European cooperation

Pan-European cooperation is one of the focal points of the international operations in Lapland.

North Finland EU Office

The North Finland EU Office of Brussels develops the contacts and interaction between Lapland and European operators. The office is owned and managed by the regional councils of Lapland, Northern Ostrobothnia and Central Ostrobothnia.

The office provides information and manages contacts between the regions and the European Union. The benefits of the operations are directly allocated into the regions and their industrial development.

Assembly of European Regions (AER)

The Regional Council of Lapland operates actively in the Assembly of European Regions (AER), which consists of more than 270 European regions. The objectives of AER are to:

• promote the opportunities of the regions and their inhabitants with regard to taking part in decision-making affecting both themselves and the regions
• increase the political influence of the regions in European organs
• support the regions in their Europeanisation and globalisation development
• support collaboration between the regions.

The Regional Council of Lapland focuses on the work of the committee on the regional and structural policies in particular, and more generally, on affecting the formulation of the structural policies during the next programme period through the organisation. In addition, the Regional Council of Lapland actively operates in the committees of the regions.