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BARENTS 2010 STRATEGY AND FUTURE
DEVELOPMENT OF THE BARENTS REGION
Esko Lotvonen
Executive director
Regional Council of Lapland
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Need for clear strategy and priorities
• First 10 years of Barents cooperation were making the basis for
European northernmost cooperation region
• Barents region has been widening geographically
• During 10 years very much did changed in different regions of
Barents
• There were also great changes in European and global
perspectives
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Light from the North
• Barents region is abundant of natural resourcies
• Many of these are increasing there relevance and importance
• Energy, minerals, timber, fish,..
• Arctic nature more attractive product for turism
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Growth possibilities in all regions
• good thing is that future possibilities covers the whole of
Barents region
• North West Russia – oil and gas, minerals, forestry,..
• North Sweden – minerals, commercial service (IKEA),..
• North Finland – turism, ict, minerals,..
• North Norway – oil and gas, fish,…
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Structures in chance
• globalisation has its impacts in Barents region
• modern technology gives possibilities for industry and
service sector
• cold climate technology is a growth sector
• settlement structure is more centralized
• population has been decreasing
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Challencies for Barents region (1)
• creating a functional cooperation area is not an easy task
• wide area with unsufficient transport network is a problem
• different languages and cultures in practicalities create
obstacles
• more bilateral than multilateral cooperation
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Challencies for Barents region (2)
• engagement and support of national level
• cooperation between different levels of national
adminstration
• cooperation between different sectors in national and
regional level
• insufficient cooperation structures
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Challencies for Barents region (3)
• sustainable environmental development
• possibilities for private sector as a stakeholder
• the role of regional SMEs in development activities
• to secure and develop the culture of indegenious people
• development of social dimension
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Roadmap ahead
• prioritize – focus
• take use of strengtnesses - create special knowhow
• sector programmes under implementation (oil- and gas,
turism, forestry, mining and minerals, ict, transport)
• effective, permanent organisational structures
• real engagement needed
• strong youth dimension
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Need for Northern policies
• national states should prepare their stronger strategies for
northern regions
• EU together with different stakeholders should develop and
implement active Northern Dimension –policy
• different national and international financing resources and
programmes have to be develop and used to reach the goals
of Barents region
• the new European Neighbourhood and Partnership
Instrument is important for us
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B
Future has to be done
• Good future for Barents region will not come automatically
• It has to done !
• Let us do it !
• THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENSION !
Strategies & actions for macro-regions BSR INTERREG III B