Finland will hold the Presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers in 2021. The presidency of the Council of Ministers, which is held for a one-year period, rotates between the five Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.
According to the vision adopted by the Nordic Prime Ministers in 2019, the Nordic region is to be the most sustainable and integrated region in the world by 2030.
The aim of the project, launched by Finland’s Presidency, is to create an operational framework for stronger and more effective cross-border exchange of information. The smooth information exchange between the Nordic countries is assumed to further facilitate the movement of citizens between these countries (for work, study or leisure), as well as to assist in further development of cross-border economic activity. One of the project’s objectives, for instance, is that e-prescriptions issued in Finland could in the future also be obtained from pharmacies in the other Nordic countries.
Nowadays, the movement of people between the Nordic countries is severely restricted due to the coronavirus crisis. The project will focus on improving the mobility of people, especially in the post-crisis period. Nevertheless, increasing cross-border information exchange can help people's daily lives not only in normal circumstances but during any future crisis.
Furthermore, the programme 2021 draws up guidelines for active co-operation on the creation of a greener, more competitive, and more socially sustainable Nordic Region.
The action plan has been approved by the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation and runs from 2021 to 2024. All the Nordic countries and the three Baltic countries (Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania) are participating in the project. Remark: The Nordic Region consists of Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.
The full information and the source text can be found at Finnish Ministry of Finance website and the Nordic Council of Ministers website.
Published 03.02.2021, FINREPO