The Government granted 19.5 million euros for neighbouring area cooperation this year
Press release 47/2009
12 February, 2009
On Thursday, 12 February the Government approved the plan for the use of appropriations for neighbouring area cooperation in 2009. A total of about 21.2 million euros has been reserved for neighbouring area cooperation this year; this sum is divided so that the share of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is about 19.5 million euros and that of other ministries about 1.7 million euros.
Neighbouring area cooperation is an important aspect of cooperation between Finland and Russia in foreign and security policy and in economic and business policy. Neighbouring area cooperation between Finland and Russia, based on an agreement signed in 1992, is today developed on the basis of equal partnership with both partners committed to joint objectives and cost sharing. Neighbouring area cooperation also supports the Northern Dimension policy goals at project level.
Finland’s neighbouring area cooperation focuses on North-West Russia, especially the City of St. Petersburg, Leningrad Region, the Republic of Karelia and the Murmansk Region. Neighbouring area cooperation promotes economic cooperation, environment protection and nuclear safety. In addition, neighbouring area cooperation combats threats associated with communicable diseases, drugs and organised crime. It also supports strengthening of civil society and reform of administration and legislation. Each year about two hundred projects are in progress, most of them bilateral projects.
Promotion of economic cooperation is given more weight than before. The intention is to use a total of 5.7 million euros for this purpose. Through projects, for instance, cross-border cooperation and networking among small and medium-sized enterprises are developed and the operating preconditions for Finnish companies in North-West Russia are furthered. In order to improve the smoothness of border crossing, cooperation between customs authorities and information systems for logistic chains are developed. Cooperation is also done to improve traffic safety in Finland’s neighbouring areas.
A separate reserve of 2 million euros was set aside from the appropriation, to be used for regional actors’ projects aiming to support the European Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument, cross border cooperation (ENPI CBC) programmes being launched between Finland and Russia.
The environment and nuclear safety continue to be key sectors. A total of 4.8 million euros is allocated for environment-sector cooperation, of which about 3.4 million euros will be used for environmental projects in North-West Russia implemented within the Northern Dimension Environmental Partnership. Forestry projects strive to promote regional forestry administration and to strengthen partnership in forestry between the public and private sectors.
Projects dealing with nuclear safety will receive 1.8 million euros in support. The central aim of these projects is to ensure the safety of neighbouring areas and minimise safety risks to regions and citizens of Finland. The largest projects focus on increasing the safety of nuclear power plants in the Leningrad and Kola Peninsula regions. About 1.9 million euros will be used for the social and health sector, where the field of priority is the prevention of communicable diseases.
Finnish civil society organisations will receive 1.5 million euros in support for their neighbouring area cooperation this year. The project-specific distribution will be made according to a separate decision of the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development.
Additional information: Counsellor of Foreign Affairs Anneli Puura-Märkälä, Unit for Regional Cooperation of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, tel. +358 9 1605 5625, and Ossi Martikainen, Senior Adviser to the Minister for Foreign Trade and Development, mobile tel. +358 40 592 6769