Policy area: Regional policy
The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have adopted a comprehensive policy paper on the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA), comprising 14 regions across Norway, Sweden, and Finland. The policy report, funded by the EU and regional governments, recommends enhanced east-west transport infrastructure, comprehensive digital connectivity, and place-based, targeted policies to strengthen regional resilience and economic diversification.
The winners of the European Enterprise Promotion Awards (EEPA) 2023 have been announced and the incubator Go Business from Norrbotten won in the digital category with the project Go Cloud.
On the 4th of October a kick-off meeting for the new OECD-study will be held, a study which has been initiated by North Sweden and has received funding from the European Commission. The purpose of the new study is to propose strategies for regional development capacity for all the regions comprising the network Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA). At this Zoom event all relevant operative aspects of the project will be presented and discussed with regional representatives from the NSPA, as well as representatives from the European Commision (DG REFORM) and OECD.
On the 14th of September the European Parliament voted to adopt revisions to the Renewable Energy Directive, which in broad strokes determines if biomass from the forest can be classified as sustainable or not. The adopted revisions entail a restriction on the share of primary raw wood material that can be classified as renewable energy. Politicians from northern Sweden have, with the support of North Sweden, drafted a letter addressed to the members of the European Parliament where they asked for legislation that would also work in the arctic regions, which to a large extent is heated and provided with electricity from this type of biomass.
On the of 28 September the political network Europaforum Northern Sweden, which North Sweden European Office is part of, signed a position paper put together by ERIAFF, a European network consisting of regional parties in agriculture, food and forest. The position pertains to the European Commission’s latest legislative proposal about land use, Nature restoration law.
01 Dec 2021 Europaforum Northern Sweden’s position paper on EU’s updated Arctic policy
02 Nov 2021 Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) meeting about Arctic policy and the EU Green Deal
15 Oct 2021 EU's new Arctic policy has been presented!
30 Mar 2021 Top politicians gathered to discuss the future rural development of the EU
17 Mar 2021 EU Industry Week 2021: Northern Sweden's minerals and batteries crucial to the EU's green deal
03 Mar 2021 New East Coast Line in high-level meeting with the Scandinavian-Mediterranean Corridor
03 Mar 2021 The extension of the European core network corridors from a Nordic perspective
17 Feb 2021 Northern Sweden participates in the debate about the revision of the EU state aid rules
20 Jan 2021 NSPA in meeting with European Commission about the EU’s Arctic policy
16 Dec 2020 Arctic Futures Symposium 2020
02 Dec 2020 Europaforum Northern Sweden's views on the long-term vision for rural areas
02 Dec 2020 European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) in the Kvarken region
12 Nov 2020 NSPA and the EU Arctic Ambassador on EU Arctic Policy
04 Nov 2020 NSPA universities in meeting with EU Arctic Ambassador
21 Oct 2020 The European Artic in EU post 2020 policies
07 Oct 2020 Northern Sparsely Populated Areas steering committee meeting on the EU budget and EU’s Arctic policy
29 Sep 2020 North Sweden welcomes the European Raw Materials Alliance
23 Sep 2020 NSPA in digital meeting with the European commission about future regional policy
15 Sep 2020 Northern Sweden's views on the proposal of a new national ESF+ programme
30 Jun 2020 NSPA:s views on EU Cohesion Policy
11 Mar 2020 The European Commission proposes 61 million euros to Upper Norrland for the restructuring of the steel industry
18 Dec 2019 North Sweden gathered in force with big regional stakeholder meeting in Brussels
27 Nov 2019 Swedish forestry in focus during two seminars on November 22
16 Oct 2019 Deficiencies in infrastructure lower Northern Sweden's competitiveness
16 Oct 2019 EU Arctic Forum 3–4 October 2019
16 Oct 2019 Regional actors participated during European Week of Regions & Cities 2019
15 Oct 2019 Renewable energy transition in sparsely populated areas
16 Sep 2019 EU’s commissioner for health paid Umeå a visit
04 Apr 2019 OECD study: How can Sweden include the Sami population in regional development?
26 Mar 2019 EU-Arctic final conference with North Sweden
11 Mar 2016 The Europaforum North Sweden XXII in North Sweden, Piteå
10 Mar 2016 OECD on Study Mission
07 Mar 2016 European Commission visit to northern Sweden
07 Dec 2015 The Connection between Europe and the Arctic
26 Apr 2015 NSPA seminar with the OECD in Piteå
23 Mar 2015 NSPA has formally initiated the work with the OECD study
24 Nov 2014 NSPA seminar on "Transport infrastructure in the European Arctic"
12 Nov 2014 The Silver Road Corridor - strengthening regional cooperation
10 Nov 2014 The Arctic on the agenda during NSPA’s forum in Bodø
16 Oct 2014 Smart growth a theme on NSPA side event during Open Days 2014
