Tags: NSPA
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.
On October 21, the network Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) organized a digital steering group meeting. On the agenda were updates on the EU’s new Arctic Policy, the NSPA’s arctic investment platform (AIP), the importance of the forest to the European Green Deal, and the NSPA’s work forward.
As part of European Week of Regions and Cities (EWRC) in October, North Sweden, together with the Brussels offices of the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) network and Scotland Highlands and Islands organized a workshop about EU's twin (green and digital) transition. The key speaker from the European Commission who participated said that the NSPA are leading regions and should take a more prominent role on EU level.
On October 13, the European Commission adopted the EU's new integrated Arctic policy. The North Swedens is included in the EU's Arctic regions and a large part of the Arctic policy therefore affects the region. The Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) network, which North Sweden European Office is a part of, have been active within the EU in order to maintain the focus of the previous Arctic policy from 2016, which centered a lot of its attention around the EU contributing to the regional development in the European Arctic. This is a focus that remains with the new policy.
How can Europe's Arctic regions contribute to the EU's green deal through industrial leadership and access to sustainable raw materials and batteries? This was the theme when the Swedish and Finnish trade associations for mines, minerals, and metal producers, Svemin and Finnmin, arranged a webinar about mineral extraction, battery production and recycling in partnership with the European Commission during EU Industry Week.
17 Feb 2021 Northern Sweden participates in the debate about the revision of the EU state aid rules
07 Oct 2020 Northern Sparsely Populated Areas steering committee meeting on the EU budget and EU’s Arctic policy
