Mellan vision och verklighet : Implementeringen och styrningen av EU:s Östersjöstrategi i Sverige

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region is implemented in Sweden, with a specific focus on Policy Area Education. By analyzing how civil servants across multiple levels of government interpret and apply the strategy, the study investigates the conditions that shape implementation in practice. The empirical material consists of a qualitative content analysis of steering documents from the Government Offices, the Norden Association, Region Västerbotten and the municipalities of Umeå and Skellefteå. This is followed by five semi-structured interviews with civil servants from these organizations. The analysis applies multi-level governance and implementation theory as theoretical frameworks The findings show that implementation at the regional and municipal levels is limited. This is not due to a lack of knowledge about the strategy, with the exception of Skellefteå municipality, but rather the result of difficulties in communicating it aligning it with local priorities and integrating it into existing organizational structures. As a result, political leadership rarely prioritizes the strategy and there are few internal mechanisms that anchor it in the organizations’ ordinary functions. This leads to a high degree of personal dependence where implementation hinges on the initiative and perceived relevance of individual civil servants. Engagement in the strategy typically only occurs when the strategy is seen to provide concrete added value such as opportunities for collaboration or project funding.