Norway and the eight EU member states around the Baltic Sea have taken an important step towards deeper cooperation. Following the initiative of Norway’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, dialogue between Norway and the EU countries bordering the Baltic Sea has gained new momentum within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region (EUSBSR).
Estonia, holding the current Presidency of the EUSBSR, has played a key role in facilitating this process and coordinating the dialogue between Norway and the EU member states. Norway will be invited on a standing basis to the National Coordinators’ Group meetings, ensuring continuity and engagement in the Strategy’s governance. The National Coordinators’ Group is the core decision-making body within the Strategy, acting as its executive board.
Expanding practical cooperation to strategic partnership
Norway has long participated in several policy areas within the Strategy, but the goal is now to expand practical cooperation into a more strategic partnership and move towards full membership. Norway is already a full member of the Interreg Baltic Sea Region Programme, and aligning the two frameworks will strengthen the coherence and effectiveness of future transnational collaboration.
At the National Coordinators’ Group meeting held on 30 October 2025 in Sopot, Poland, alongside the EUSBSR Annual Forum, the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Espen Barth Eide formally expressed Norway’s wish to deepen cooperation with the aim of becoming a full member of the Strategy. This expression of intent marks a major milestone in the development of the Strategy and in the deepening of regional cooperation.
Centrum Balticum strongly supports the implementation of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region and hosts the Baltic Sea Strategy Point (BSP). The Strategy Point serves as the central hub for the Strategy’s communication, development, and coordination.
