Nordic Cooperation
Official Nordic co-operation is channeled through two organizations:
- the Nordic Council
- the Nordic Council of Ministers
The Nordic Council was formed in 1952 and is the forum for Nordic parliamentary co-operation. The Council has 87 elected members, representing the five countries and three autonomous territories.
The members of the Council are members of the national parliaments, who are nominated by their respective political party. There is thus no procedure for direct election to the Nordic Council.
The Council is unique in that parliamentarians and members of the governments meet for political discussions at the annual Sessions.
The Nordic Council is led by a Presidium and the general Session takes place every autumn. Special sessions on specific themes are organised in between.
On-going political work in the Nordic Council is conducted through committees and party groups.
The Nordic Council is managed by a Secretariat which shares its premises with Secretariat of the Nordic Council of Ministers in Copenhagen. Moreover, the Nordic Council has national secretariats in the Nordic parliaments, attached to the delegations of the respective countries.
The Nordic Council and the Nordic Council of Ministers share personnel, finance and service departments.
The Nordic Council of Ministers formed in 1971 is the forum for Nordic governmental co-operation.
Overall responsibility for the Nordic Council of Ministers lies with the respective Prime Ministers. In practice, responsibility is delegated to the Ministers for Nordic Co-operation (MR-SAM) and to the Nordic Committee for Co-operation (NSK), which co-ordinates the day-to-day work of the official political Nordic co-operation.
Despite its name the Nordic Council of Ministers consists of several individual Councils of ministers (MR). Most of the Nordic ministers for specific policy areas meet regularly in a council of ministers.
The Presidency in the Nordic Council of Ministers, which is held for a period of one year, rotates between the five Nordic countries. In 2010 Denmark is the Presidency country and leads the Nordic cooperation with the programme titled "The Nordic Region pointing the way forward". Decisions made in the Council of Ministers are unanimous.
Issues are prepared and followed up by the various Committees of Senior Officials (ÄK or EK) which consist of civil servants from the member countries.
The Nordic Prime Ministers meet regularly – like before meetings of the European Council. Ministers for foreign affairs and defense hold their regular meetings outside the formal framework of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
NCM Secretary General Halldór Ásgrímsson in Hanasaari 17.1.2007
For more information:
Nordic Council
Nordic Council of Ministers