Programme description
The Northern Periphery and Arctic 2014-2020 Programme forms a cooperation between 9 programme partner countries; the Member States of Finland, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom (Scotland and Northern Ireland) in cooperation with the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland and Norway. This means that the programme area encompasses the Euro-Arctic zone, parts of the Atlantic zone and parts of the Barents region, neighbouring on Canada in the West and Russia in the East. Despite geographical differences, the large programme area shares a number of common features, such as low population density, low accessibility, low economic diversity, abundant natural resources, and high impact of climate change. This unique combination of features results in joint challenges and joint opportunities that can best be overcome and realised by transnational cooperation. The transnational cooperation includes, besides partners from the 9 partner countries, cooperation with partners from Canada and Russia as well.
Overall vision
The Northern Periphery and Arctic 2014-2020 Programme aims to expand the regions’ horizons, building on concrete outcomes and enabling the programme area to be a 1st class region to live, study, work, visit and invest. It is the programme’s vision is to help to generate vibrant, competitive and sustainable communities, by harnessing innovation, expanding the capacity for entrepreneurship and seizing the unique growth initiatives and opportunities of the Northern and Arctic regions in a resource efficient way.
Funding priorities
The development needs and potentials of the programme area, together with the policy and historic context have resulted in 4 priority axes to achieve the programme vision:
The sparsely populated communities of the programme area are the focus point of all 4 priority axes.
The Arctic dimension
In general, the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme has the potential to add a regional development level to the EU Arctic Policy as well as the national Arctic policies. It is the common challenges of the Northern Periphery Programme area, sparse population, peripherality, insularity and harsh conditions that also apply to Arctic cooperation. The Arctic dimension plays in that way as a cross cutting role in the Programme.
Some of the expected results
Types of changes fostered by the Programme include, for example:
- Change of attitude and of actual behaviour in relation to innovation processes, entrepreneurship and market behaviour among SMEs in the low densely populated areas outside the regional centres; and
- Enhanced capacity and preparedness in local and regional communities to handle the risks connected to climate change and large scale exploitation of natural resources.
Funds
Regional Development Fund (ERDF): 50.209.899,00 €
Thematic priorities
View the dataFinancial information
Total OP budget: 78.636.424,00 €
Total EU contribution: 50.209.899,00 €
View the data