iously dela yed from t he start of the
programming period, implementation of the pr ogramme was su ccessful and t he opportunities it
gave to the beneficiar ies were well taken into use. The tot al budget of the Kolarctic ENPI CBC
Programme 2007-2013 with the extended programme implementation period until the end of 2015,
was € 95.0 62.241. Tot al amount of financed p rojects was 51, of which three were regarded as
“Large scale projects” with a different application procedure.
Experiences gained during the implementation of the Kolarctic ENPI CBC 2007-2013 Programme
are to be used for the benefit of the Kolarctic CBC Programme 2014-2020 in full. R esults and best
practices of the Kolarctic ENPI CBC 2007-2013 Programme are capi talized via capacity building
events and trainings for project and programme stakeholde rs and potential applica nts, and thus
sustainability of the e xpertise in cro ss-border co-operation shall be ensured within the programme
area for the new programme period 2014-2020.
Compatibility with other programmes and policies
Compatibility with existing strategies and policies is of high value to the Kolarctic CBC Programme.
Information exchange and awareness of activities supp orted under other initia tives shall be
ensured in order to avoid overlapping.
European Commission guidelines f or enabling synergies between the European Union fund ed
programmes (2014) shall be taken into notice within the framewo rk of the programme. The
guidelines is mainly targeted to European Structural and I nvestment Funds, Horizon 2020 a nd
other resea rch, innovation and co mpetitiveness-related Union programmes, but the ideolo gy is
adaptable also to other programmes2.
Europe 20203 is the European Union’s ten-year growth and jobs strategy that was launched in
2010. It is about more than just overcoming the crisis from which our economies are now gradually
recovering. It is also a bout addressing the shortcomings of our growth model and creating the
conditions for a smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
Five headline targets have been se t for the EU to achiev e by the e nd of 2020. These cover
employment; research a nd development; climate/ energy; education; so cial in clusion and povert y
reduction.
The objectives of the strategy are also supported by seven ‘flag ship in itiatives’ providin g a
framework through which the EU a nd national authorities mutually reinforce their efforts in ar eas
supporting the Europe 2020 priorities such as innovation, the digital economy, employment, youth,
industrial policy, poverty, and resource efficiency.
The EU Sustainable Development Strategy (SDS)4 sets out a single, coherent strategy on how
the EU will more effectively live up to its l ong-standing co mmitment to meet the challenges of
sustainable development. It recogn ises the nee d to gradua lly change our current unsustainable
consumption and production patte rns and mo ve towards a better integrated approach to policy-
making. It r eaffirms the need for global solidarity and recognises th e importance of strengthe ning
our work with partners outside the EU, including those rapidly developing countries which will have
a significant impact on global sustainable development.
Strategic partnership between with Russia and the EU5
2
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/guides/synergy/synergies_en.pdf
3
http://ec.europa.eu/europe2020/europe-2020-in-a-nutshell/index_en.htm
4
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/eussd/
5
http://eeas.europa.eu/russia/
7The current legal ba sis for EU-Russia cooperation is the 1994 Part nership and Cooperation
Agreement. In 2005 Russia and EU launched the imple mentation of road-map s on four the
Common Spaces (Eco nomic; Freedom, Security and Ju stice; External Security, including crisis
management and non-proliferation; Research and Education, includin g cultural aspects). Th e
Partnership for Modernization, established in 2010, has become a focal point for practical
cooperation in various relevant areas.
Russia is th e EU’s third biggest tra ding partner. The EU is Russia’s single most important trading
partner.
The EU and Russia coo perate on a number of challenges of bilateral and internat ional con cern,
including climate change, drug and human trafficking, org anized cr ime, counter-t errorism, non-
proliferation, the Middle East peace process, and Iran.
In the cont ext of diverging views on the 2014 crisis in Ukraine most Russia-E U cooperatio n
programmes have been suspende d on the initiative of the EU. Under these circumstances cross-
border coo peration re mains a ke y instrument for restor ation of mutual trust and cooperat ion
between Russia and the EU.
Relationship between Norway and the EU6
Norway joined the EEA (European Economic Area) in 1994. The EEA Agreeme nt covers most
aspects of its relations with the EU including: the EU single market – all relevant laws, except those
dealing with agriculture and fisheries, apply to Norway, EU Agencies a nd programmes – Norway
participates in a number of them, albeit with no voting rights, socia l & economic cohesion in t he
EU/EEA – Norway con tributes financially, regular political dialogue on foreign policy issues at
ministerial and expert level.
Norway is an asso ciate member of Europe's b order-free Schengen ar ea and fully participa tes in
the Dublin system for dealing with asylum claims.
Northern Dimension7
The Northern Dimension (ND) is a j oint policy between EU, Russia, Norway and Ice land, in which
Belarus participates in p ractical cooperation activities. Other actors such as International Financial
Institutions, regional co uncils, universities and research centers also participate in the North ern
Dimension.
The policy aims at pro viding a fra mework to promote dia logue and concrete equal cooperation;
strengthen stability an d intensifie d economic cooperatio n and promote economic integration,
competitiveness and su stainable development in Northern Europe. Cross-border cooperation is a
cross-cutting theme producing added value at the sub-regional and transnational level. To facilitate
ND project implementation, four Pa rtnerships h ave been e stablished t o deal with the following
thematic issues: environment, public health a nd social w ell-being, tr ansport and logistics a nd
culture.
Barents Euro-Arctic Cooperation
Cooperation in the Bar ents Euro-Arctic Regi on (BEAR) was launched in 1993 when Denmark,
Finland, Iceland, Norwa y, Russia, Sweden an d the Europ ean Commi ssion signe d the Kirkenes
Declaration establishing the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) at a Foreign Minister’s
Conference in Kirkene s, Norway. At the same time the Barents regions’ county governors an d
representatives of indig enous peop les sign ed a cooperation protocol establishin g the Barents
Regional Council (BRC). The Barents cooperation was thus launched at two levels:
6
http://eeas.europa.eu/norway/index_en.htm
7
http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=15579&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
8BEAC is a forum for intergovernmental cooperation while the BR C is aimed at cooper ation
between the 13 regions of the Member States. The Indigen ous Peoples have an advisory role in
relation to t he both Councils. The interregional cross-bord er cooperation and the status of the
indigenous peoples ar e also feat ures makin g the Bare nts cooper ation uniqu e in a glo bal
perspective.8
The overriding goal of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) is to promot e stability and
sustainable developmen t in the Barents region, i.e. in the Northern parts of Finla nd, Norway,
Russia and Sweden. Other members of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council are Denma rk, Iceland and
the EU.9
The Chairmanship of B EAC rotate s every second year between Finland, Norwa y, Russia and
Sweden. Norway and the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten from Sweden held th e
chairmanships in 2011-2013. In October 2013 t he chairmanships were taken over b y Finland a nd
the Arkhangelsk region of Russia.
The Finnish chairmanship will pur sue su stainable development in th e Barents r egion with t he
following priorities: e conomic coope ration, incl . transport an d logist ics; environment and climate
change; youth.
The main priorities o f the Arkh angelsk B RC chairmanship are industrial and business
development; multimoda l transport; t echnological innovations; creation of a high-tech knowledge-
intensive cluster; envir onment-related activitie s in all sph eres of th e Barents coo peration; youth
competence; cross-border health cooperation; projects on culture and sports.
Barents International Secretariat (IBS)
Agreement on the Establishment of an International Barents Secretaria t (IBS) was signed at th e
11th BEAC Ministerial session on 15 Nove mber 2007 in Rovaniemi, Finland. The IBS is aimed at
increasing and securing coherence and efficiency of the Barents coope ration as we ll as assist ing
8
http://www.barentsinfo.fi/beac/docs/Barents_Cooperation_information_English_October_2013.pdf
9
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland:
http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?contentid=288689&nodeid=48044&contentlan=2&culture=en-US
9the biennial rotation of governmental and regi onal Chairs in their ta sks and gu aranteeing t he
seamless continuity of the coope ration.10 The Barents In ternational Secretariat is lo cated in
Kirkenes, Norway.
Barents working groups and activities11
The Barents cooperation has working groups on both national and regional level on different policy
areas. The Ministries of the me mber state that holds the Chairmanship in the Bare nts Euro-Arctic
Council may also chair most of the Barents Euro-Arctic Working groups on the national level. The
county that holds the Chairmanship in the Regional Council chairs the Barents Regional working
groups on t he regional level. The working gr oups at th e national a nd regional levels are in
continuous cooperation.
Barents Euro-Arctic Council working groups:
Working Group on Economic Cooperation (WGEC) seeks t o promote economic development of
the Barents Region through co-operation between the coun tries involved. The WGEC also ma kes
efforts to make the economic potential of the Barents Region better known in Europe and the world
and to facilit ate trade in general. Barents Forest Sector Network is a sub group of the WGEC and
the main objectives of the BFSTF are to cre ate necessary conditions for the development of
forestry, environmental care, and wood-based industries t hrough co-operation, mutual concr ete
actions, projects and programmes within the forest sector of the Barents Region.
Working Group on Environment (WGE) seeks to promote sustainable and environmentally sound
development of the sen sitive Barents region. A cknowledging that climate change, pressure on
natural resources, incr eased environmental ri sks, pollut ion of the environment and loss of
biodiversity are the major environmental chal lenges in th e Barents reg ion, the WG E will cont inue
its efforts u nder its thematic Subgroup on Nat ure Protection, Subgroup on Hot Spots Exclusion,
Subgroup on Water Issues and Su bgroup on Cleaner Pro duction and Environ mentally Soun d
Consumption. Special attention is paid to clim ate issues and implement ation of the BEAC Action
Plan on Climate Change for the Barents Region.
Steering Committee for the Barents Euro-Arctic Transport Area (BEATA) aims to strengthen co-
operation in order to create an efficient transport sy stem in t he Barents Region that integrates th e
different means of tra nsport. The co-operati on includes border cro ssing points, cu stoms co-
operation, maintenance and recon struction as well as ne w projects t o improve the infrastru cture.
Joint Committee on Rescue Cooperation (JCRC) seeks to improve the possibilities for the rescue
services a gencies to co-operat e on emergency and rescue issues acro ss county and
national/federal borders in the Barents Region. Focus is on day-to-day basic emergency situations,
such as traffic accidents, forest fires, tourism related accidents, fires in open cabins, floods and ice
plugs, and industrial and chemical accidents. A Barents Joint Rescue Manual has been developed
for use in emergency situations.
Working gro up on custo ms aims to information exchange and simplifying of custo m procedures.
The group has been frozen since March 2014.
Joint Barents Euro-Arctic Council - Barents Regional Council working groups:
Joint Working Group on Health and Related Social Issues (JWGHS) aims to improve public health
and social well-being of the people in the Barents Region. The JWGHS works closely with format s
and organizations such as the Northern Dimen sion Partnership in Public Health and Social Well-
being (NDPHS) and the World Health Organisation (WHO). The JWGHS prepares its own health
and social programme for 4 years at a time. The current programme covers the period 2012-
10
http://www.beac.st/in-English/Barents-Euro-Arctic-Council/Contacts/International-Barents-Secretariat
11
http://www.beac.st/in-English/Barents-Euro-Arctic-Council/Working-Groups
102015. The scope and priorities of the programme are prevention and control of communicable an d
non-communicable dise ases, reduction of life style-related risk fa ctors t o improve h ealth and th e
social situat ion of the population, d evelopment of primary health care, public health and so cial
services.
Joint Working Group o n Education and Rese arch (JWGER) aims to further strengthen cross-
border cooperation in th e fields o f education, research and innovation with the prio ritized tasks of
enhancing academic e xchanges a nd a broa der range of international study programmes,
developing partnership with busine ss and indu stries and a chieving synergy with other networks
and cooper ation formats like University of the Arctic, the Northern Dimension Institute, the A rctic
Council, Nordic Council of Ministers and others.
Joint Working Group on Energy (JWGE) aims to promote sustainab le exploitation , production,
transmission and use of energy in the Barents Region. Special priorities are for example promotion
of the activities of the Barents Energy Focal Points, improvements i n the efficie ncy of energ y
production, distribution and consumption in the Barents Region, promotion of the u se of bioenergy
in northwest Russia.
Joint Working Group on Culture (JWGC) seeks to strengthen Barents cult ural identit ies,
multicultural dialogue a nd cultural ties between the countries and the regions. JWGC encourages
new networks, excha nge of be st practices and infor mation on cultural cooperation. T he
development of cultural life serves the social and economic development in the Barents Region.
Joint Working Group on Tourism (JWGT) aims to develop t ourism business in the Barents Region
and to promote ecologically, socially and cultura lly susta inable tourism. This means promoting
multilateral co-operation and joint projects, ne tworking and exchanging information and best
practices. Special priorities are, for example to promote the entrepreneurship and employment in
the field of tourism in order to increase tourism revenue, to promote development and realization of
cross-border tourist projects, to improve pre conditions f or tourism developmen t by impro ving
accessibility developing all year round tourism and developing border crossing f ormalities, t o
maintain the unique tourism attractio ns by promoting the su stainable tourism development and b y
adapting to the challenges caused by the climate change.
Joint Working Group on Youth (JWGY) aims to increase child and yo uth participation in decision
making, mo bility and cooperation across the borders, co operation in the field of educatio n,
innovation and entrepreneurship, people to people cooperation through exchange s of child and
youth groups. To strengthen the youth cooper ation in the Barents Region and e mpower you ng
generation t o participat e more actively in the Barents regional develo pment, Barents Region al
Youth Council (BRYC) was established in 20 04. BRYC consist of 14 members representing
the youth from each county, region, republic, okrug in the Barents region and the indigenous youth.
Barents Youth Co-operation Office ( BYCO) was established with the aim to provide information for
youth groups, organisations and net works about national and international financial resources f or
projects, possible partners and ongoing youth projects and meetings in the Barents Region.
Barents Regional Council working groups:
Regional Working Group on En vironment (RWGE) acts as a network f or environmental authorities
in the Baren ts region and ensures t hat environmental issues in the re gion are continuously taken
into consideration and given priority on the national and international levels. RWGE promotes local
and regiona l competence to enga ge in envir onmental work on the international level and to
improve the exchange of information and kno w-how between the diff erent regio ns by proje ct
implementation. For the next few years RWGE focuses on two maj or area; water quality and
biodiversity in the Barents Region. Efforts to improve the environme ntal situatio n in the are a
around the Pechenganikel industrial complex are also addressed in the framework of the RWGE.
Regional Working Group on Transp ort and Logistics (RWGTL) has during the perio d of 2003-2007
practically been replace d by the Sustainable Transport in the Barents Region (STBR) proj ect.
11County administrative b oard of Norrbotten has been the le ad partner. STBR is a common inte rest
for the EU/ministry and the regional level. As ag reed between this levels STBR have been the tool
very much t aking care of the practical transpor t cooperatio n in the Barents region. The partners
have agreed to contin ue the coo peration organized in the same way. The p artners are now
working on the "Barents Freeway" project, which has prepared a common Regional Transport Plan
for the Barents Region.
Regional Working Group on Invest ments and Economic Coperation (RWGIEC) aims to de velop a
multilateral cooperation and busine ss climate among the member regions that is pr oductive and
progressive for the SMEs.
Indigenous People
Working Group of Indig enous Peoples (WGIP) consists of representatives of the Sa mi, the Nenets
and the Vep sian peoples. The overall goal for the indigeno us peoples’ cooperation in the Barents
Region is to secure indigenous peoples’ rights, foundation for trade, society, culture and language.
The indigen ous people s’ cooperation shall co ntribute to friendship a nd cooperat ion based on
equality, co- existence a nd tolerance between t he peoples of the regio n. In the lig ht of Nenet s,
Saami and Veps’ statu s as indige nous peoples of the n orth, the cooperation shall se cure solid
health- and living condition s, as well as cultural co ntinuity in the future.
Arctic Strategies of the participating countries
The Arctic has become during the last decade more and more interesting area and it has grown its
strategic importance for all the part icipating co untries a s well as for the European Union. Vast
natural resources and possibi lities to use N orthern Sea Route in the future will open n ew
opportunities for the global markets and industries of all the participating countries.
Finland’s St rategy for th e Arctic Region highlig hts the increased signif icance of th e region and a
growing perception of the whole Finland as an Arctic country. Finland possesse s diversified Arctic
expertise and it is very much in Finland´s intere sts to be involved in the development of the region.
The new strategy for the Arctic region is based on f our pillars of policy , in particula r consisting of
the followin g: an Arctic country, Arctic exper tise, Sustain able development and environment al
considerations and Inter national cooperation. These four pillars define F inland’s role in the Arctic
region. It is essential for Finland to promote growth and actions to enha nce competitiveness in t he
region with due regard to its enviro nment. Part icular focus is on the environmental objective s,
which are also the key elements and reflectio ns in the promotion of the economic activity an d
cooperation. To ensure sustainable use of natural resources is cross cut ting issue th roughout the
strategy. Comparability of the Arctic strategy of Finland to the Kolarctic CBC objectives is shown in
figure 1 mind map (separate annex 1).
The Arctic Strategy of Norway called “The strategy of the High North” is based in to the assumption
that government of the Norway is seeing the most rapid de velopments in the future happening in
the north and its immediate neighbourhood. The Norway Government’s strategy for the High North
consists of t hree main pillars, i n particular knowledge, activity and presence. The str ategy aims to
develop Norway to be a leader in the field of knowledge in and about the High North. Knowledge is
seen to be the core of the whole policy. The activity prefers the ambition to be at lead in the key
areas of economic activity and to be expert of t he environment and natural resources in the north.
This requir es clo se cooperation between national, regio nal and local authoritie s, as well as
businesses and relevan t research communities. The presence is more related to internal visibilit y
in the territo ry and the sea areas of the Norway. Co mparability of the Arctic strategy of Norway to
the Kolarctic CBC objectives is shown in figure 2 mind map. (Annex 2)
The Russian Federation is an owner of the largest part of the Arctic sp ace and in practise 1/3 of its
land, 9 milli on km2, belongs to the northern territories. Th e Strategy for the Deve lopment of the
Arctic zo ne of the Russian Federation for the p eriod up to the 2020 w as sign ed o n the 20th of
February 2013 by the President of the Russian Federation Mr. Vladimir Putin. A number of tasks of
the Strategy could be implement ed through cro ss-border co-operation, in particular social-
12economic development, development of science and technologies, international co-operation in the
Arctic zone. International co-operation includes among oth ers bilateral and multilateral interaction
with the Arctic sta tes with the aim of strengthening rela tions with t hem, promo ting econo mic,
scientific, cultural and cross-borde r co-operation. The str ategy identif ies key prio rities, pra ctices
and means to achieve the strategic objective s for the su stainable de velopment of the Russian
Arctic. Comparability of the Arctic strategy of Russia to the Kolarctic CBC objectives is shown in
figure 3 mind map. (Annex 3)
The purpose of the Arctic strategy of Sweden is to present what is the relationship with the Arctic,
together with the curren t priorities and future ou tlook. This is the fir st strategy the Govern ment of
Sweden ha s adopted on the Arctic as a whole . International perspective is a key element of t he
strategy. It points out three priority areas , namely climate and the environment, economic
development and the human dimens ion. The focus on climate and environment is on emphases of
the vulnerability of the Arctic regi on and that it is crucia l to make effort to acknowledge the
consequences. It is important to for eseen but a s well to strengthen the capacity for adaptation to
and recovery fro m the e ffects. Protection of the environment and sustain ing the biodiversity of th e
Arctic territ ory needs efforts. Research and knowledge based development in Sweden wit h
collaboration of the n eighbouring countries will be enh anced in t he future. The econo mic
development will be fast ening during the coming decades in the Arctic t erritory. Sweden wants to
promote de velopment, which is economically, soci ally and environme ntally sustainable. It will b e
important to maintain Sweden’s growth and competitiveness. Development of the free trade and
active effort s to co unter technical b arriers to tr ade in the Arctic regio n is there fore essential to
continue. Efforts shall b e put to ens ure that the anticipated use of natu ral resources arises in an
environmentally, economically and so cially sustainable way. Infrastructure for the busin ess
development has to be developed and supported involving t he cross border cooperation. It is also
important to sustain important traditi onal liveliho ods and life styles of the region. Comparability of
the Arctic strategy of Sweden to th e Kolarctic CBC objectives is shown in figure 4 mind map.
(Annex 4)
The Arctic Council12 is an intergovernmental forum for addressing many of the common concerns
and challenges faced by the Arctic states of Canada, Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe
Islands), Fin land, Icelan d, Norway, the Russian Federation, Sweden and the United States. The
Council is a unique forum for cooperation between national government s and indigenous peoples.
Six international organisations representing many Arctic indigenous communities have the statu s
of Permanent Participants of the Arctic Council.
Environmental monitoring and asse ssment are key elements of the Arctic Council’s agenda. Th e
approach of the Council encourages continuous dialogue among scientists, policy planners, Arctic
residents an d political le vel decisio n-makers. Environmental monitoring and asse ssment and the
impacts of climate change on the people living in the a rea are bas ed on the scientific work
conducted under the u mbrella of t he Council, which also t akes int o consideration the tradit ional
knowledge of indigenous peoples. To strengthen the Arctic Council an international secretariat has
been established in Tromsø, Norway.
To strengthen the Arctic Council, an international secretariat is established in Troms, Norway.
Bilateral cooperation agreements between regions in the North Calotte and Russia
Almost all participating r egions in the Programme area in Norway, Sweden, Finla nd and Rus sia
have a long tradition of agreements on cooperation directions, even specified into different sectors.
The cooperation between the constituents of t he Russian Federation and the Republic of F inland
has been implemented in accorda nce with the Constitution and the Legislation of the Russian
Federation as well as regulatory acts of the constituents of the Russian Federation. The analysis of
12
http://www.arctic-council.org/index.php/en/
13interregional relations between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Finland reports that the
most dynamic cooperation with the Republic of Finland have the following Russian constituents:
Republic of Karelia, Republic of Komi, Mari-El Republic, Vologda region, Leningrad region,
Murmansk region, Nizh ny Novgorod region, Rostov region, Samara re gion, Tver region, Yaroslav
region, the city of Moscow, the city of Saint-Petersburg, Khanty-Mansijsk Autonomous District and
Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous District13.
Agreement on cross-border cooperation between the Government of the Russian Federation and
the Govern ment of the Republic of Finland was signe d on June 25 th in 20 12. Accordingly,
agreement between the Government of the Komi Repu blic of the Russian Fe deration an d the
Regional Council of Lapland of the Republic of Finland was signed on October 10th in 2006.
In the Russian Feder ation coope ration agreements have also bee n conclude d between the
Administration of the Nenets Autonomous Okru g of the Russian Federa tion and Rogaland County
of the King dom of Norway on Se ptember 12 th 2009 and cooperation agreemen t between t he
Government of the Arkh angelsk Region of the Russian Federation, Troms Count y and Finnmark
County of the Kingdom of Norway o n September 16 th 2010. New Cooperation agreement between
the Govern ment of the Arkhangelsk region an d Troms County was signed on October 28 th 2 013
and new Cooperation agreement between the Go vernment of the Arkhangelsk region and
Finnmark County was signed on September 20 th 2013. Me morandum of cooperation between the
Government of the Murmansk Region and Finnmark County of the Kingdom of Norway was signed
on April 6th 2011.
The contractual basis o f the interre gional coop eration bet ween the Russian Fed eration and the
Kingdom of Norway has been const antly improvi ng. The Ag reement between the Government of
the Russian Federation and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway on simplification of
reciprocal travels of citizens was signed on No vember 2 nd 2010 and the Agreemen t between t he
Government of the Russian Federation and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway on Russian
– Norwegia n border crossing point Borisogleb sk – Storskug was signed on February 28 th 2011.
The treaty between the Kingdom of Norway and the Ru ssian Fed eration con cerning Maritime
Delimitation and Cooperation in the Barents Sea and the Arctic Ocean was signed on November
15th 2010.
Swedish-Russian neighbouring area cooperation is focu sed on Northwest Russia in particular t he
City of St Petersburg, the Leningrad Region and the Kaliningrad r egion. Important regions fo r
bilateral cooperation ar e Norrbotten and Väst erbotten in Sweden, Murmansk, Arkhangelsk and
Karelia in Russia. Most funding has been allocated to the environmental sector (waste water
treatment plants, energ y efficiency, nuclear safety and nuclear non-pro liferation), b ut also to th e
development of civic society, the social and health sect or, the judiciary and the cooperat ion
between NGO’s. In coming years funding will mainly be available for environmental, nuclear safety
and nuclear non- proliferation projects as well as to projects supportin g the devel opment of c ivil
society, i.a. in Northern Caucasus.
There is a solid contractual basis between the following countries: agreement on the establishment
of friendship city relationship betwee n the Murmansk Regio n of the Ru ssian Fed eration and th e
County of Norrbotten of Sweden from Septe mber 15 th 1988 and agreement on the establishm ent
of friendship city relationship betwee n the Murmansk Regio n of the Ru ssian Fed eration and th e
County of Oulu of Finland from November 12th 1993.
Twin city agreements are concluded between se veral cities of the progr amme area. For exampl e,
agreement on the esta blishment o f friendship city relatio nship betw een the cit y of Murmansk
(USSR) an d the city of Troms (The Kingdom of Norway) e xists since July 10th 1972, an d
agreement on the esta blishment of friendship city relation ship betwee n the city of Arkhangels k
13
Ministry of Regional Development of the Russian Federation, 2014
14(The Russia n Federatio n) and the city of Vardø (The King dom of Norway) since February 23rd
1989. City of Arkhangelsk and Troms have concl uded a n agreemen t on the establishment o f
friendship city relationship on July 7th 2011.
Neighbouring Area Cooperation between Finland and Russia 1992-2012
During the period 1992-2012, Finland and Russia had an agreement about cooperation activities in
Murmansk region, Repu blic of Karelia, St. Peter sburg and L eningrad region. During these years ,
Finland allo cated 330 Million Euros to coo peration projects withi n the framework of this
Neighbouring Area Cooperation. The Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finla nd was responsible for the
overall coordination of the financin g. Most of the projects were admi nistrated by the Finnish
ministries, b ut also NGO and SME projects r eceived fina ncial suppo rt. Accordin g to a neut ral
evaluation, this work ha s been exceptionally successf ul also seen fro m an international point of
view.
The countries decided to terminate this form of Neighbouring Area Cooperation in 2 012. That year,
Finland and Russia signed a new agreement about cro ss-border cooperation, which aim is
development of regions on both sides of the Finnish-Russian border, and which financing was
decided to be found from ENPI CBC, and, starting from year 2014, ENI CBC14.
Collaboration with other programmes and financing sources
Cooperation with other ongoing and future international and nationa l EU-funded or nationally
funded programmes is of high value to the Kolarctic CBC Programme. Close cooperation supports
in avoiding and it shall avoid overlapping and support th e activities of each Pro gramme more
effectively.
Karelia CBC Programme and South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programmes
Close coop eration with Karelia ENI CBC and South-East Finland – Russia CBC programme s is
essential while prepara tion of the p rogrammes, as well as during the p rogramme i mplementation
phase, since the same Commission Implemen ting Regulation (CBC IR) applies t o all ENI C BC
programmes. Accordin gly, the MA of the Kolarctic CB C, Karelia ENI CBC and SEFR CBC
programmes are located in Re gional Councils in Finland, which promotes synergies in
harmonization of administrational procedures.
Karelia CBC Programme area covers regions of Kainuu, North Karelia and Oulu in Finland and the
Republic of Karelia in Russia. The key objective of the programme is to … (To be completed after
JPC decisions.)
South-East Finland – Russia CBC Programme area in Finland encompasses three regions: South
Karelia, Kymenlaakso and South Savo. On t he Russian side, the eligible are a covers Saint
Petersburg and the surrounding Leningrad Region. The adjacent region s include U usimaa, Päijät-
Häme, North Savo and the Republic of Karelia. Programme priorities are... (To be completed after
JPC decisions.)
Interreg V A Nord comprises areas in northe rn Sweden, Finland an d Norway, i ncluding Sá pmi.
The programme consists of two subareas, i.e. t he North area and the Sápmi area. The North area
contain the County of Norrbotten and Skellefteå, Sorsele, Malå and Norsjö municipalities in th e
County of Västerbotten in Sweden, Lapland, and northern Ostrobothnia and central Ostrobothnia in
Finland, an d the Counties of Fin nmark, Troms and Nordland in Norway. The Sápmi subarea,
comprise the same area as the Nor th but also includes the Counties of Västerbotten and Jämtland
as well as parts of the County Dal arna (i.e. the area of the Sámi villa ge of Idre). In Norway the
Sápmi area also conta ins Nordlan d and Nor d- and Sör tröndelag a nd part of the Hedmark
14
http://formin.finland.fi/public/default.aspx?nodeid=48744&contentlan=1&culture=en-EN
15municipality. Sámpi is th us integrated in the who le North Pro gramme, but has also it s own unique
goals in some parts.
Activities implemented under the North Programme sh all con centrate to the development of
research, technological development and innovation, business and SME, environmental protection,
sustainable use of natural resource s and cultur al heritage and labour mobility. The activities i n
Kolarctic C BC Progra mme shall complement activities in the INTERREG V A North Programme
with the Russian dimension.
The Bothnia-Atlantica Programme15
Programme shall stren gthen the e ast-west dimension an d suppleme nt the long- term integration
and cooper ation within the Bothnia-Atlantica area in ord er to stren gthen growth and more
sustainable development. The Programme are a comprises regions fr om Finland, Sweden and
Norway (c entral Ostrobothnia, Satakunta and Ostrobothnia in Finland, th e provinces of
Västerbotten and Västernorrland and the mu nicipality of Nordanstig in Sweden and Nordl and
County in Norway). T he regions Southern Ostrobothnia in Finlan d and Gä vleborg (except
Nordanstig) in Sweden participate as adjacent areas in the programme.
The European Union Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR)16
The European Union Strategy for t he Baltic Sea Region is the first macro-regional strategy in
Europe. It aims at reinforcing co operation within this la rge region in order to face severa l
challenges by working together as well as promoting a more balance d development in the area.
The Strategy also contributes to major EU policies and reinforces the integration within the area.
The Strategy is divided into three objectives, which repre sent the three key challenges of t he
Strategy: saving the sea, connecting the region and increasing prosperity. Each objective relates to
a wide range of policies and has an impact on the other objectives.
The EU member states involved in the EUSBSR are Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,
Germany, L atvia, Lithuania and Poland. The Strategy is welcoming cooperation also with EU
neighbouring countries (Russia, Norway and Belarus).
The Northern Periphery and the Arctic Programme
The vision of the Nort hern Periph ery and Arctic (NPA) 2014-2020 programme is to gene rate
vibrant, competitive a nd sustaina ble commu nities by harnessing innovation, expanding the
capacity for entrepreneurship and seizing the unique growth initiatives and opportunities of the
Northern and Arctic regions in a resource efficient way.
The NPA 2 014-2020 Programme p romotes cooperation b etween the Member States of Finland,
Ireland, Sweden and the United Ki ngdom (Sco tland and Northern Ireland) and the non-me mber
areas of Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Norway. Thus, the NPA area en compasses the
Euro-Arctic zone, parts of the Atlantic zone and parts of the Barents region, and it is neighbourin g
on Canada in the West and Russia in the East.
The large NPA programme area sh ares a number of common feature s, such as low population
density, low accessibility, low econ omic diversity, abundant natural re sources, and high impact of
climate change. The increased interest and rapid developments in Arctic regions have resulted in a
more explicit recognition of the programme’s Arctic dimension in regional development.
The development needs and potentials of the NPA area will be addressed through 4 priority axes
which contribute to the programme’s vision: 1. using innovation to maintain and develop
15
http://www.botnia-atlantica.eu/default.asp?lid=1
16
http://www.balticsea-region-strategy.eu/about
16competitive communities; 2. promoting entrep reneurship t o realize th e potential of the area’s
competitive advantage; 3. fostering energy-secur e communi ties through promotion of renewable
energy and energy eff iciency; 4. protecting, promoting and developing cultura l and natur al
heritage. Th e sparsely populated communities of the NPA area are th e focus po int of all priority
axes.
INTERREG EUROPE
Altogether 28 the national EU member states, Norway and Switzerland participate into the
implementation of the p rogramme. The programme has a budget of €359 million ERDF for the
2014-2020 period. INTERREG EUROPE will work on the following four topics, all related to
Structural F und Programmes in Finland and Sweden that are develo ped to stre ngthen regional
development: 1) Resea rch, technological developm ent and innovation, 2) Co mpetitiveness of
SMEs, 3) Low carbon economy, 4) Environment and resource efficiency.
INTERREG EUROPE -Programme finances two actions:
a) Interregional Cooperation projects: partnerships coming from different countries in Europe work
together for 3 to 5 years to exchan ge their exp eriences on a particular policy issue. Each region
involved in the cooperati on project will produce a n Action Plan. This specifies what will be done in
the region t o ensure th at the le ssons learnt from the coop eration are put into a ction. Projects are
competitiveness and employment i n EU Member States. It is also aske d to monitor what happe ns
to the Action Plan, to see how well the cooperation has worked.
b) Policy Le arning Platforms: a spa ce for continuous learnin g where an y organization dealing with
regional de velopment policies in Europe can fi nd solutio ns to improve the wa y they mana ge
andpossible to implement their public policies in the four topics above.
National European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and European Social Fund (ESF)
programmes in Finland and Sweden that are part of th e European structural a nd investment
(ESI) funds and developed under the “Investment for Growth and Jobs” goal. International activities
are eligible also within these programmes.
In Finland t he Managing Authority of the pro gramme is the Ministry of Employment and the
Economy, b ut the role of intermediate body is shared with the regions. Main priorities in th e
programme (ERDF an d ESF funds) are 1) Enhancing the competitiveness of the SMEs, 2)
Strengthening research, technological development and in novation, 3) Promoting sustainable and
quality emp loyment an d supportin g labour mobility, 4) Investing in education, training and
vocational training for skills and lifelo ng learning, 5) Pro moting social inclusion, combating poverty
and any discrimination.
Regional Development Programmes in Finland
Regional Development Programmes are based on the Act on Reg ional Development of the
Regions and Administration of the Structural Funds Act in Finland (7 /2014). These Programmes
are defined in line with t he main objectives for t he development of each region. In Lapland a n ew
programme “Lapland Agreement” has been published in May 2014, the Agreement states the mo st
important guidelines fo r the devel opment in co ming four years. Lapland´s Smart Specialisa tion
Strategy, “Lapland’s Arctic Specialisation Programme”, and a long-term development strategy until
2040 are in the background of the Agreement. Regional Councils are in charge of preparing and
implementing these Programmes within their region.
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