The Nordic Council

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About the Nordic Council Committees

Political co-operation in policy matters takes place mainly in the Nordic Council's five specialist committees and in its executive body - the Presidium.

All political policy matters except foreign and security policies, which are the responsibility of the Presidium, are dealt with in one of the five Nordic Council specialist committees.

Secretary General’s proposal for a resolution

A proposal presented by a member or a group of members is referred to the relevant committee for consideration. The committee may then, for example, choose to send the proposal for expert opinion to various authorities in the different countries, hold a hearing with experts or in some other way procure facts for or against the proposal.

The committee's proposal, in the form of a white paper, will be sent to the Nordic Council's executive body, the Presidium or to the two annual assemblies; the Theme Session and the Ordinary Session, for a decision on what recommendation should be made to the Nordic governments or the Nordic Council of Ministers in regard to the proposal.

Various forms of fact finding

A committee may also pursue fact finding to determine whether there are grounds to present the proposal on Nordic co-operative measures. The committees may set up temporary sub-committees or working groups for specific tasks. Some of the committee's members may obtain extra knowledge to determine whether the committee should proceed and attempt to draw up a proposal in the area. The sub-committee or working group may also be given the task of providing tangible proposals to the committee. Seminars and conferences are sometimes arranged by the committee to arouse opinion or participate in the debate on the approach to certain Nordic problems.

The committee meetings are not public

The Nordic Council Committees have 13-15 members including the chair and vice-chair. The committee meetings are not public. The committee meetings are not public. Conferences and seminars are, however, often open to other people apart from the members and specially invited guests.

National and international contacts

The Nordic Council's committees work with the national parliaments' corresponding committee as well as with the corresponding committee in the Baltic Assembly, the parliamentary assembly for Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, and with other relevant international organisations.

Control Committee

The Control Committee's main task is to exercise control over activities financed by joint Nordic funds as well as to ensure that resolutions are implemented. There is also an Election Committee which organises elections called by the Nordic Council's Sessions.

Annual election at the Session

The President, the Vice-President, the members of the committees, the Presidium, the members of the Control Committee, and the Election Committee are elected at the Nordic Council Ordinary Session in the autumn for the next calendar year.