Sustainable Nordic Welfare: a programme for new welfare solutions for people in the Nordic region

The Sustainable Nordic Welfare programme implements the Nordic prime ministers’ request to the Nordic ministers for health and social affairs to prepare tangible proposals for further development of the Nordic co-operation on health. At the Nordic prime ministers meeting on 10 June 2012, the prime ministers asked the health ministers to review, in particular, the Nordic co-operation on testing of new drugs and treatments, co-operation on highly-specialised functions, and research on health and welfare.The Sustainable Nordic Welfare programme applies for the period 2013–2015. In addition to developing and giving a tangible form to the Nordic health co-operation, the programme also involves tangible initiatives in the health and labour market areas. The two councils of ministers with main responsibility are the Council of Ministers for Education and Research (MR-U) and the Council of Ministers for Health and Social Affairs (MR-S).