INTERNATIONAL POLICY ANALYSIS European Security Policy Nordic and Northern Strategies GUNILLA HEROLF June 2013  This paper deals with the Nordic countries and European security. An essential issue in this regard concerns the existence of Nordic strategies for Europe and for the areas in the north and the extent to which such ideas are shared among the Nordic countries. Do these five sovereign countries, whose security choices differ so much, nevertheless unite around common perceptions of how to build security in their own and other regions?  The Nordic countries are in many ways similar in their approaches to global, Euro­pean and neighbourhood security. They have trust in the UN and put a high value on transatlantic relations and on issues such as the environment, peace and security. They see comprehensive approaches as preferable, but are also willing to pursue hard security tasks when needed and they work across institutional and other borderlines in their Baltic Sea regional cooperation.  However, their different choices as regards the EU and NATO have a strong impact on their cooperation. While the recent surge of cooperation among the five, mainly based on the need for cost savings and efficiency, is much supported, there are limits with regard to how close it can get when a connection can be seen with territorial defence.  In sum, the Nordic countries have not presented any joint strategies globally for Europe or for their neighbourhood even though much cooperation among them has taken place on all levels, based on their common ideas, values and interests. New developments in terms of threats and within the organizations, however, point to diminished emphasis on institutional borderlines. All in all, this signals further pos­sibilities for Nordic cooperation to develop along the lines that politicians and the public in the north would wish it to do.