The Nordic-Baltic Countries to Strengthen Cooperation on the Digital and Green Transitions in MR-DIGITAL

Digital technologies and tools are developing rapidly and, if harnessed, will be crucial in building better public services and contributing to the green transition. It is therefore important that the Nordic-Baltic countries continue the strong partnership and cooperation on a sustainable and green digital transformation of our societies.

Nordic-Baltic ministers in charge of digital development have approved the Digital North 2.0 declaration. The declaration sets out the political direction for the cooperation on digitisation in the Nordic-Baltic region in the period 2021–2024.

In a time of significant challenges - including COVID-19 and climate change - the Nordic-Baltic countries will show that new digital technologies and data can be used and shared in a fair, open, and democratic way to tackle these societal challenges.

Already today, the countries in the Nordic-Baltic region are top of class when it comes to digital public sectors. In the UN’s E-Government survey, Denmark has placed first. Out of the eight Nordic-Baltic states, four are in the top 10 of the survey, with another three in the top 20.

Digital North 2.0 therefore underpins the unique position of the Nordic-Baltic region to develop and use advanced digital technologies and data in an ambitious, innovative, secure, and ethical manner. The declaration will also promote excellent public services, regional mobility, green growth, and the responsible use of digital technologies in the region.

About Digital North 2.0

Digital North 2.0 builds on the common priorities of the Nordic-Baltic countries. The commitment to continue the cooperation on a fair, open, and democratic digital transition is a serious step towards delivering on the Nordic prime ministers’ vision of becoming the most integrated and sustainable region in the world by 2030.

The three overall goals of the declaration are:  

1. Increasing mobility and integration in the Nordic-Baltic region by building a common area for cross-border digital services,

2. Promoting green economic growth and sustainable development in the Nordic-Baltic region through data-driven innovation and a fair data economy for efficient sharing and re-use of data,

3. Promoting Nordic-Baltic leadership in the EU/EEA and globally in a sustainable and inclusive digital transformation of our societies.

MR-DIGITAL consists of eleven countries comprising the Nordic-Baltic region: Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Åland Islands, Iceland, Denmark, the Faroe Islands, Greenland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.