Freedom of movement in the Nordic Region raised up the agenda

This is just some of the data to come out of the annual reports from the Nordic Freedom of Movement Council and Info Norden, which were published recently.

The annual reports point out that:

• the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation adopted a new co-operation programme for 2025–2030, raising the level of aspiration in the area of mobility and obstacles to freedom of movement;
• the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation also adopted a special six-year programme for freedom of movement within the Nordic Region;
• the programme entails that Info Norden and the cross-border information services Grensetjänsten NO-SE, Gränstjänsten SE-FI-NO, and Øresunddirekt will become an integrated part of the programme;
• the Freedom of Movement Council actively worked on 35 obstacles to freedom of movement during 2024, with eleven of these being resolved;
• the Freedom of Movement Council also worked on five thematic areas specifically tied to major challenges for mobility and integration in the Nordic Region: digitalisation, co-operation on population registration, cross-border regional statistics, tax-related obstacles to freedom of movement, and pensions from a cross-border perspective;
• Info Norden's website was visited 2.5 million times in 2024, with more than 3 million page views — a 25 percent increase from 2023 — the highest figures ever; and

• the information services collectively had more than 3.9 million visits to their websites and personal contact with approximately 41,500 individuals.

  Sweden held the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2024 and made freedom of movement between the Nordic countries a key priority. The objective is to realise the vision of the Nordic Region being the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030.

This year too, during Finland and Åland's co-presidency, freedom-of-movement issues remain high on the agenda. In Åland in particular, which has a close relationship with Sweden and where many commute between Åland and Sweden, issues regarding obstacles to freedom of movement are always relevant.

As recently as 10 and 11 April, obstacles to freedom of movement were again on the agenda when officials from across the Nordic Region, the so-called Committee of Senior Officials, met in Kastelholm hosted by Åland to address issues within the justice sector. The committee is tasked with preparing meetings between the Nordic ministers for justice and following up on their decisions.

Among those participating in the meeting was Fredrik Karlström, Åland’s chair of the Freedom of Movement Council, who reported on its work.