This study examines Finland's planning of the EU's Just Transition Fund (JTF), focusing on phasing out energy peat and its socioeconomic impacts. Despite Finland's high governance capacity, significant challenges emerged in achieving distributive, procedural and recognitive justice. Through stakeholder interviews and policy analysis, the research highlights gaps in multilevel coordination, stakeholder inclusion and addressing socio-cultural dimensions of transition. The findings stress the need for synchronised policy timelines, clearer communication and place-sensitive approaches that recognise non-monetary place attachments. Recommendations include enhancing participatory governance and aligning national policies and funding with EU frameworks to ensure equitable and inclusive low-carbon transitions.

The concept of territorial governance has been promoted by the European Commission as a central element of European Regional Policy. This article examines the key dimensions of territorial governance, arguing that it is distinct but complementary to multilevel governance as it focuses on the mobilization of regional actor groups and the integration of indigenous knowledge into policymaking processes. It further explores whether there is merit in understanding Smart Specialisation processes as a territorial governance model, using examples of the development and implementation of Smart Specialisation Strategies from across four Nordic regions. The article finds that Smart Specialisation can be considered a territorial governance approach because it promotes bottom-up policymaking that is driven by local knowledge. By empowering the sub-national level, a territorial governance lens may help mitigate regional disparities and bring European Union regional policymaking closer to citizens. In doing so, territorial governance can help address some of the accountability and legitimacy gaps that have caused widening discontent with the European project at regional and local levels.

This paper analyses challenges and enablers for integrating a transboundary land-sea interaction (LSI) perspective into marine spatial planning (MSP) practice as experienced in the Baltic Sea Region. Collaborative research results from the Pan Baltic Scope project indicate that LSI remains an amorphous concept, particularly within a transboundary MSP context. Difficulty lies in bridging planning practices across land and sea and between varying uses, administrative settings and governance functions. Addressing LSI requires capacity, time, resources, awareness, reflection, and forums for collaborative learning across sectors and governance levels.

European Union (EU) policymakers and academics regard impact assessments as the primary mechanism for communicating the added value of EU Cohesion Policy to citizens. There is a need to look beyond impact evaluations and towards active citizen engagement in policymaking to increase support for EU cohesion policies. This article examines the benefits and different types of legitimacy that citizen involvement confers upon policymaking, before outlining recommendations for proactively engaging citizens within existing EU cohesion policymaking structures. It is argued that citizen engagement fosters greater input and throughput legitimacy into the process, which supplements the output legitimacy bestowed by impact assessments.

Nordic welfare states are world renowned for providing high quality public services. Nordic municipal and regional authorities, in particular, play a central role in the delivery of key public services in areas, such as, health, education, and social care. However, in recent years, public authorities have faced several challenges which have reduced capacity and resources, including long periods of austerity following the 2008 financial crash, rapid demographic changes caused by an ageing population, and the COVID-19 health crisis. In response to these challenges many public authorities have looked to inter-regional, inter-municipal and cross-border collaborations to improve the quality and effectiveness of public service delivery (OECD 2017; ESPON 2019). Indeed, collaborative public service delivery is becoming increasingly prominent in the Nordic Region due to a highly decentralized systems of governance (Nordregio 20015; Eythorsson 2018).

This article examines whether the concept of territorial governance (TG) accurately captures the nature of governance and policymaking in transboundary marine spatial planning (TMSP) activities in the Baltic Sea Region. The focus of analysis is on the DG Mare–funded Baltic SCOPE and Pan Baltic Scope projects, which brought together key marine spatial planning stakeholders in the Baltic Sea Region to find solutions to TMSP issues. The five key dimensions of TG are examined against the transboundary collaborations undertaken during these two projects. The article finds that TMSP in the Baltic Sea Region shares many of the key characteristics of TG, such as, promoting learning and establishing stronger links between institutions, sectors and stakeholders; however, the TG concept fails to accurately capture the power dynamics at play in TMSP, particularly the central role of national planning authorities and certain sea use sectors in determining the overall direction of policy.

The "Joint Roadmap to Accelerate Marine Spatial Planning Processes Worldwide", adopted by IOC-UNESCO and the European Commission (DG-MARE) in 2017, highlights the growing commitment of policy and decision-makers in developing transboundary collaboration relevant to Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) as a mechanism for promoting sustainable sea use. While collaboration across borders represents positive progress towards global environmental stewardship and international cooperation, transboundary MSP can present challenges and obstacles as it can be a complex process involving different parties and stakeholders across multiple levels of governance. In this article, we examine the different enabling factors and good practices that emerge from two different DG-MARE-funded knowledge exchange projects on transboundary MSP, whose findings led to the development of the Joint Roadmap: the Baltic SCOPE Project, and the Study on International Best Practices for Cross-Border MSP. Recognising that MSP processes are specific to their respective contexts, we aim to provide guidance and support towards the development of effective collaboration in future transboundary MSP initiatives by offering inspiration in the approaches and tools used elsewhere. We hope this will enable others to reflect on the benefits of adopting a strategic approach to transboundary collaboration designed to align marine plans across different jurisdictions.

The bioeconomy is generally conceived as an economy based on land- and marine-based natural resources including eco-system services and biowaste. The dominant research has focused on the resource approach, i.e. the supply of different biomass products and services. Less emphasis has been put on the products and services stemming from the bioresources and the value differences these may have for individual entrepreneurs, for circular economy clusters or for municipalities and regions. This article is a first attempt for a more comprehensive assessment of regional economic and social impacts of the new bioeconomy in the Nordic countries. Combining employment statistics and empirical cases, we show how the new bioeconomy makes important contributions to more environmentally and socially sustainable economic growth, particularly in the rural areas of the Nordics. The data and cases show the importance of the regional and local levels in creating the new institutional structures for cooperation between firms and public authorities that pave the way for successful synergistic clusters. Such clusters allow for a reduction in waste streams and the replacement of fossil fuels and other inputs, while also creating significant local added value, local jobs and reducing climate emissions.

Nordregiois a leading Nordic and European research centre for regional development and planning, established by the Nordic Council of Ministers in 1997.We conduct solution-oriented and applied research, addressing current issues from both a research perspective and the viewpoint of policymakers and practitioners.Operating at the international, national, regional and local levels, Nordregio's research covers a wide geographic scope, with an emphasis on the Nordic and Baltic Sea Regions, Europe and the Arctic. The Nordic co-operationNordic co-operation is one of the world's most extensive forms of regional collaboration, involving Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland.Nordic co-operation has firm traditions in politics, the economy, and culture.It plays an important role in European and international collaboration, and aims at creating a strong Nordic community in a strong Europe.Nordic co-operation seeks to safeguard Nordic and regional interests and principles in the global community.Common Nordic values help the region solidify its position as one of the world's most innovative and competitive. The Nordic Council of Ministersis a forum of co-operation between the Nordic governments.The Nordic Council of Ministers implements Nordic co-operation.The prime ministers have the overall responsibility.Its activities are co-ordinated by the Nordic ministers for co-operation, the Nordic Committee for co-operation and portfolio ministers.Founded in 1971. The Nordic Councilis a forum for co-operation between the Nordic parliaments and governments.The Council consists of 87 parliamentarians from the Nordic countries.The Nordic Council takes policy initiative s and monitors Nordic co-operation.Founded in 1952.

The Covenant on Demographic Change E urope is ageing.People aged 50+ represent already 37% of the population, i.e. 190 million citizens.The number number of people aged 60+ will increase by about two million persons each year in the coming decades, while the working age population will start to shrink.The number of very old persons, 80 years and older, who are most likely in need of care, will also increase.At the same time fewer young people will be available to provide informal and formal support and care.Therefore, today's opportunity is to find sustainable solutions to address the challenges linked to population ageing.Prevention, rehabilitation, improvement of care delivery, empowerment of people to remain active and independent for longer are the main areas to be invested in to support everyone's equal and meaningful participation in the social and economic life of their community.This can be done through the creation of what the World Health Organisation (WHO) calls age-friendly environments, i.e. the adaptation of our physical and social environments to the various needs of all generations.Promoting age-friendly environments is what the Covenant on Demographic Change aims at.The Covenant on Demographic Change gathers European public authorities at local, regional and national level, committed to developing and implementing an action plan on age-friendly environments based on the WHO Age-Friendly Cities' Guide and in the spirit of the 2013 Dublin Declaration on Age-Friendly Cities and Communities in Europe.Other stakeholders, such as universities, research centres, civil society organisations, and businesses can also join the Covenant to share their expertise and learn from others' experience.TABLE OF CONTENT 1 The Covenant on Demographic Change 2 The Dublin Declaration on Age-Friendly Cities and Communities in Europe (2013) 3 Why should European Local and Regional Authorities become more age-friendly?4 What is being done in Europe to develop age-friendly environments?5 What are age-friendly environments?5.1 Housing 5.2 Social participation 5.3 Respect and Social inclusion 5.4 Civic participation and employment 5.5 Communication and information 5.6 Community support and health services 5.7 Outdoor spaces and built environment 5.8 Transportation References 6 How to join the Covenant on Demographic Change? 4 -THE COVENANT ON DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE The Covenant on Demographic Change gathers all local, regional and national authorities, and other stakeholders, that commit to cooperate and implement evidence-based solutions to support active and healthy ageing as a comprehensive answer to Europe's demographic challenge.It builds on the outcomes of the AFE-INNOVNET Thematic Network on innovation for age-friendly environments, and closely cooperates with existing initiatives such as the WHO Global Network on Age-Friendly Cities and Communities, the WHO-Europe Healthy City Network, and the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing.The Covenant is established as an international non-forprofit association under the Belgian Law and has been launched on 7 December 2015. WHO ARE THE COVENANT MEMBERS?Three categories of members exist: • Full members:open to all local, regional and national authorities located in the EU and EU Associated Countries, as well as to formal networks of local and regional authorities.Full members endorse the Covenant's overarching goal and vision, including the Dublin Declaration 2013, and commit formally to implement an age-friendly environments plan, share information with other members about their action plan and report back to the Covenant on progress achieved.

Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP) requires a spatially explicit framework for decision-making, and on that background the overall objective of BONUS BASMATI is to develop integrated and innovative solutions for MSP from the local to the Baltic Sea Region scale. This is to be realised through multilevel governance structures and interactive information technology aiming at developing an ecologically and socio-economically sound network of protected marine areas covering the Baltic Sea. Based on the results of former MSP projects, the BONUS BASMATI project sets out to analyse governance systems and their information needs regarding MSP in the Baltic Sea region in order to develop an operational, transnational model for MSP, while maintaining compliance with existing governance systems. It also develops methods and tools for assessments of different plan-proposals, while including spatially explicit pressures and effects on maritime ecosystem services in order to create the Baltic Explorer, which is a spatial decision support system (SDSS) for the Baltic Sea region to facilitate broad access to information. During the project running until 2020, new data will be produced and tested in assessments corresponding to policy goals. The data will support the combined analysis of the three elements of the concept of ecosystem services: the capacity, flow and benefit of provisioning, regulating and cultural services. A central aim of the project is to facilitate cross-border collaboration, and the project is carried out in close cooperation with relevant stakeholders in the BSR. The impact of the project will be facilitated and assessed in transnational case studies, where integrated solutions are required. The local scale will consist of case study areas in the South-West Baltic, the Latvian territorial and EEZ waters including open part of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga, and across the region, a pan-Baltic case study will be performed.

•Projects like Baltic SCOPE enhance transboundary and knowledge integration in MSP activities.•Enhancing stakeholder and sectoral integration in transboundary MSP remains challenging outside transnational projects.•A pan-Baltic mindset has emerged through Baltic SCOPE that can be integrated into national level MSP processes.•Transboundary integration in MSP can be driven by both conflicts and cross-sectoral collaboration opportunities.

Integrating stakeholder knowledge, views and needs in marine or maritime spatial planning (MSP) processes is important from a governance and social sustainability perspective both for MSP practitioners and for the evolving field of MSP research. Transboundary MSP appears particularly challenging for participation, which is why it is important to identify opportunities and address obstacles for stakeholder integration in this specific context. This article examines how stakeholder integration is currently practiced in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), an enclosed sea where policy coherence and addressing conflicting interests across borders are especially relevant. It synthesises a range of challenges and enablers for stakeholder participation and mobilisation that have emerged from two transboundary MSP research and development projects, BaltSpace and Baltic SCOPE. The article finds that with the exception of statutory authorities, stakeholder engagement in the BSR is mostly limited to self-motivated stakeholders and consultation rather than more inclusive forms of participation. This can reduce the quality and legitimacy of MSP processes and risks to concentrate power in the hands of a small group of actors. For transboundary stakeholder integration to become more interactive and effective, five types of challenges need attention, regarding a) timing, b) governance systems, c) capacity and processes, d) stakeholder characteristics and e) knowledge and language. These obstacles can be addressed by (1) a dedicated research and development agenda that critically reflects on integrative tools and processes, and (2) by encouraging transnational institutions in the BSR to devote more resources to transboundary stakeholder integration and adopt flexible and adaptive strategies and tools that can facilitate stakeholder involvement throughout the MSP policy cycle.

Presently, institutional systems and practices in marine/maritime spatial planning (MSP) are evolving rapidly. At the same time, cross-border learning and exchange are still at an early stage. This chapter is based on the need to assess and compare participation processes across cases and countries and foster learning to develop public participation in MSP. Based on theoretical reflections, but anchored in results derived from the BaltSpace and the Baltic SCOPE projects, we present an analytical framework to characterise participation in MSP, including a participation ladder emphasising power sharing, roles, functions and learning. It is inspired by the land-based planning discourse, rural development literature, natural resource and conflict management and the latest publications with an MSP perspective including one in this book.

The close and reciprocal ties between poverty and environmental degradation present significant potential for simultaneous improvement of the livelihood of the poorest along with increased opportunities and enhanced resilience of the environment and natural resources. By supporting governments and other stakeholders in designing and implementing development plans that tackle environmental and poverty concerns in a joint manner, the globally operating UNDP-UNEP Poverty-Environment Initiative (PEI) addresses a major governance challenge for sustainable development (SD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular. Focusing on Central Asia, and specifically Tajikistan, a country outside the spotlight of studies concerned with SD governance mechanisms, and through the analysis of PEI programme documents and stakeholders' interviews, this article probes into the governance and governance co-ordination (metagovernance) settings for SD. The article closes by presenting a set of recommendations to improve governance co-ordination, while achieving more inclusive decision-making and ultimately increasing the impact of PEI on the society and the environment. Specifically, it argues for improved information policy and enhanced integration of endogenous knowledge. Furthermore, national and local development planning and private initiatives should be better linked, and the different levels of governance for poverty-environment mainstreaming should be more coherent. The solutions discussed are of relevance for wider Central Asia and the global community engaged in moving the SDGs into the mainstream of governance and policy frameworks.