Main Priorities

The programme for the Norwegian chairmanship gives priority to areas of great importance for the development of the Nordic region of the future. Norway will first and foremost emphasise children and youth, food safety and the follow-up to the Nordic 20-year strategy for sustainable development.

Children and Youth

Children and youth are a great resource and have special skills. Boys and girls must be given equal opportunities.

This is why it is so important to focus on children and young people who are most at risk and their families. The Nordic countries must have a common perspective on poverty and make joint efforts to improve the living conditions of poorer children and their families. This is also valid for the areas of the Nordic countries, i.e. north-western Russia and the Baltic countries. A society with good living conditions for children and youth will avoid later problems. We will focus on early intervention and the role of the family.

Joint Nordic efforts for children and youth will require a cross-sectoral approach, and Norway will arrange a meeting with the relevant ministers to discuss co-operation, responsibilities and priorities. The first annual overview and analysis of the efforts of the Council of Ministers, based on the cross-sectoral plan of action "The Nordic Region in the New Millennium", will be undertaken in 2002. This will provide a broad overview of the situation, increase awareness of the issues and propose improvements in the cross-sectoral flow of information.

In the increasingly multicultural Nordic societies, we will seek to strengthen efforts to combat racism and xenophobia and to promote the cultures of indigenous peoples and self-governing territories. A Nordic conference on these issues will be held in 2002. The development of a Nordic identity in children and young people will give them a platform for multicultural and other international contacts.

Living conditions for children and youth include their health and social welfare, the culture they are exposed to, and their influence and participation in society. New cross-sectoral analyses will be carried out, and we will seek a common understanding of what is best for children.

The purpose of all education is to prepare children and youth for the Nordic region of the future. So when Norway gives priority to children and youth, we are also giving priority to co-operation on education and research in the Nordic countries.

The participation of children and youth in the development of our societies will be promoted. This will give them an opportunity to become more aware of their democratic rights. Norway will seek ways to increase their participation and influence in Nordic co-operation. Norway will also organise a European conference in 2002 on the participation and influence of children and young people in local communities

During its chairmanship Norway will attach importance to the development of the broader regional co-operation on matters relating to children and youth. We will emphasise the health and living conditions of children and youth in the Adjacent areas, and will work with other regional actors such as the Council of the Baltic Sea States, the Barents Council and the Arctic Council.

In the Adjacent areas family life is often characterised by economic uncertainty and unemployment. Families with children are particularly hard hit. This leads to lack of education, disease and the neglect of street children, disabled children and sexually or otherwise abused children. These are the target group for the Norwegian chairmanship. Norway will seek to strengthen local ownership of projects targeted at children and youth in the Adjacent areas to ensure that they are relevant.

Food Safety

Food safety is an important political issue in the Nordic countries. We have shared interests and should deepen and broaden our co-operation in this field. All the Nordic countries are major food producers and earn significant revenue from agricultural and fisheries produce. We need a strong international regime for trade in food, and must pool and co-ordinate our efforts to promote our views in international fora. In this context, health, the environment, trade and the consumer are all important issues.

In livestock production the spread of animal diseases and unnecessary animal suffering must be avoided, and human health and environmental considerations should be promoted. Consumers must be involved in the development of food policies. Relevant research must be applied.

Norway will convene a meeting of food ministers in 2002 to discuss and decide on an action plan for food safety in the Nordic countries. In this connection we will among other things emphasise the development of a Nordic platform for food safety in international organisations, a Nordic action programme for consumer influence, a Nordic action plan for research and development, and a review of the issues of disease and ethical standards in animal transport. Non-governmental organisations will be involved in these processes.

Sustainable Development in the Nordic Countries and the Adjacent Areas

Sustainable development is "a development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs." (the Brundtland Report). The Rio Conference of 1992 discussed the promotion of sustainable development and set new targets for future efforts, and the UN is holding a follow-up summit in Johannesburg in 2002.

The Rio Conference was an important foundation for the cross-sectoral 20-year strategy for sustainable development that the Nordic countries put into practice in 2001. The Nordic countries were thus one of the very first regions in the world to establish a joint platform for sustainable development. The main responsibility for the implementation of the strategy lies, however, first and foremost with the individual Nordic countries and self-governing territories.

The strategy sets targets for sustainable development in the Nordic countries and the adjacent areas in a 20-year perspective, and proposes specific activities for the first four years. The focus is on climate change, biodiversity, genetics, the cultural environment, the oceans, chemicals and food safety. Because of the many facets of the environment, environmental concerns must be applied across the board in areas as diverse as globalisation, communications technology, natural resources, consumption patterns, renewable resources, air and sea pollutants and poverty alleviation.

The international ramifications of the strategy mean that it will also serve as a political tool at the Johannesburg Summit and in relation to similar activities that are under way in the OECD and the EU. The Nordic countries hope to help build a foundation for increased, committed international co-operation for the promotion of sustainable development.

Overall Issues

The Nordic Council

The Norwegian chairmanship will emphasise close co-operation and political dialogue between the Council of Ministers and their parliamentarian counterparts in the Nordic Council. The 50 ^th> anniversary of the Nordic Council is being celebrated in 2002 and Norway wishes to help ensure that the celebrations are a manifestation of the continued usefulness of Nordic co-operation.

Co-operation between the Nordic Prime Ministers

The very useful dialogue between the Nordic Prime ministers will continue. The topics for discussion include the Nordic, European and global situations, and Norway will particularly emphasise issues relating to the Adjacent areas and European/EU matters in general. International terrorism will be an important part of the dialogue.

Foreign and Development Policy

Nordic co-operation also involves foreign and development policy, including foreign trade policy. An important base for this type of Nordic co-operation is the international posts held by Nordic countries, such as Norway’s membership of the UN Security Council, the EU presidency and the chairmanship of northern European regional organisations.

The Norwegian chairmanship will particularly emphasise matters relating to the EU, the EEA, Schengen, the Adjacent areas, the northern European regional organisations and Nordic involvement in conflict prevention and peacekeeping. Norway will also seek to enhance Nordic co-operation on enhancing Third World competence in peacekeeping and conflict prevention. Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants will be given priority. Informal co-operation on civil crisis management between the Nordic countries, Germany, Poland and the Baltic countries will be further developed.

The Norwegian chairmanship will promote Nordic discussion of a proposal to establish a Nordic pool of manpower and a Nordic fund for conflict prevention.

As regards globalisation, Norway will emphasise the importance of meeting the challenges of marginalisation and the lack of democratic control in connection with Nordic co-operation in international organisations.

Norway will propose a conference on the place of education in development policy, to which developing countries and international organisations such as UNESCO and the World Bank will be invited.

Norway will also consider the possibilities for increased Nordic co-operation as regards diplomatic representation abroad. The joint Nordic embassy building in Berlin has received much favourable attention.

Defence Policy

The on-going co-operation, consultation and exchange of information concerning defence and security policy will continue.

Nordic co-ordination of defence-related support to the Baltic countries through the Baltic Security Assistance Group will receive particular attention, as will Nordic co-operation on the acquisition of defence materiel and the co-ordination of research and development, production, maintenance, and supply of defence materiel in the Nordic countries.

Other issues of high priority will be military environmental co-operation (including with the Baltic countries and Russia), conscription and the planning, budgeting, control and organisation of the national defence forces.

The Adjacent Areas

In 2001 the Council of Ministers approved a new strategy for activities in the Adjacent areas and a new Arctic programme of co-operation. Norway will actively follow up these decisions, and will also focus on the health and living conditions of children and youth. The gradual shift of emphasis in the co-operation with the Adjacent areas from the Baltic countries to north-western Russia will continue.

The relations of the Council of Ministers with the northern European regional organisations – the Barents Council, the Council of the Baltic Sea States and the Arctic Council – will be further developed. The Nordic Council of Ministers will discuss the need for guidelines for co-operation with these councils.

The Norwegian chairmanship will consider co-operation projects with the western adjacent areas, i.e. the Shetlands, the Orkneys, the Hebrides, Scotland and the eastern Canadian provinces.

Non-Governmental Organisations

The Council of Ministers’ guidelines for co-operation with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) emphasise openness, regular contacts, representativeness and dialogue at the sector level. In 2002 the initiatives taken by the Council of Ministers to strengthen its co-operation with NGOs should be evaluated. The issue of co-operation with NGOs in the Adjacent areas will also be raised in 2002.

Nordic research is being carried out on the involvement of immigrants in NGOs. This is expected to encourage a closer dialogue with immigrant organisations and their members.

The main priorities of the Norwegian chairmanship programme will provide room for NGO involvement.

A Nordic Region without Borders

The Norwegian chairmanship will continue to give priority to the elimination of border barriers between the Nordic countries. The single greatest remaining barrier is lack of knowledge of the relevant legislation and of where such knowledge can be found.

A report by a Nordic working group published in October 2001 confirmed that much remains to be done to enhance Nordic integration as regards health, education, residence and work. This also applies to immigrants from outside the Nordic region. The report will be followed up by the Norwegian chairmanship.

Reform of Nordic Co-operation

Nordic co-operation must remain open for the reform of its working methods and agenda in order to maintain its relevance and usefulness.

It was decided in June 2000 that the councils of ministers should be responsible for gender equality in their own sectors. In 2002 Norway will particularly emphasise the integration of gender equality into the main priority areas of the chairmanship programme.

In 2002 the Nordic Ministers of Justice will work on a proposal for more liberal rules for transparency in the Council of Ministers.

In 2002 Norway will also be responsible for the implementation of the budget reforms and the revised set of overall political priorities for the Council of Ministers, both of which were approved in 2001.

The Sectors

Culture

Cultural co-operation between the Nordic countries is based on the Nordic Cultural Affairs Agreement, an agreement specially designed to develop and promote Nordic cultural affinity.

Cultural co-operation is given priority in the activities of the Nordic Council of Ministers, and is rooted in the linguistic and cultural ties shared by the Nordic countries. The primary objective of cultural co-operation is to enhance Nordic kinship based on common values and to strengthen the Nordic identity.

Culture constitutes a core component of Nordic co-operation, which is founded on central Nordic ideals such as a collective cultural heritage and mutual understanding of the Nordic languages. The Norwegian chairmanship will work to reinforce and develop general cultural co-operation within a framework that enhances Nordic knowledge and expertise and safeguards national cultural policy. Special emphasis will be attached to strengthening the political co-operation in the Council of Ministers as regards the cultural sphere.

Efforts to apply new information and communications technology to the development of cultural co-operation will be an area of continued focus under the Norwegian chairmanship.

Nordic co-operation gives high priority to co-operation in the media sphere. The Finnish chairmanship’s programme highlights digitalised culture, and proposes to establish a Nordic multimedia fund. Norway agrees in this matter, and is prepared to contribute to the further efforts to establish a Nordic multimedia fund.

In response to the report "Public Service Broadcasting in the Nordic Countries", the Steering Committee for Nordic Co-operation on Culture and the Mass Media (KM group) will in the course of 2002 take a closer look at the technical and legal problems associated with neighbouring country cross-border television. The Norwegian chairmanship will continue to give priority to efforts to make intra-Nordic cross-border television more easily accessible.

Children and young people are one of the areas given special emphasis in the Norwegian chairmanship’s programme. Norway will make every effort to ensure that children and young people remain active participants in Nordic cultural co-operation, and will increase the attention paid to multiculturalism. A new action plan is being drawn up and will form the foundation for further co-operation in this field.

Co-operation with the Adjacent Areas and Europe has added a strong international dimension to Nordic co-operation and has changed its underlying political framework. All in all, this process has played a significant role in helping to define the Nordic countries as a specific region in Europe.

The Norwegian chairmanship will concentrate on the role of culture in co-operation with the Adjacent areas. Nordic co-operation on European matters will be continued and further refined under the Norwegian chairmanship. It is important that this co-operation be strengthened both as regards cultural issues in relation to the EU and as regards more general cultural issues relating to Europe and regions within Europe.

For its part, Norway is concerned with maintaining and developing forms of co-operation that will safeguard the national bases for Nordic cultural co-operation. It is our hope that the ministries of culture and national cultural authorities will to a greater extent provide a frame of reference for enhanced co-operation in this area.

The Norwegian chairmanship is planning to host a Nordic cultural conference in Norway in 2002. The conference will focus on urban development with an emphasis on architecture and art in public spaces.

Education and research

Co-operation in the fields of education and research is highly relevant to the main theme of Norway's chairmanship - the Nordic region of the future - in which children and young people are a priority group. The basic objective of education is to prepare children and young people for the future. However, in a world of rapid change, provision must be made for education in a lifelong learning perspective.

Today’s Nordic welfare societies have largely developed through strategic, long-term investment in human resources, including education and research. Norway believes that continued investment in education and research is essential to safeguard the achievements of the past and the knowledge and welfare society of tomorrow. This must take place both nationally and within the framework of Nordic co-operation.

Nordic co-operation in education and research helps to ensure that the Nordic region of tomorrow will have the knowledge and expertise to be competitive in the global market, and will also assume a share of the responsibility for sustainable development and equitable distribution of the world’s resources.

The Nordic countries have traditionally based their co-operation on a common linguistic and cultural basis. During its chairmanship, Norway will seek to safeguard and strengthen this basis in practical ways, for example by giving priority to exchange programmes and mobility schemes for schoolchildren and students.

During its chairmanship, Norway aims both to implement current plans of action and strategies and to introduce a limited number of new initiatives, thus maintaining a balance between continuity and renewal. The need for continuity will be met by focusing on areas such as lifelong learning, research, mobility and ICT. In the spirit of renewal, certain reforms in the content and structure of the co-operation are being considered.

Norway has proposed the establishment of a think tank on "the Nordic schools of tomorrow", which will focus on the need for changes in the way the school system is organised. Norway also plans to organise a conference on the role of education in international development policy, intended to bring together Nordic ministers responsible for both education and international development.

Information and Communication Technology

The Nordic countries are among the most advanced in the world when it comes to the use and production of goods and services in the field of information and communication technology. The Nordic market is liberal and characterised by sharp competition.

The aims of Nordic ICT co-operation are to make the information society available to everybody, to strengthen democracy and the Nordic languages and cultures, to make e-commerce a success, and to stimulate networking between small and medium-sized enterprises.

In the Norwegian view the co-operation should not cover every aspect of the ICT sector, but should limit itself to certain specific issues. Thus the focus will be on the following areas:

• Bridging the digital divide – ICT for everybody. Avoiding undesirable differences in access to ICT, in other words avoiding an A and a B team in the population, is a political challenge.

• Broadband/digital content. Digital content will in the time to come be crucial to the economy and the development of the information society. The infrastructure for electronic communication can be used for, for example, broadcasting and interactive communication. The demand for digital content is the most important driving force for building out broadband. The similarities in the Nordic culture and languages make this co-operation very interesting.

• eGovernment. Digital administration is one of the pillars of the development of a Nordic knowledge and information society.

• Indicators for benchmarking the knowledge society. Benchmarking of the Nordic societies will be an important requirement for developing and documenting the Nordic contribution to eEurope, but also in other contexts.

Energy

The aim of the Nordic energy cooperation is to promote efficient, competitive, safe and sustainable energy supplies. The Norwegian chairmanship will implement the ministerial proposal on energy put forward by the Nordic Council of Ministers during the Finnish chairmanship.

Work in the energy field will focus on three core areas:

• The open electricity market
• Climate policy issues
• Regional cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region and in the Nordic adjacent areas

The ministers established the basis for further development of the open electricity market in the Greenland statement. This will include tasks such as dealing with capacity problems, harmonization of relevant legislation, for example on bottlenecks and transmission tariffs, and effective investments in the transmission grid. This will require closer cooperation between the system operators.

Climate policy sets important premises for the energy sector. The development of the Testing Ground for the Kyoto mechanisms in the Baltic region is proceeding. The Nordic countries will continue to support these efforts.

During its chairmanship, Norway will ensure that the Nordic region plays an active role in regional cooperation. Within the framework of the Baltic Sea cooperation, the Nordic countries will support efforts in the fields of electricity, gas, climate, energy efficiency and renewable energy. Cooperation with the adjacent areas is also needed, and joint projects with the Baltic States and northwestern Russia can help the development of a more democratic and stable region.

During its chairmanship, Norway will prepare for the next programme period for Nordic Energy Research, from 2003 to 2006.

Environment

Norway will follow up and continue the following tasks in particular:

• The Nordic Environmental Action Plan 2001-2004
• The Strategy for a Sustainable Nordic Region and the Adjacent Areas
• The proposal to establish a Testing Ground for the Kyoto mechanisms in the Baltic region
• The Nordic co-operation on chemicals. This has already given positive results in relation to ongoing EU work on evaluation of substances and development of regulations dealing with chemicals.
• Nordic co-operation within OSPAR, the OECD and the UN
• The Nordic co-operation on products and waste

Marine and Coastal Environments and Freshwater

During its chairmanship period, Norway intends to focus on how Nordic co-operation and initiatives can strengthen work in this field. In addition to traditional marine environmental issues related to pollution control and conservation of biological diversity, this includes issues such as coastal zone management and the integration of marine and freshwater issues.

The following special initiatives under the theme "Marine Environment and Coastal Culture - ecological and viable societal development in the northern areas" may be particularly relevant:

• A cross-sectoral conference arranged by the environment and fishery sectors on sustainable management of the marine environment and coastal culture
• Efforts to continue and strengthen environmental co-operation in the western part of the Nordic region through follow-up of the Nordic Action Plan to Protect the Natural Environment and Cultural Heritage of the Arctic - Greenland, Iceland and Svalbard, which was approved by the Nordic ministers of the environment in August 1999.

Nordic MillenniumEcosystem Assessment

During its chairmanship period, Norway will start work on a Nordic "Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA)" as one way of following up the Nordic strategy for sustainable development.

Biological Diversity and Genetic Resources

Joint Nordic development of practical tools for the management of Red List species and special initiatives for selected endangered species will be important ways of protecting our biological diversity. Red List species are those that are threatened in various ways and therefore need to be given special consideration.

The introduction of alien species is a threat to biological diversity in the Nordic region. This problem is on the increase as border controls and trade barriers are reduced and contact between the Nordic region and the rest of Europe increases. The Nordic countries should work together to find effective ways of limiting harmful introduction of alien species.

Norway sees a clear need to strengthen Nordic co-operation on GMOs , and proposes a co-operative forum for government institutions to exchange information and discuss technical and administrative issues.

The objective of the newly established Nordic Genetic Resources Council is to be a forum for strategic discussion on issues related to genetic resources. The Council takes a cross-sectoral approach to its work. It will be involved in the implementation of the Nordic strategy for sustainable development and of the goals set out in the action plans for the agricultural and environmental sectors.

Sustainable Development of Urban Areas

The development of policies for sustainable development of urban areas across sectors and administrative levels is an important area of work where the Nordic countries will benefit from co-operation, for example in relation to similar work underway in the EU. The purpose will for countries to exchange knowledge and experience.

Environmental Information and Public Participation in the Nordic Region and the Adjacent Areas

Further development of the Nordic model of democracy through improved access to environmental information and participation in decision-making processes in the Nordic region and the adjacent areas is in line with the principles of the Aarhus Convention.

Norway will during its chairmanship seek to ensure active Nordic follow-up of co-operation in the Barents region, focusing for example on indigenous peoples and Local Agenda 21.

Work on Agenda 21 is intended to bring about broad public and political participation in efforts to make local development more sustainable and environmentally friendly. Exchange of information will be an important means of strengthening local environmental work.

Nordic Research Co-operation on Climate Change

All the Nordic countries will have to deal with many of the same regional effects of climate change of significance to infrastructure, industry, and the flora and fauna on land and in water. A joint Nordic research effort on the effects of climate change is therefore needed. This will help to strengthen the knowledge base for developing adaptation and emergency preparedness policies to deal with the effects of climate change.

Transport

Nordic co-operation in the transport and communications sector will mainly focus on the implementation of planned and ongoing projects. The following issues are given special priority by the chairmanship:

• Traffic safety in the Nordic countries
• Transport and the environment
• Co-operation on EU/EEA issues in the context of the Northern Dimension
• Information and communication technology in the transport sector

As regards traffic safety, the Nordic countries are among the foremost in the world. A workshop on this subject is to be held early in 2002, and the results will be used in the evaluation of new traffic safety projects. With respect to transport and environment, the strategy for sustainable development in the Nordic countries and adjacent areas will be followed up. Environmental taxes will be given attention. Activities and projects that will contribute to the EU’s efforts to create a long-term sustainable transport system will also be given priority.

The exchange of information and discussion of EU/EEA issues will continue to be important topics in Nordic co-operation. Emphasis will be given to strong Nordic involvement in the development of the Northern Dimension of the EU. In the field of information and communication technology, an important issue will be to consider how transport telematics influence Nordic citizens as individuals and how privacy is to be protected.

Agriculture and forestry

The Norwegian programme for the chairmanship in 2002 in the agriculture and forestry sector is based on the overall strategy for sustainable development in the Nordic region and on the programme of action for the agriculture and forestry sector.

The efforts to promote sustainable development in agricultural production will take account of the need to ensure food security, which is concerned with both the supply and the quality of food. As regards supply, food must be produced in an ecologically and economically sustainable fashion. Quality is concerned with both nutritional and cultural factors, and also food safety. These priorities require co-operation with other sectors, notably in the fields of biological diversity, genetic resources and food safety.

Norway will initiate the following activities:

• Preparation of a Nordic plan for reducing the risk connected with the use of pesticides in agriculture in the Nordic countries
• Creating a Nordic network for the efforts to develop ecological agriculture. It will also consider establishing co-operation between all the links in the chain from production to marketing/sale of ecological products
• Carrying out a project aimed at increasing Nordic co-operation on education, research and development in agriculture and forestry
• Preparing a plan of action for reindeer research in the Nordic countries aimed at improving the co-ordination of research on the problems facing this industry
• Strengthening the co-operation on the conservation and use of genetic resources. This will require measures to secure adequate resources for this area. Furthermore, a project will be carried out to clarify the legal status of joint Nordic genetic resources
• Preparing an action programme and arranging a conference for further developing Nordic co-operation on issues relating to agriculture and the cultural landscape.

During the Norwegian chairmanship, forest management will be further developed in keeping with the priorities of the strategy for a sustainable Nordic region. The Nordic Contact Group for International Forest Policy Issues will continue its efforts to influence international processes of particular relevance to forest management in the Nordic countries, e.g. in relation to the Biodiversity Convention, forestry and climate and the United Nations Forum on Forests (UNFF).

Several Nordic countries have initiated efforts to increase value added based on wood. During its chairmanship, Norway will host a seminar to facilitate an exchange of experiences on national programmes to increase the use of wood because of its advantage as an environmentally friendly material.

The agriculture and forestry sector will come under the new Council of Ministers for agriculture and forestry, fisheries and foodstuffs.

Fisheries, Hunting and Aquaculture

Food safety and the strategy "Sustainable Development – A New Direction for the Nordic Countries" will be the main issues in Nordic fisheries co-operation during the Norwegian chairmanship in 2002. The work carried out in connection with the Nordic Strategy for the Environment and Fisheries 1999-2002 will be an essential part of the efforts to implement the strategy for sustainable development.

It is important that the Nordic countries intensify their efforts in connection with international co-operation. This is particularly important in relation to the EU and the CFP.

Norway also wishes to intensify cross-sectoral activities in the food area of Nordic co-operation, including food safety and the marine environment, as a consequence of the merging of the Nordic Councils of Ministers for fisheries, agriculture, forestry, and food into one joint Council in June 2001. A Nordic plan of action for greater food safety in the Nordic countries will be prepared during the Norwegian chairmanship.

A clean marine environment is of fundamental importance for life and productivity in the sea. Norway will stress the importance of integrating environmental considerations into fisheries and aquaculture policy during its chairmanship, and will also give priority to continuing the development of selective fishing gear and techniques. Furthermore, it is important to combat illegal and unregulated fishing and sales of such catches in order to liberalise trade in lawfully caught fish.

During its chairmanship, Norway will take the initiative to integrate aquaculture into Nordic fisheries co-operation. Norway will also focus on ecosystem management and sustainable management of all marine resources, including marine mammals.

Labour Market and Working Environment

The Nordic Council of Ministers has drawn up a programme for the labour market and working environment for the period 2001-2004. During its chairmanship, Norway will work to realise the most central objectives of the programme, and will focus particularly on the following issues:

• Increasing labour market participation by mobilising domestic labour resources
• Preventing exclusion and early retirement from the labour market
• Analysing recruitment procedures for qualified labour from abroad.

The labour market situation is favourable in the Nordic countries today. Unemployment rates are relatively low, and there is a high level of labour market participation. To mobilise all domestic resources in the labour market is a big challenge. Measures to give the long-term unemployed and unemployed immigrants the opportunity to make full use of their capacity to work, an increased use of vocational rehabilitation schemes and the reintegration of disability pensioners into the labour force will be important tools in the mobilisation of domestic labour resources. Measures to prevent a rise in losses from the labour force though disability schemes or early retirement schemes are just as important as measures to increase the flow of people into the labour force. In this context, it is important to take preventive measures to avoid occupational risks to health, a dangerous working environment or a poor psychosocial one, and excessive stress.

The Nordic countries have a common interest in exchanging views and examples of best practice in these areas.

The Social and Health Care Sectors

The Nordic co-operation programme for the social and health care sectors for 2001–2005 is the basis for the current efforts in these sectors, and will have a central place during the Norwegian chairmanship.

In 2002 attention will be paid to the potential for strengthening networks in highly specialised medicine, co-operation on the analysis of the Nordic labour market for health personnel and further development of the Nordic systems for the monitoring of antibiotics resistance.

The Nordic Council’s proposal for joint Nordic efforts in connection with dementia will be followed up.

The health and living conditions of children and youth is a priority area for the Norwegian chairmanship and one of the main challenges for Nordic social policy in the future. Early intervention and prevention of marginalisation and social exclusion will be emphasised. Efforts will be made to increase knowledge and develop indicators, which will provide a better basis for comparative analysis.

Co-operation on small patient groups is likely to provide important benefits. The merits of a joint training centre for personnel in connection with rare diseases/diagnoses will be evaluated. Useful experience has already been gained from the joint Nordic training programmes for personnel who work with the deaf and blind. A network model for this purpose is planned.

Several Nordic countries will be experiencing a lack of qualified health personnel. The efforts to arrive at comparable figures in order to develop a Nordic model for the evaluation of supply and demand up to the year 2020 will be continued within the framework of NOMESKO. It will be particularly important to recruit and keep personnel in view of the increasing number of elderly. In connection with the important initiatives in Europe concerning disease prevention and health promotion, NOMESKO should perhaps be requested to develop its work on health indicators to include activities related to prevention.

Alcohol policies in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland are characterised by strong state monopolies, high taxes and prices, systems for the control of retail outlets and licensed premises, and restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages. The Danish policy is less comprehensive, but interest in alcohol policy issues is increasing there too. During the chairmanship, Norway will continue to emphasise the priorities of the preceding Finnish chairmanship and will develop a system to ensure better exchange of information on current issues and on strategies and developments that are of interest within the Nordic region.

The priorities of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ work in the field of illicit drug policy are listed in the programme "Nordic Co-operation on Illicit Drugs 2001– 2005". Within the framework of this programme, Norway will:

• Follow up on a Danish initiative to compile existing knowledge of new trends in drug abuse among young people, and implement measures to meet these trends.
• Take the initiative to exchange experience and information on practices and co-operate on low-threshold health services for drug abusers.
• Aim at including north-western Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the illicit drugs-related work of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
• Invite the Nordic ministers responsible for drug policies to a ministerial meeting in Oslo to discuss Nordic drug policy issues.

In relation to the Nordic institutions in the social and health care sectors, it will be necessary to find a new formula for the calculation of contributions to the Nordic School of Public Health, to establish new formal arrangements for the Scandinavian Institute of Dental Materials, particularly for its work as a notified body, and to find appropriate ways of continuing the Nordic co-operation on pharmaceuticals after the closure of the Nordic Council of Medicines.

Social Affairs and Health

Alcohol policies in Finland, Sweden, Norway and Iceland are characterised by strong state monopolies, high taxes and prices, systems for the control of retail outlets and licensed premises, and restrictions on the advertising of alcoholic beverages. The Danish policy is less comprehensive, but interest in alcohol policy issues is increasing there too. During the chairmanship, Norway will continue to emphasise the priorities of the preceding Finnish chairmanship and will develop a system to ensure better exchange of information on current issues and on strategies and developments that are of interest within the Nordic region.

Illicit drugs

The priorities of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ work in the field of illicit drug policy are listed in the programme "Nordic Co-operation on Illicit Drugs 2001– 2005". Within the framework of this programme, Norway will:

Follow up on a Danish initiative to compile existing knowledge of new trends in drug abuse among young people, and implement measures to meet these trends.

Take the initiative to exchange experience and information on practices and cooperate on low-threshold health services for drug abusers.

Aim at including northwestern Russia, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in the illicit drugs-related work of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

Invite the Nordic ministers responsible for drug policies to a ministerial meeting in Oslo to discuss Nordic drug policy issues.

Gender Equality

In autumn 2000, the Council of Ministers for Gender Equality ratified a Nordic Programme of Cooperation for the period 2002-2005. The main priorities for this period are as follows:

• A gender and equality perspective in Nordic economic policy
• The issue of men and gender equality
• Violence against women

Emphasis will be given to the following areas:

• Gender and power
• Gender equality in the labour market and working life
• Youth and gender equality
• A gender perspective on national minorities policy

During Norway's chairmanship, the following projects and activities are planned in line with the main priorities:

• Gender mainstreaming in national budgets in the Nordic countries
• The integration of a gender equality perspective in the activities of the Nordic Council of Ministers
• Women in trade and industry – a joint Nordic-Baltic campaign with national components
• Research conference: "Subject, Policy and Gender Construction"
• The preparation of a book on gender socialization in schools and daycare facilities, with particular emphasis on the situation of boys and the lack of men in public child-rearing, and the initiation of a research programme on the Nordic man
• Project on equality of wages and salaries
• The development of statistics on Nordic gender equality
• Information strategies and initiatives
• A gender equality perspective on immigrant children and youth
• The living conditions of national minorities from a gender equality perspective
• The conference "Taking Wing – Women in the Arctic"
• Continuation of local activities in line with the cooperation programme

Trade and Industry

Following up the "Nordic Co-operation Programme on Business Policy 2002–2005" will be emphasised in 2002. The programme, which contains guidelines for priority areas for business policy in the Nordic countries for the coming four years, is the first joint Nordic initiative that has been taken vis-à-vis the trade and industry sector.

The programme aims to provide a solid foundation for the Nordic governments’ concrete efforts to promote the Nordic region as a region without internal borders, and hence as an effective and competitive environment for business development.

Norway will concentrate on issues that promote Nordic integration in this sector and that clearly coincide with the needs of the business, trade and industrial community and thus pave the way for increased co-operation between the public and the private sector.

The Nordic Industrial Fund and Nordtest, which receive allocations from the Nordic Council, will work closely with the Norwegian Ministry of Trade and Industry in implementing the programme.

Norwegian initiatives in 2002 will be based on the co-operation programme, the report from the Panel of Wise Men and the Nordic strategy for sustainable development and will be taken in close co-operation with the other Nordic countries.

Housing and Building

The ministers responsible for housing in the respective Nordic countries have approved a four-year programme, for 2002–2005, that defines the framework for the co-operation in this field.

The main priorities of the programme are:

• Social aspects of the housing market
• Sustainable development of the housing and building sector
• Urban development policies

The programme reflects the political priorities of the Nordic countries. These are areas where we will benefit from the exchange of views and experiences.

One of the important challenges for a social housing policy is to find mechanisms for effective provision of adequate housing for disadvantaged groups, including disabled people, the homeless, refugees, immigrants and ethnic minorities.

The housing and building sector is a major consumer of energy and resources, and a focus on environmentally friendly solutions is important if we are to develop sustainable societies.

Urban policy is a new topic in Nordic co-operation. The main priority is the development of healthy, attractive cities that are safe to live in, and that preserve their historical and architectural qualities. The co-operation on this topic will focus on the issues of housing conditions and distressed urban areas.

Consumer Policy

The Nordic Council’s 2002 working programme contains plans for comprehensive Nordic co-operation on consumer policy. Emphasis will be given to following up EU initiatives and continued assistance to the adjacent areas in connection with developing consumer policy. Consumers` legal rights, access to justice for consumers in cross-border disputes and consumer information, particularly in relation to new technology and consumer education, will also be given priority. Attention will be paid to encouraging changes in consumption and production that can contribute to more sustainable development. Focus will be trained on the commercial pressure on children and young people.

Justice

The Nordic constitutional state based on the rule of law is the basis for the work of the Norwegian chairmanship in the field of justice. Today this constitutional state faces new challenges, some of the most important of which are related to the information society and the efforts to combat international crime.

The Norwegian chairmanship will follow up the plan of action for Nordic legislative co-operation in the justice sector 2001-2002, adopted by the Nordic ministers of justice on 16 August 2001. The following areas will be given priority:

• Criminal activity motivated by Nazi or racist ideologies
• Nordic co-operation on family law
• Nordic co-operation on debt collection issues

The Norwegian chairmanship also intends to propose initiatives in the following areas:

• Legislative policy
• Freedom of expression
• The protection of minorities
• Child and youth crime
• The victim’s (aggrieved person’s) status in criminal procedure
• Levels of sentencing for major offences in the Nordic countries
• Alternatives to punishment

The contributions to the building of judicial institutions and a constitutional state in the areas adjacent to the Nordic countries will be continued. The informal co-operation between the Nordic justice ministries on the preparation and implementation of EC legislation in connection with the EEA, and in the preparation of national legislation, will also be continued.

The Norwegian chairmanship will also take the initiative for Nordic co-operation on civil crisis management and emergency preparedness.

Co-operation on Sami affairs

The Sami are the indigenous population in the northern regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland and north-western Russia (Kola peninsula). The Sami themselves have given priority to cross-border co-operation for a long time. A coherent Sami policy calls for a common Nordic approach to Sami affairs.

In 2000 the ministers responsible for Sami affairs in the respective Nordic countries and the presidents of the respective Sami Parliaments established a permanent co-operation, including regular meetings for discussion and sharing of information on Sami issues of common interest. The first ministerial meeting was held on 5 April 2000, and the next, at which the presidents of the Sami Parliaments participated, was held on 2 November the same year. The agenda focused on future methods of co-operation, the reports of the Sami Rights Commissions in the respective countries, the situation of the Skolt Sami (living in Norway, Finland and Russia) and issues relating to higher education.

This reorganised co-operation is intended to strengthen and develop the Sami languages, culture and business and community life and is informally linked to the Nordic Council of Ministers. It is an extension of the co-operative body on Sami and reindeer breeding affairs established in the late 1950s, and the statutes of the co-operative body are being revised accordingly.

The chairmanship and secretarial functions in connection with the ministerial meetings will rotate between the participating states. Sweden had the chairmanship in 2001 and Finland will hold the next chairmanship.

In 1995 the ministers responsible for Sami affairs in Norway, Sweden and Finland decided to establish a working group to prepare a report on the possibility for closer Nordic co-operation within the framework of a Nordic Sami convention. The report, which was presented in 1998, points to a number of areas that such a convention should cover and recommends that the respective governments should establish a committee of experts to make a closer study of these areas and to draw up a draft convention. The ministers and the presidents of the Sami Parliaments agreed in October 2001 to appoint members to an expert committee mandated to present a draft text by the end of 2003.

In 1996 the Sami Parliaments in Norway, Sweden, and Finland agreed to establish the Sami Parliamentary Council. This body constitutes a common arena for discussion and co-ordination on political issues and other matters relating to the Sami people in general or affecting Sami living on either side of a national border. The Council also plays an active role in international efforts such as the draft United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and in connection with issues affecting indigenous peoples in the Barents co-operation and the Arctic Council.

Norway will give priority to the following tasks during its chairmanship:

1. The efforts to draw up a Nordic Sami convention.
2. Simplifying co-ordination of cross-border measures and activities particularly affecting the Sami.
3. Strengthening the Sami Parliaments’ participation and influence in the Nordic co-operation on Sami affairs.
4. Initiating closer co-operation with Sweden and Finland on Sami children and youth policies. The authorities will conduct a survey of current co-operation between the specialists in this field in the respective countries, which will provide them with the necessary basis for stimulating the exchange of ideas and experiences and for competence-building. Norway is considering holding a conference on day care in autumn 2002.

Economic and Financial Policy

Nordic co-operation in the economic and financial field aims to:

• Promote well-balanced economic growth without inflation in the Nordic region. High priority is given to the dual goal of high employment and low unemployment.
• Continue the economic integration within the Nordic countries and with Europe.
• Promote issues of common Nordic concern internationally.

Norway will seek to promote an active dialogue between the Nordic countries on economic policy, public finances, structural policy, securities market legislation, customs duties and taxes, including environmental taxes. In this connection it will be necessary to further improve the functioning of the labour market to avoid structural problems.

A number of studies have been initiated in the economic and financial sector. These are currently investigating the following topics:

• The efficiency and sustainability of the public sector in the light of demographic development
• The Nordic countries and the impact of the "new economy", including ways to improve the statistical basis for estimating trends in productivity
• Future financing of the Nordic welfare states in the light of among other things increased globalisation and tax competition

These studies are expected to be finalised during 2002, and the recommendations in the reports will be used as a basis for decisions on follow-up.

Furthermore, several working groups have been established to exchange information on economic and financial issues and present proposals. These are:

• The Nordic steering group on securities market issues
• The Nordic working group on economic trends
• The Nordic working group for environmental and economic affairs

These groups will continue their work during Norway’s chairmanship.

The exchange of information between the Nordic countries on economic and financial issues in relation to the European Union will continue during Norway’s chairmanship. Issues of special interest in the economic and financial field are:

• Tax rules in the European Union
• Issues related to the financial market
• The follow-up to the Lisbon process
• Sustainable development
• Economic and Monetary Union

The Nordic Council of Finance Ministers constitutes the board of governors and general assembly of the Nordic Investment Bank (NIB). The Bank is an important instrument for co-operation between the Nordic countries. For example, the NIB participates, together with other international financial institutions, in financing the "Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership". The Nordic finance ministers are considering a proposal by the board to increase the member countries’ guarantees for the Bank’s loans for investments in environmental projects.