This is Europe's largest region for interregional cooperation, with a multitude of networks and a wealth of natural resources, unique environmental values and great economic potential.

1
1
2
Your Gateway to the Euro Arctic Region
This is Europe's largest region for interregional
cooperation, with a multitude of networks and a
wealth of natural resources, unique environmental
values and great economic potential. The Region
includes the northernmost parts of Sweden, Norway
and Finland and Northwest Russia and is
characterised by strong cultural identity,
stability, prosperity and fast progress. Take an
active part in the cooperation and become a
pioneer of the new European Arctic.
Your spirit is needed!
2
3
About the Region
Important Cities (no. of inhabitants) In Finland
Rovaniemi 35,000 Oulu 124,000
The Barents Euro Arctic Region has a population
of 6 million and includes 13 territories.
In Norway Tromsø 61,000 Bodø 41,000 Vadsø 7,000
Lapland, Oulu and Kainuu Regions.
In Russia Naryan-Mar 20,000 Murmansk 371,600 Sev
eromorsk 79,000 Arkhangelsk 364,000 Severodvinsk
234,000 Syktyvkar 226,000 Petrozavodsk 283,000
Finnmark, Troms and Nordland Counties.
Komi and Karelian Republics, Murmansk
andArkhangelsk Counties, Nenets Autonomous area.
Norrbotten and Västerbotten Counties
In Sweden Umeå 105,000 Luleå 72,000
Surface Area 1 755 800 km2
Indigenous Peoples Sámi 60 000 Nenets 7
000 Vepsians 6 000
3
4
-Your Gateway to the Euro-Arctic Region
COUNTY OFTROMS
VADSO
COUNTY OFFINNMARK
TROMSO
COUNTY OFNORDLAND
MURMANSK
Severomorsk
Vorkuta
Monchegorsk
COUNTY OFNORRBOTTEN
NARYAN-MAR
REGION OFLAPLAND
BODO
Apatity
NENETSAUTONOMOUSAREA
COUNTY OFMURMANSK
ROVANIEMI
ARCTIC CIRCLE
LULEA
COUNTY OFVASTERBOTTEN
Kostomuksha
OULU
REPUBLIK OFKOMI
ARKHANGELSK
UMEA
REGION OFOULU
KAJAANI
REGION OFKAINUU
Ukhta
Severodvinsk
Novodvinsk
REPUBLIC OFKARELIA
COUNTY OFARKHANGELSK
SYKTYVKAR

• lt 10.000 inhabitants
• 10.000-125.000 inhabitants
• 125.000-250.000 inhabitants
• gt 250.000 inhabitants

PETROZAVODSK
Kotlas
4
5
Historical Roots of the North
The earliest history of the north can be traced
back to the Stone Age, around 36,000 BC, in
Mamontovaya Kurya in the Ural Mountains of the
Republic of Komi.

• Stone Age in Ural Mountains, 36 000 BC
• Komsa culture, Finnmark Region, 8,000 BC.
• Viking Explorers Rurik and Ottar of Hålogaland,
  850-900 AD
• Novgorod State
• Treaty of Nöteborg, 1323
• Arkhangelsk founded in 1584
• Willem Barentzmap published in 1598
• Peter the Great, 1672-1725
• Pomor trade, 1740-1917

5
6
History of the Barents Euro Arctic Cooperation
The cooperation is aimed at responding to the
challenges in our northern areas and improving
the living conditions of the people. Efforts are
being made in many areas from overall
security,environmental concerns and economic
development to the human dimension and
indigenous peoples interests.
Barents Summit Meeting, Kirkenes 11 January 2003
1960 The North Calotte Cooperation 1987 Michail
Gorbachev initiates inter-regional cooperation in
the north 1993 The signing of the Kirkenes
Declaration, the establishment of the BEAC
Barents Euro Arctic Council and the Barents
Regional Council 2003 The Barents Euro Arctic
10th Anniversary Declaration 2004 The Action
Plan for Northern Dimension Policies
6
7
The Barents Euro-Arctic 10th Anniversary
Declaration 2003.
Management of spent nuclear fuel and
radioactive waste must start Transport in the
eastern and western directions will be improved
all border crossings shall be simplified and it
should take no more than two hours for goods to
pass borders The fight against organised crime
and trafficking will be intensified Cooperation
for a better environment will be
developed Cooperation between emergency- and
rescue services will be improved The spread of
tuberculosis must be stopped Cooperation
between youth groups will continue and the
possibilities for youth mobility and
multilateral cooperation will be
improved Cultural identity and history of the
Barents Region will be strengthened Indigenous
peoples will be involved to a greater extent in
the cooperation
7
8
About the Organisation
The Barents Cooperation has a governmental level
and a regional level. The chairmanships of the
Councils and the Working Groups are shifted every
second year. All decisions are made in consensus.

• BEAC, a forum for ministers
• CSO, Committee of Senior Officials
• Barents Regional Council
• Regional Committee
• Indigenous peoples have an advisory role in
  the work of the Councils
• Working Groups, Inter-regional and
  inter-governmental

8
9
Transportation andCommunications
In this century, three interdependent modes of
transportation and communi- cation are
developing Roads, air transport and
telecommunications networks.

• Steering Group for the Barents
• Pan-European Transport Area, (BEATA)
• Sustainable Transports in the Barents, Interreg
  IIIB project
• The BEATA GIS database, www.barentsinfo.fi/beata/
  
• The Northern Sea Route
• Northern Maritime Corridor
• New road and rail connections and air routes
• Siberia-Murmansk Pipeline

The Salla Border Crossing was inaugurated and
opened to international traffic on 27 September
2002
9
10
Transportation and Communications
VADSO
Amderma
Hammerfest
TROMSO
Kirkenes
Narvik
Severomorsk
Vorkuta
MURMANSK
Lotta
BODO
NARYAN-MAR
Monchegorsk
Mo i Rana
Apatity
ROVANIEMI
Haparanda
Kandalaksha
Salla
LULEA
Usinsk
Kusamo
Mezen
Vartius
Vartius
OULU
UMEA
ARKHANGELSK
Novodvinsk
KAJAANI
Severodvinsk
Belomorsk
Ukhta
Medvezhyegorsk
Road connections Railway Canal Airport Harbour
Kotlas
PETROZAVODSK
Velsk
Kargopol
SYKTYVKAR
Konosha
10
11
Economy and Business
The importance of economic cooperation was
recognised in the Kirkenes Declaration 1993,
pointing out the potential of improved
cooperation in trade, investments and industry.
The aim is to encourage economic operators to
take advantage of the growing number of
opportunities.

• Working Group on Economic Cooperation- Task
  Force II for Customs Cooperation - Forest
  Sector Task Force
• Barents Customs Infobase, www.barentscustoms.org
• Working Group on Energy
• Working Group on the Northern Sea Route
• Northern eDimension Action Plan

11
12
Economy and Business
The Region is extremely rich and has great
economic potential,with a wealth of natural
resources and unique environmental values. Major
investments are under way in new oil and gas
fields in the Barents Sea. Large forests cover a
total of 94.2 million hectares and includes 34
National Parks, 44 600 Km2. Russian forests
constitute 60 of the worlds total boreal forest
area.

• Regional Working Group on Investments and
  Economic Cooperation
• Network of Chambers of Commerce and Business
  Centres
• Barents 2010, a strategy project for long-term
  programmes
• Joint investment Window
• Industrial development (INDEV)
• Barents Geographic DataBase, map production
• BizBarents, business site www.bizbarents.com

12
13
Forests and National Parks in the Barents Euro
Arctic Region.
Regions
ForestArea km2
Protected Nature Reserves Area km2
Numbers
National ParksArea km2
Finland Kainuu 16600 45 1 1300 Lapland 49720 6169
6 13130 Oulu 23500 615 4 2500
Norway Finnmark 832 1564 3 264 Nordland 6411 337
9 3 1068 Troms 3116 1615 3 213
Russia Arkhangelsk 220860 4392 2 2428 Karelia 939
00 2080 2 585 Komi 297500 18917 1 11880 Murmansk 5
2530 63 5058 Nenets 1910 1130 3134
Sweden Norrbotten 35500 6042 8 18275 Västerbotten
31920 11 1 8000
13
14
Forests, Nationalparks and World Heritagies Sites
COUNTY OFTROMS
COUNTY OFFINNMARK
TROMSO
VADSO
COUNTY OFNORDLAND
MURMANSK
COUNTY OFNORRBOTTEN
BODO
NARYAN-MAR
REGION OFLAPLAND
NENETSAUTONOMOUSAREA
COUNTY OFMURMANSK
ROVANIEMI
COUNTY OFVASTERBOTTEN
LULEA
REGION OFOULU
Mezen
REGION OFKAINUU
ARKHANGELSK
UMEA
OULU
REPUBLIK OFKOMI
REPUBLIC OFKARELIA
KAJAANI
COUNTY OFARKHANGELSK
Forest Area National Park World Heritage
PETROZAVODSK
SYKTYVKAR
14
15
Culture and Traditions
In this century, with peaceful relations,
interregional exchange, expanding networks,
escalating media production and increasing
private consumption, art and culture assume a
strategic role as a power for development.

• Cultural identity, locally and regionally
• History of the Barents Region
• Indigenous Peoples
• World attractions, 6 objects on the UNESCO
  World Heritage List
• Networks for arts and culture Church,
  literature, library, chamber music, choir
  music, sports, visual arts, dance, film,
  press, TV
• Action Plan for Cultural Cooperation

15
16
Indigenous Peoples
The preservation of the living conditions of the
indigenous people and their participation in the
cooperation is a leading concept of the Barents
Programme. The largest groups of indigenous
peoples and minorities are the Sámi, Nenets,
Vepsian and Komi people.

• The Working Group promotes the
  development of the indigenous
• peoples and their communities
• The establishment of the Sámi Centre in
  Lovozero, Murmansk
• Action Plan

16
17
Quality of Life, Health and Environment
The knowledge of how to live and work in
arctic conditions is an important resource for
future development in the north. The Barents
Region is one of few remaining areas with a
relatively pristine natural environment this
implies a high quality of life, but it also
entails a great responsibility for cleaner
industrial production and increased environmental
protection.

• Nuclear safety, the MNEPR agreement
• Impacts of climate change
• Public Health and Social Well-being
• Ad Hoc Working Group on health and Related
  Social Issues
• Regional and governmental working groups on
• environment
• Barents Rescue Project
• NEFCOs 42 "Hot Spot" List

17
18
Youth and Sports
This region is still young, but for demographic
reasons, it is necessary to improve the
conditions for young peoples influence,
encourage multilateral cooperation between youth
groups and to improve opportunities for youth
mobility.

• Working Group on Youth Policy
• Barents Youth Coordinator
• Regional Working Group on Youth Issues
• Regional Youth Programme
• Barents Sports Cooperation Network
• Sports Action Plan
• Barents Basket ball Games

18
19
Education
We have a young and well-educated population, but
dramatic demographic changes are rapidly
approaching. Can young people move to better
study and job opportunities in the Barents
Region?

• 14 State Universities in the Barents Region
  of which 9 are Russian
• Programme Board for Exchange Grants/ Higher
  Education and Research
• Regional Working Group of Education and
  Research the Arctic
• Bilateral student exchange programmes
• University of the Arctic

19
20
"My vision for the future is that the Barents
Region will be a region full of life, with good
possibilities for study and work."
CECILIA ÅHL, UMEÅ, SWEDEN Participant of BRYF-
projekt
20
21
Governmental Information The Barents Euro-Arctic
Council www.beac.st
Regional Information The Barents Regional
Council www.ac.lst.se www.barentsinfo.org

21
22
Transportation and Communications
VADSO
Amderma
Hammerfest
TROMSO
Kirkenes
Narvik
Vorkuta
MURMANSK
Severomorsk
Lotta
BODO
NARYAN-MAR
Monchegorsk
Mo i Rana
Apatity
ROVANIEMI
Haparanda
Kandalaksha
Salla
LULEA
Usinsk
Kusamo
Mezen
Vartius
Vartius
OULU
UMEA
ARKHANGELSK
Novodvinsk
KAJAANI
Severodvinsk
Belomorsk
Ukhta
Medvezhyegorsk
Road connections Railway Canal Airport Harbour
Kotlas
PETROZAVODSK
Velsk
Kargopol
SYKTYVKAR
Konosha
23
Transportation and Communications
VADSO
Amderma
Hammerfest
TROMSO
Kirkenes
Narvik
Vorkuta
MURMANSK
Severomorsk
Lotta
BODO
NARYAN-MAR
Monchegorsk
Mo i Rana
Apatity
ROVANIEMI
Haparanda
Kandalaksha
Salla
LULEA
Usinsk
Kusamo
Mezen
Vartius
Vartius
OULU
UMEA
ARKHANGELSK
Novodvinsk
KAJAANI
Severodvinsk
Belomorsk
Ukhta
Medvezhyegorsk
Road connections Railway Canal Airport Harbour
Kotlas
PETROZAVODSK
Velsk
Kargopol
SYKTYVKAR
Konosha
24
Transportation and Communications
VADSO
Amderma
Hammerfest
TROMSO
Kirkenes
Narvik
Vorkuta
MURMANSK
Severomorsk
Lotta
BODO
NARYAN-MAR
Monchegorsk
Mo i Rana
Apatity
ROVANIEMI
Haparanda
Kandalaksha
Salla
LULEA
Usinsk
Kusamo
Mezen
Vartius
Vartius
OULU
UMEA
ARKHANGELSK
Novodvinsk
KAJAANI
Severodvinsk
Belomorsk
Ukhta
Medvezhyegorsk
Road connections Railway Canal Airport Harbour
Kotlas
PETROZAVODSK
Velsk
Kargopol
SYKTYVKAR
Konosha
25
Transportation and Communications
VADSO
Amderma
Hammerfest
TROMSO
Kirkenes
Narvik
Severomorsk
Vorkuta
MURMANSK
Lotta
BODO
NARYAN-MAR
Monchegorsk
Mo i Rana
Apatity
ROVANIEMI
Haparanda
Kandalaksha
Salla
LULEA
Usinsk
Kusamo
Mezen
Vartius
Vartius
OULU
UMEA
ARKHANGELSK
Novodvinsk
KAJAANI
Severodvinsk
Belomorsk
Ukhta
Medvezhyegorsk
Road connections Railway Canal Airport Harbour
Kotlas
PETROZAVODSK
Velsk
Kargopol
SYKTYVKAR
Konosha