Nordic Region and the EU - a partnership with a future?
On 1 July Sweden takes over the Presidency of the EU and will steer the Union through heavy economic and political seas for the next six months. The financial crisis is putting pressure on the governments and the lack of clarity regarding the Lisbon Treaty is a strain on the actual foundation of co-operation between the countries. At the same time the European Parliament elections changed the political map at the parliamentary end of the common European spectrum. What kind of an EU is Sweden going to be President for? This month Analys Norden looks at this question and at the relationship between the EU and the Nordic countries.
- Photographer
- Magnus Fröderberg/norden.org
The EU divides the Nordic countries down the middle on an axis mid-way through Scandinavia with the North Atlantic on the one side and the Baltic Sea on the other.
Sweden, Denmark and Finland are on the team while Norway and Iceland, as well as the self-governing areas of the Faroe Islands and Greenland are on the outside.
By virtue of Nordic co-operation, amongst other things, the countries in the Nordic Council of Ministers also have an important role to play in the EU, certainly when it comes to the Baltic Sea co-operation and the Northern Dimension, including the Arctic co-operation with Northwest Russia.
But how do national interests and policies enter into it, and how does the EU landscape wind its way as seen from the individual Nordic countries?
There were gains for the EU sceptics in Finland and losses for the largest EU supporters in Denmark in the European Parliament election.
There were votes for movements with a single agenda like the Pirate Party in Sweden, which has no great vision for European co-operation beyond the wish for free access to digital products on the internet.
At the same time Iceland will face a referendum after many years’ debate on EU Membership. This situation has been precipitated by the economic crisis.
Norway is the only country to maintain its position outside the co-operation – a position that is however coloured by the fact that Norway is one of the countries in Europe that most frequently puts rules and regulations from Brussels onto the national Statute books.
The Nordic prime ministers have just held their summer meeting on Iceland where they expressed their support for a potential Icelandic application for EU membership.
But what kind of EU might Iceland become a member of?
And what influence do the Nordic countries and Nordic co-operation have in a changing EU?
These are some of the questions Analys Norden's national experts are looking at in this month's issue - from 29 June you can read more about the Nordic countries and the EU on Analys Norden.
