‘Membership will strengthen Norway’s cooperation with the EU in a region that has become central to European and Norwegian security. It gives us new opportunities to take part in work on important areas such as maritime cooperation, surveillance and security, and helps to strengthen cohesion and resilience in our neighbouring areas,’ said Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide.

Norway will become the ninth member of the strategy. The other countries are Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Resilient regions

The strategy is a cooperation framework between the European Commission, the EU countries around the Baltic Sea and now Norway. The purpose of the strategy is to strengthen cooperation on common challenges and contribute to a greener, more competitive, and more resilient region.

‘The Baltic Sea Strategy provides a political and strategic framework for cooperation between the countries in the region. Norway has more than 28 years of experience from Interreg cooperation in the region and I believe membership in the Strategy will strengthen cooperation on regional development and help build more resilient regions from north to south,’ said Minister of Local Government and Regional Development Bjørnar Selnes Skjæran.

Inviting participation

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development will invite Norwegian public and private sector actors, as well as civil society organisations, to take part in cooperation under the strategy.

Norwegian public sector actors, private companies and research communities can participate in cooperation projects in areas such as maritime safety, energy, transport, culture, health, innovation, spatial planning, societal resilience and crisis preparedness.

Norway is already taking part in some parts of the Strategy. The range of cooperation opportunities will now be expanded.