Nordic Council of Ministers

The Nordic house is a part of the Nordic Council of Ministers

The Nordic Council of Ministers was founded in 1971. The Council, which comprises representatives of the Nordic governments, deals with matters concerning Nordic interests and makes decisions on the implementation of collaborative projects between Nordic countries, in close consultation with the Nordic Council. The three autonomous territories also take part in the work of the Nordic Council of Ministers.

The Nordic Council of Ministers in fact comprises 11 smaller councils of ministers in specific fields, which meet regularly and are responsible for e.g. culture, environmental affairs, education, research, energy and labour-market policy. All decisions of the Nordic Council of Ministers must be unanimous, as they are binding upon the member states. In some cases the national parliaments must approve decisions of the Council before they can be implemented.

The Secretariat of the Nordic Council of Ministers is at Store Strandstræde 18, Copenhagen, Denmark. Staff number about 90. Activities are funded by contributions from the Nordic states in proportion to their population and GDP. The chair of the Nordic Council of Ministers rotates among the Nordic states. Iceland chairs the Council in 2009.