The Nordic co-operation is intergovernmental co-operation that covers many levels from politics to cultural life. It is institutionalized in the Nordic Council and in the Nordic of Ministers. It does not have a supranational body but the decisions are reached by negotiation and harmonization of legislation. The achievements of this co-operation have been many covering culture, education, society, environment, rights of the citizens, economy and trade. The most notable results from the Nordic co-operation have been pass union, common labor markets and the Nordic social security contract.
The Nordic Council was established 1952 by Denmark, Sweden and Norway. Finland joined 1956 after the approval of the Soviet union. The council is the co-operation body of the Nordic parliaments and governments. It makes initiatives for developing of the Nordic co-operation. The council has 87 members representing the parliaments of the five countries and the three autonomous territories. The council holds annual ordinary sessions once a year and also arranges so-called theme sessions. In sessions the council approves recommendations and gives statements about issues under handling. The issues are prepared in three committees. The council has a permanent secretariat in Copenhagen.
The Nordic Council of Ministers was established in 1971 as the co-operational body on the governmental level. It is responsible for the co-operation between national governments and the Nordic Council. Its decisions are unanimous and binding, but it is not a supranational body. The prime ministers have the chief responsibility for the Nordic co-operation in the Council of Ministers. The co-operation is coordinated by Nordic ministers for co-operation. The composition of the Council of Ministers varies, depending on the nature of the issues to be treated. There are thus, in fact, several Councils of Ministers.
The Nordic co-operation came to focus on political, social and cultural issues inside the region. Military and strategic questions were left outside the Nordic arena. The co-operation concentrated on the developing of the Nordic societies and welfare state. It was clearly directed inside the region and did not take a position in relationship towards outside regions. The starting point of the co-operation was citizens and improving the societal life. Formed like this it served the interest of the countries in question in their needs for co-operation but also in security questions. Neutral co-operation like this without supranational bodies was approved by both blocs. The Nordic co-operation came to be an important element for the stability of the region in the tensed world. Splitting up the community or clear movements towards east or west would have endangered this. The Nordic countries formed a buffer zone between the rivaling blocs. In this position the countries concentrated to contribute democracy and built together their societies that came to be known as the Nordic welfare states.
The need for re-evaluation of the Nordic co-operation became evident, in it´s old form it was not anymore valid. This called in light a debate about the future of the nordic co-operation. What would be it´s role and functions in future? The five countries agreed that they did not want to give up the co-operation that had became so well established and proved to be succesful. But to survive it´s core had to be formed. The position of the co-operation had to be redetermined in the light of the new situation and in a relationship to the outside world.
The five countries came to the solution that Nordic community´s active role in Europe preconditioned more ambitious aims and more powerful political will. It had to be binding the Nordic countries together but at the same time serve as forum and means for wider international influence. The idea was that the basis for all Nordic actions should be the idea that more positive effects are reached by all-Nordic than by national solutions. The Nordic arena was still an important field of action, there was still to do the improve the positions of Nordic citizens and especially to hold on the earlier achievements. But as a new feature was emphasized that the Nordic co-operation should be a part of European co-operation, not only keep the Nordic countries together but also operate in wider context. As the traditional view saw the Nordic co-operation as mainly co-operation between these five countries was the new perspective based on the idea that it is a political instrument to be used in the international relations. By co-operating the Nordic countries could bring their opinions in the international field and promote values like democracy, freedom, equality and environment.
This new perspective got it´s impression also in the structure of the Nordic co-operation as it´s fields of action were restructured. The co-operation was divided in three pillars: Nordic countries, Europe and adjacent areas. Of these new co-operation fields the adjacent area dimension has proved to fruitful and growing. In the field of adjentary area the Baltic countries gained the most remarkable position.
Created by Heidi Haggrén, University of Helsinki
E-mail: heidi.haggren@helsinki.fi
Last updated on May 21, 2001