Policy area: Industry policy
On 27 January, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) organised a webinar together with Region Norrbotten and Region Västerbotten to launch a new report on the opportunities and challenges for mines and minerals in the two northernmost regions in Sweden. Representatives from the industry, academia, Sami Parliament and the European Commission participated together with regional councillors Nils-Olov Lindfors and Rickard Carstedt to discuss OECD recommendations and proposals for measures to develop and strengthen the mining industry.
The webinar ´Circular economy in the Arctic Industries´ was broadcasted as part of the European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) by the Brussels offices of the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) and the Brussels office of Scotland Highlands & Islands. The topics were regional cooperation and circular economy in the Arctic.
In connection with the launch of the EU Action Plan on Critical Raw Materials and the European Raw Materials Alliance, the political leadership of Region Norrbotten and Region Västerbotten would like to share a statement.
In May 2020, a position paper on EU’s new forest strategy was adopted by the Europaforum Northern Sweden, a network which brings together politicians from the four northernmost regions of Sweden. The network emphasizes the importance of considering the large regional variations within the EU when it comes to available forest, forestry and biodiversity. Northern Sweden, as one of the most forest dense regions in Europe, plays a key role in the green transition.
The EU is dependent on the import of important minerals. EU’s raw materials initiative requires a lowered import need and a growth within self-sufficiency of metals and minerals for the Union. To provide the higher levels of self-sufficiency of minerals and materials within the EU needed for mobile phoned and batteries there needs to be, outside of recycling, an increase of exploitation of minerals within the Union. Northern Sweden has a key role in this with its unique supply of metal and minerals. EU’s access to raw materials is a vital part of its climate adaptation and will contribute in a number of ways in regard to reaching a climate neutral Europe.
18 Dec 2019 North Sweden gathered in force with big regional stakeholder meeting in Brussels
18 Jun 2019 European premier of the OECD’s international meeting on mining in Skellefteå
20 May 2019 European Investment bank accepts loan for the biggest battery factory in Europe in Skellefteå, northern Sweden
05 Dec 2017 Swedish Forest Management and the Bioeconomy
07 Mar 2016 Position on Cascading
07 Mar 2016 European Commission visit to northern Sweden
04 Jan 2016 SSAB - A highly specialized steel company
02 Dec 2015 Boliden - one of the world's largest mining and smelting companies
26 Nov 2015 North Sweden premiere a series of articles on Raw Materials in Northern Sweden
26 Apr 2015 NSPA seminar with the OECD in Piteå
23 Mar 2015 NSPA has formally initiated the work with the OECD study
09 Feb 2015 The Future of navigation in the North 2015
11 Dec 2014 Luleå University of Technology in billion EU-investment
12 Nov 2014 The Silver Road Corridor - strengthening regional cooperation
23 Oct 2014 Sustainable mining in Northern Sweden
06 Jul 2014 The Impact of Culture - Creative businesses for sustainable cities