Sweden's Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council
At the meeting of foreign ministers in Murmansk on 15 October 2009, Sweden took over the Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) from Russia for the next two years. The Chairmanship of the BEAC rotates every other year between Finland, Norway, the Russian Federation and Sweden.
Background
Cooperation in the Barents region was launched in 1993, when Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, the Russian Federation and the European Commission came together at a meeting of foreign ministers in Kirkenes to sign the 'Kirkenes Declaration' establishing the BEAC. At the same time, the region's county governors and their equivalents, together with representatives of the region's indigenous peoples, signed a protocol establishing the Barents Regional Council (BRC).
National and regional level
Barents cooperation is thus conducted on two levels: the BEAC is the forum for intergovernmental cooperation, while the BRC is the forum for cooperation between the Member States' 13 northern regions (counties or equivalent). The Swedish counties represented are Norrbotten and Västerbotten. The Working Group of Indigenous Peoples has an advisory role and cooperates closely with both the BEAC and the BRC.
Working groups for different areas of interest
Cooperation is conducted in a number of working groups under the BEAC or the BRC, but also in working groups that are common to both levels. Their activities essentially cover all areas of society, such as the economy, energy, health, culture, environment and indigenous peoples.
The Swedish Chairmanship
Within the Government Offices, the main responsibility for the Chairmanship of the Barents Euro-Arctic Council lies with the Department for Eastern Europe and Central Asia at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. For the duration of the Swedish Chairmanship, a Barents Secretariat has been set up.
