"Since each project has to involve at least three countries, all of the Nordic and Baltic member states are fairly evenly represented as applicants or partners, or both," said programme coordinator Madis Kanarbik, head of the Tartu branch of the Nordic Council of Ministers' Office in Estonia.
The most active participants in the programme are public administration workers from Sweden (21.4% of all projects), Estonia (17.8%) and Finland (16.8%). This year, applicants could also look for partners interested in cooperation with the help of the NB8-Grants application system.
Support was given to cooperation projects in the areas of law enforcement, education and research, local and regional development, economy and enterprise, and many others. Applications received and financing decisions made in 2014.
A good example of the networks operating with the support of the Mobility Programme is the 'Nordic-Baltic LULUCF Network for Climate-Friendly Land Use Measures' project, which was initiated by the Latvian Ministry of Agriculture, which received support in 2013 and studies the impact of forestry and agriculture on climate change. Experts from all Nordic and Baltic countries are involved in the project (NB8: Denmark, Finland, Estonia, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden) and the work of the network has also attracted attention in the European Union.
The Mobility Programme supports the study visits, work placement trips and network meetings of officials and other public sector workers, thereby contributing to cooperation between the Nordic countries and Baltic States at the level of ministries, regional offices and local governments. Grants are issued to projects which involve partners from at least three NB8 countries. This year the programme is covering up to 65% of a project's travel and accommodation costs and daily allowances, and up to 60% in 2015.
Further information is available on the programme's website NB8-Grants.