Two applications submitted to the EU’s Baltic Sea Programme were intended to help stimulate political cooperation in the Barents Regional Council. The rejection of both applications now threatens to negatively affect the unique political cooperation in the region.
Kari Aalto, leader of the Barents Regional Committee, an administrative body under the Barents Regional Council, confirms that the applications have been rejected by EU authorities. The projects were high on the agenda in this week’s council session in Murmansk.
Negative consequences
The rejections could negatively affect the unique political cooperation in the region. The Barents Regional Council unites politicians from 13 county entities in Russia, Norway, Sweden and Finland and is thus one of the very few international political bodies, which includes the Russian regional level of power.
One of the applications included a set of measures meant to stimulate the council’s joint activities. The other project focused on cross-border road traffic cooperation. Mr Aalto confirms to BarentsObserver that the rejections are likely to have negative consequences.
Obstruction
The Swedish Västerbotten county has been instrumental in the designing of one the applications. Maria Östensson, international coordinator from the county administration, says to BarentsObserver that several of the council members have displayed insufficient support in the application process. That has seriously hampered project progress and is a key reason why the applications failed, she admits.
Still hope
The fate of the project applications might however not yet be sealed. Mr. Aalto says there still is a chance that the applications could be approved and get funding in a second round. The same hope is expressed by Ms Östensson. She says that the managers of the Baltic Sea Programme have expressed interest in the Barents Region and that they are positively tuned towards granting the Barents Regional Council money. The Monitoring Committee of the Baltic Sea Programme will go to Oulu, northern Finland, in early December for a meeting on the issue. That meeting could give impetus for new applications.
In any case, the successful development of the Barents Regional Council will require the necessary political will from the participating regions. Without that will, the council might have outplayed its role in the region.
Read more news about the Barents Cooperation here
