NNEO is owned by the two northernmost counties in Norway: Troms and Finnmark as well as Nordland. In addition, the office has six partners: City of Tromsø, Nord University, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, Rana Development, Salten regional council, and the Norwegian Fishermen’s Sales Organization.  

Key interests in Europe 

Regional policy – one of the most important interests of NNEO, representing a sparsely populated area. NNEO is a part of the Northern Sparsely Populated Areas (NSPA) network. 

Arctic Policy – as the importance of the topic increases in the EU and the world, it is important to follow the development closely and be a known and active actor in Brussels. 

Fisheries – largest fishing nation in Europe. Close cooperation between Norway and EU, and about 60% of the export from Norway goes to the EU. 

Tourism - in North Norway employed 15.462 people in 2016. Summer tourism is the largest sector, but winter tourism is increasing as well.  

Energy – There is access to vast renewable energy resources in North Norway. In addition, the offshore energy sector in North Norway delivered goods and services for 3.6 billion NOK in 2017. 

Culture – Bodø in Nordland is going to become the European Capital of Culture in 2024. Bodø2024 has chosen to focus on, among other things, youth, competence building, sustainability and cooperation with various European institutions.