The New Northern Dimension and the Possibility of an Energy Partnership
The aim is to assess existing areas of co-operation, propose solutions to identified policy problems, and highlight new areas of cooperation, as well as to make the new Northern Dimension widely known in the Northern Dimension partner countries and propose ways in which an energy partnership can be included in the Northern Dimension partnership programmes.Participants
Jakub M. Godzimirski
Helge Blakkisrud
Indra Overland
Aadne Aasland, NIBR
Alf Håkon Hoel, University of Tromsø
Research team in Finland:
Pami Aalto, Aleksanteri Institute
Kari Liuhto, Pan-European Institute
Hanna Smith, Aleksanteri Institute
Nina Tynkkynen, University of Tampere
Katri Pynnönniemi, UPI
The high level adoption of the new Northern Dimension (ND) basic documents in November 2006 transformed the Northern Dimension into a common policy between the EU, Iceland, Norway and Russia. The new ND is an interesting case study due to the vary tangible questions it raises for its partner countries like Finland and Norway, the former an EU member and the latter an EEA member, and both with a record of engaging Russia into regional level co-operation during the past 15 years and more. For Norway, the environment, nuclear safety and the High North/the Barents region in general represent the key areas. During the recent years energy has risen as a topic, the Norwegian-Russian energy partnership being one example. For Finland, environmental co-operation is pivotal but so far it has mostly concentrated on the Baltic Sea area and its environs, whereas environmental effects of energy extraction, energy transport and use, and energy trade and energy policy on the whole, represent rising topics.
The project has two focus areas:
1. energy
2. ND partnerships and cross-border cooperation
The aim of this Norwegian—Finnish project is to assess existing areas of co-operation, propose solutions to identified policy problems, and highlight new areas of cooperation, as well as to make the new Northern Dimension widely known in the ND partner countries and propose ways in which an energy partnership can be included in the ND partnership programmes.
Funding
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Finland and Norway
Publications
- Blakkisrud, Helge , Pami Aalto, Hanna Smith [ed.] (2008). Energising the New Northern Dimension. Helsinki/Oslo, Aleksanteri Institute, University of Helsinki and NUPI. 14 pages. Policy paper on the Northern Dimension (ND) programme of the EU and the possibility of an energy partnership.
- Blakkisrud, Helge , Pami Aalto, Hanna Smith [ed.] (2008). The New Northern Dimension of the European Neighbourhood. Brussels, Centre for European Policy Studies . 237 pages. This book examines regional cooperation among countries in Europe's northern neighbourhood, with an emphasis on the pitfalls and sucsesses of engaging Russia.
