Despite the difficult situation and difficulties in cross-border mobility due to the Covid-19 virus, cooperation between Nordic and Baltic public sector institutions is continuing this year as intensely and effectively as before. This is evidenced by the active participation of public sector institutions in the spring application round of the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration.
Over the next year, around 285 public sector employees of the Nordic countries and Baltic States will be participating in cooperation projects supported by the Nordic-Baltic Mobility Programme for Public Administration in 2020. The total amount of support for the mobility programme this year is 265,645euros, which is divided between 46 projects. The largest amount allocated to a single project was 9847 euros, whilst the smallest was 1500 euros.
In 2020, the Nordic-Baltic Public Administration for Mobility Programme received 50 applications in the total amount of 324,096euros. The highest number of applications was submitted from Lithuania (20 applications), followed by Estonia (17 applications) and Latvia (12 applications). During its 12 years of operation, the Mobility Programme has significantly contributed to Nordic-Baltic public sector cooperation, its greater efficiency and the growth of the global competitiveness of the entire region, with a total of almost 3800 officials participating in the programme.
"Despite the difficult situation, this year's projects are very well prepared and of good quality," said programme coordinator Madis Kanarbik, head of the Tartu branch of the Nordic Council of Ministers’ Office in Estonia. "The funded projects aim to support the further development and efficiency of public cooperation in the Nordic-Baltic region. Swedish municipalities and public authorities are the most represented of the Nordic partners, participating in a total of 33 projects. Since each project must involve partners from at least three countries, all of the Nordic countries and Baltic States are well and evenly represented."
Considering participation in all supported projects as both an applicant and a partner, the public authorities participating most actively in the programme this year come from Sweden (19.4% of all projects), Norway (15.3%) and Finland (12.9). Cooperation projects in the fields of law enforcement, social affairs, education and research, development of public administration and many other areas received support.
Read more about the Public Administration mobility programme