In 2019, the Nordic prime ministers decided to redistribute budget funds to environmental and sustainability work during 2021 up to and including 2024. The decision attracted strong criticism already last year, including from members of the Nordic Council, which resulted in culture then getting back around 8 million Danish kroner . The decision meant that the cultural grants could temporarily remain at the same level for, among other things, the Nordic Journalist Center, Orkester Norden, the language cooperation as well as initiatives such as the Nordics in schools, Nordjobb and the Nordic Literature Week.
Before the meeting in Helsinki, cultural creators throughout the Nordics had filed a joint protest against the next round of planned cutbacks.
The cooperation ministers’ budget compromise led to higher allocations also for investments in education and the environment.