Northern Dimension partnership: from concept to reality

Interview with Oddgeir Danielsen

With its new Secretariat director in place today, the new Northern Dimension Partnership on Transport and Logistics (NDPTL) moves from vision to practice.

“The transmission of the first project from a concept to a real-life project will be an important milestone for the NDPTL ,” says Oddgeir Danielsen, the new director of the Secretariat for the partnership.

As the new director, he will emphasise the importance of making the Secretariat fully operational in order to build a solid foundation for working on the priority areas.

“The Steering Committee sets the priorities. My role will be to ensure that the administrative work is solved in the best possible way and to provide the necessary background material in order for the Steering Committee to take the right decisions,” Mr Danielsen says.

The NDPTL’s goal is to improve, in compliance with the ecological needs of the region, the major transport connections and logistics in the Northern Dimension region to stimulate sustainable economic growth at the local, regional and global levels by focusing on a limited number of priorities that reflect both regional and national priorities in a balanced way.

“Continued mapping of bottlenecks, and getting acquainted with other projects and initiatives working with similar challenges as the NDPTL will be high on the agenda,” Mr Danielsen adds.

“In a modern economy, effective transport and logistics is of vital importance. A good transport infrastructure is the main link in every logistics chain and is of vital importance to ensure sustainable development. Efficient solutions will have a positive impact on the environment in a number of ways, such as shortened transport routes,” he continues.

But even though infrastructure is key, it cannot alone lead to improved transport solutions within the Northern Dimension according to Mr Danielsen.

“Different national policies often make up a bigger stumbling block for effective transport than infrastructure. Therefore working to streamline rules and practises for customs, transits, guarantees, as well as various permits and other transport documents will be an important focus area for us,” Mr Danielsen explains.

Think regional
Mr Danielsen points out that the regional approach-the backbone of the Northern Dimension-is the best way to find good solutions to challenges in the transport and logistics sector.

“The best view is often obtained by seeing a case from many different angles. By taking the regional as well as the local perspective into consideration, you can base your decision on solid ground,” he says.

This frame of mind is something Mr Danielsen carries with him from his former position within the Barents Cooperation.

“In the regional Barents Cooperation I obtained experience with working in forums made up of different nations with various standpoints. Finding good solutions, which are acceptable for all, can be demanding. I believe this experience will be useful in my new position as director of the NDPTL Secretariat,” he says.

However, he admits that the regional approach also has its disadvantages, one of the biggest being the lack of financial instruments to solve urgent problems. Working close to NIB could help ease this challenge.

“Having the NDPTL placed at NIB has many advantages. We are placed in the heart of an important international financial institution with great competence on financing cross-border projects and knowledge of the challenges linked to cooperation projects.”

Having projects that are financeable is a precondition for improving the transport systems. In this regard, NIB and other IFIs may play a key role.

“NIB has extensive knowledge of the transport and logistics sector, and by cooperating closely with the Bank, I believe the NDPTL could increase its professionalism and technical know-how within the partnership’s field of activity,” Mr Danielsen concludes.