{"id":41218,"date":"2025-06-09T09:04:05","date_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/?p=41218"},"modified":"2025-06-09T09:06:16","modified_gmt":"2025-06-09T08:06:16","slug":"eu-cohesion-policy-in-northern-sweden","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/europaforum.nu\/?p=41218","title":{"rendered":"EU Cohesion Policy in northern Sweden"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Introduction<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cohesion policy is the EU\u2019s main investment tool for stimulating economic growth and jobs at local and<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

regional level. The policy aims to strengthen economic, social and territorial cohesion within the Union<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and to promote balanced development. The policy is mainly implemented through development<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

projects financed by funds and programmes tailored to the unique needs and conditions of the regions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since Sweden\u2019s accession to the EU in 1995, cohesion policy has played a crucial role in the<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

development of the regions in northern Sweden. The regions are part of the European Arctic, an area<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

with extensive natural resources, great potential for the green transition and an increased strategic<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

importance due to climate change and a deteriorating security situation. The regions also face<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

specific challenges that make them vulnerable, such as large geographical distances, sparsely<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

populated areas, limited economic resources and an economy that is sensitive to market fluctuations<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and dependent on natural resources. To address these challenges while at the same time exploiting<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

the opportunities available, cohesion policy has been a key driver of the development in northern<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweden.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through EU support, actors in northern Sweden have been able to co-finance strategic projects and<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

test innovative ideas, which have then been scaled up and integrated into regular activities. Longterm<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

investments have been made possible at local and regional level, where strong local and<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

regional influence has created commitment and ownership. This has been important to ensure that<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

interventions respond to actual needs and to create an interplay between different interests. In this<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

way, cohesion policy contributes to unlocking the potential for development and creating more<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

competitive business, smarter communities and vibrant regions.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the upcoming negotiations on the EU\u2019s next long-term budget, the Union will be faced with<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

important decisions on which policy areas and investment tools should be priorities and how they<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

should be designed. Ahead of the negotiations, Europaforum Northern Sweden therefore wants to<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

highlight examples of concrete efforts, and the added value created by the EU\u2019s cohesion policy in<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

northern Sweden. Other reports, such as the European Commission\u2019s Ninth Cohesion Report, show<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

that cohesion policy has played a central role in promoting economic integration and prosperity<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

within the Union. For a country like Sweden, where 70 per cent of exports go to the EU\u2019s single<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

market, this creates increased trade opportunities and stronger economic links with other Members<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

States. This report can be seen as a further contribution to the knowledge and understanding of<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

cohesion policy presented from a regional perspective.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With these introductory words, Europaforum Norra Sverige hopes that this report will provide a<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

deeper understanding of cohesion policy and its importance for the development of northern<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sweden.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Europaforum Norra Sverige, March 2025<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n