WHAT:

The Nordic Council of Ministers is the official organisation for Nordic intergovernmental co-operation. This structure formilises inter-institutional cooperation between Nordic countries.

WHERE:

Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland and Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.

HOW:

Since 2008 there has been a special body under this intergovernmental framework dealing with border obstacles - today known under the name the "Freedom of Movement Council". This body includes members from all the Nordic countries and autonomous regions, as well as the Secretary General and a representative from the Nordic Council (the inter-parliamentary organisation). The Freedom of Movement Council coordinates the Council of Ministers' work on border obstacles, and also maintains a database of obstacles. The information in the database is collected by the Nordic information services. Each member of the Freedom of Movement Council prioritises a handful of obstacles each year, making sure that it remains a priority until it is either resolved or that the relevant Government department concludes that it cannot be resolved.

RESULTS:

Between 2015 and 2016 seventeen of the 36 prioritised border obstacles were resolved. Hence, the institutionalised systematic cooperation and prioritisation work shows concrete results. Outside of this framework, Nordic governments also work on a purely bilateral basis to solve border obstacles.

More information is available here.