Transnational Nordic-Scottish cooperation: lessons for policy and practice

Transnational and inter-regional co-operation between Norden and Scotland has been an active area of policy for almost a decade. At the policy level, there has been a series of high-level meetings of senior officials, complemented by bilateral exchanges. Within the framework of EU co-funded programmes, 81 projects have been supported through Interreg and Article 10 during the 1990s. This co-operation is continuing under the new generation of Interreg III programmes covering the North Sea and Northern Periphery areas over the 2000-06 period.

The basis for this project is that now is an opportune moment to reflect on the experiences of the past decade. The aim aim is to analyse the lessons learned by regions and other partners in transnational and inter-regional co-operation projects in the fields of spatial planning and regional development in this part of Europe, and to identify the practical and policy lessons for effective inter-regional co-operation projects.

This study will provide a solid basis for the next Nordic-Scottish meeting to be held in Autumn 2003. It will provide both an overview of what has been carried out and achieved to date, a synthesis of the lessons for policy-makers and the identification of ‘good practice’ in the seven fields defined as being of specific importance for future Nordic-Scottish co-operation.