The EU plays the central role at the Nordic Council's Session
The Nordic Region and the EU, expansion of Nordic co-operation to cover foreign and defence policies and growing youth unemployment are the central issues for the Nordic Council's Session 2009 which takes place in Stockholm 27-29 October.
The summit meeting between all the Nordic prime ministers and the leaders of the major opposition parties will set the tone for the annual session on Tuesday 27 October. The winners of the Nordic Council prizes for literature, music, film and nature and the environment will be honoured at a festive event in Kulturhuset that evening.
However, on Monday 26 October, before the session gets going in earnest, there will be a lunch debate on the dramatic increase in youth unemployment in the Nordic countries, and a high-level climate seminar at which, amongst others, Sweden's minister for the environment, Andreas Carlgren, will take part.
The debate on a deeper co-operation in foreign and defence policies with the participation of the Nordic foreign and defence ministers will open on Wednesday afternoon.
Trafficking in human beings, research, health, ministers for co-operation question time and the election of the new President of the Nordic Council are some of the topics coming up on Thursday, the last day of the Session.
The Nordic Council Session will gather the prime ministers, leaders of the opposition, a number of ministers and politicians from across the Nordic Region in the Swedish Parliament, Riksdagen.
Online accreditation for journalists will close on Friday 23 October at 14.00. If you want to be accredited after that please call Silje Bergum Kinsten on (+45) 21 71 71 56 or Karin Arvidsson (+45) 21 71 71 45, or contact registration in Riksdagen, entrance Riksplan 1.
