The Nordic environmental cooperation is led by the Nordic Council of Ministers for the Environment. The cooperation is currently focusing on implementing the Nordic Environmental Action Plan for the period 2013-2018. The action plan contributes to long term solutions regarding environmental challenges shared by the Nordic countries. Prioritized issues within the action plan are:
- Green economy
- Climate change and air pollution
- Biodiversity and ecosystems
- Health and environmentally hazardous chemicals
The cooperation does not only cover Nordic projects. Certain attention is devoted to global issues where the Nordic countries through cooperation can pursue their interest with greater emphasis and with clear Nordic synergies.
The cooperation between the Nordic countries’ governments and authorities is focusing on issues which creates added value through
- exchange of experience and division of labor
- development of new knowledge
- common solutions and suggestions
- efforts focusing at the EU- and international level
Important international contexts for the Nordic environmental cooperation include the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Important conventions for the cooperation are the UN Climate Convention and the Convention on Biological Diversity, where the Nordic countries, through cooperation can achieve common success. The Nordic countries are active in environmental cooperation within, for example, the Arctic Council and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council.
The Nordic Council of Ministers has a one-year rotating presidency. The country holding the presidency has a major influence on the work in the ministerial councils and what issues to prioritize. In 2018 Sweden holds the presidency. During the year, a new Nordic environmental action plan for the period 2019-2024 will be developed. The presidency is chaired by Ministry for the Environment and Energy in Sweden, with support of the Swedish EPA.
The Swedish EPA participates in several of the Nordic Council of Ministers´ environmental working groups, as well as in the working group under the Committee of Senior Officials for the Environment where the affairs of the Environment ministers are prepared and followed up. In addition, the Swedish EPA manages the secretariats for two of the environmental working groups.
The Nordic Council of Ministers website contains more information about the working groups and their areas of responsibility: