Editing Barents Region (section)

===The Barents Programme of 2014 - 2018===

The basis of the prioritized areas Barents Programme of 2014 – 2018 can be found from the guiding principles of the BRC.  The themes for the 2014 – 2018 are economy, environment, education and research, mobility and culture.<ref name="Ref2"/>

Economic growth and the essentiality of it are the key factors for the regional development in the region of Barents. The programme acknowledges the meaning of the small and medium-sized companies. The cooperation between the larger companies and the research institutions play a key factor in the regional economics. This development happens especially towards the international market if the companies have innovative services and products to offer.<ref name="Ref2"/>

Education and research play a key part in the economic growth but they are an important factor if the Barents region is to build up a sufficient base for innovation and information work. The 2014 – 2018 programme sees that the cooperation between the institutions of higher education and research and the public and private sector is of great importance.<ref name="Ref2"/>

The large size of the Barents region and the remoteness of the population centers have their own challenges. A good transportation network, innovative and vigorous economy are called out to meet tackle these problems. Currently challenges are the inter-communal transportation and mobility and the lack of extensive transportation network between the cross-border actors. This is apparent with the infrastructure and transportation related problems in the east-west border.<ref name="Ref2"/>

'''In short, aims for the 2014 - 2018 development programme are as follows:'''

*Promote the growth of creative and fast growing businesses in the region and increase the cooperation between cross border regions in the areas of economy and quality of life. Joint management and the natural resources and preservations are key to the sustainable development. The sustainability also calls in to take account the climate change and how the Barents regions will adapt to it.<ref name="Ref2"/>
*The lack of good cross border transportation network demands more from the cooperative parties. This raises the mobility across the borders in every sector from studying, to private and leisure travel and tourism. The convergence of the cooperative network also demands that each participant understands one others culture and the background they come from.<ref name="Ref2"/>

Structure of the Barents Regional Council and other significant regional actors in the Arctic region
Barents Regional council works in an area where there are many other interest driving actors. These are the Barents Euro-Arctic Cooperation, The [[European Union]], Northern Dimension, Arctic Council and [[Nordic Council of Ministers]].<ref name="Ref2"/>

Barents Regional Council and the Barents Euro-Arctic Council (BEAC) share few common organs between each other. These include the International Barents Secretariat (IBS) and a Working Group of the Indigenous Peoples (WGIP) and lastly the Joint committee on Rescue Cooperation.<ref name="Ref2"/>

Both the BEAC and BRC have they own organs under their cooperative organisations. BRC has Barents Regional Committee (RC) and three main working groups (WG) that are WG of environment, transportation & logistics and lastly WG of Investment and Economic Cooperation.<ref name="Ref2"/>

BEAC has their own Committee of Senior Officials (CSO) and under this there are several working groups and other organs. These are the WG of Economic Cooperation, Environment, Customs Cooperation, Barents Forest Sector Task-Force and the streeting committee for the Barents Euro-Arctic Pan-European Transport Area.<ref name="Ref2"/>

Between the BRC and BEAC there are several joint working groups (JWG) in their own expertise fields. These are JWG on Health and related Social Issues, JWG on Education and Research, JWG on Energy, JWG on Culture, JWG on Tourism and lastly JWG on Youth.<ref name="Ref2"/>