Models of Cross-Border Cooperation for a Post-Brexit Context

Transcription

1 Models of Cross-Border Cooperation for a Post-Brexit Context The Norway-Sweden border: Overcoming obstacles 16 th May Dublin

2 What does the EU agreement on free movement mean? The EU s basic principle is that there should be free movement of people. EU citizens have the right to travel to another EU country and to stay there for a longer or shorter time. The Schengen cooperation complements the rules on free movement. EU citizens are allowed to stay longer than three months to: work or run their own business study live in retirement

3 EU external border

4 Nordics

5 This is the Svinesund Committee A political collaboration between Østfold and Västra Götaland. We create opportunities for business, jobs and development between countries. The Svinesund Committee works with the mandate of its members and The Nordic Council of Ministers.

6 Green growth Tourism Four focus areas Border obstacles/opportunities Blue growth

7 An active border region with great potential The Sweden-Norway border is one of the EU s external borders and one of the longest. A customs border that affects businesses and people, but also a border crossed by most commuters between Sweden and Norway. The border region is the most densely populated and accounts for the largest trade exchange.

8 The Nordic region focuses on facts

9 Most trade is with Norway and Germany (2016) Swedish exports to Norway: EURO 12,9 billion (13,1 billion to Germany) Equivalent to about: 10% each of Sweden s total exports. Swedish imports from Norway: EURO 10,3 billion (23,6 billion to Germany) Equivalent to about: 8% of Sweden s total imports. (18% to Germany)

10 Most commuting in the Nordic region takes place between Sweden and Norway Nearly 60,000 Swedish commuters and part-time commuters earn their income entirely or partly from Norway. The border region between Oslo and Gothenburg sees the most commuting compared to other regions along the Swedish-Norwegian border.

11 Many Swedish companies establish operations in Norway Around 2,000 Swedish foreign-controlled companies in Norway. Equivalent to about 30% of all foreign-controlled companies in Norway. Denmark in second place, with approximately 900 companies.

12 Definition: What is a border-obstacle? "Any obstacle that prevents, hampers or restricts the potential of people to operate freely across the national borders" (Nordic Council of Ministers) When we talk about border obstacles, we put them into one of three categories: Formal obstacles Informal obstacles Administrative obstacles

13 Border obstacles, Sweden-Norway Border obstacle work is conducted within the Nordic cooperation. Main focus on citizens, businesses have lower priority. Sweden-Norway is the EU s external border, the EEA agreement does not cover the EU customs union and the EU s internal market. The customs border creates barriers that hinder trade for businesses.

14 From border obstacles to border opportunities Border obstacles occur regionally and must initially be addressed regionally to reach the Nordic level. Don t see obstacles where there aren t obstacles. We need to create a regional structure which can cooperate at national and Nordic level. Border obstacles are now being discussed in the EU, with the Svinesund Committee in the working group.

15 Some examples that affect business between Sweden and Norway Entrepreneurs having to put up their house as a guarantee to get job on the other side of the border. Complicated VAT management for conference purchases. Long processing times cross-border commuters may have to wait six months to get parental money. National cross-border commuters are missing in national statistics.

16 How do we work to overcome border obstacles? Arrange information seminars together with border-related actors. Increase the potential of solving border obstacles. We are also involved in a project to increase movement across the border.

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18 Annika Daisley Svinesundskommittén

19 Potential for business between Sweden and Norway? If we assume that 1% of business between Sweden and Norway is hindered by border obstacles, it would mean EURO 250 million in lost business. 21% of companies responding to one of the Nordic Innovation surveys said that the reason they did not conduct business across the border was because they did not know the rules and that they could not find information on laws and regulations. This can be interpreted as the amount of lost business.

20 Large, attractive regions are the winners of the future The potential lies in our differences but we must be moderately different.

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22 Freedom of Movement Council Nordic Council of Ministers 22