Aware of their cultural affinity, the Nordic countries have long pursued a uniquely sympathetic process of regional integration: a collaborative framework among the states of Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, and Finland, together with the autonomous territories and regions of the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland, commonly known as Norden. This article presents Norden as a model for processes of regional economic integration grounded in a shared culture of market openness. It argues that such a culture of market openness, through its respect for the value of economic liberty, facilitates intergovernmental co-operation under conditions of regional interdependence. The article further argues that the Nordic experience demonstrates how a culture of trust can generate a stronger integrative force than the institution of law, suggesting that the absolute realization of economic freedom of movement may emerge more effectively from the informal custom of mutual recognition in trade and commerce than from formal treaty-based approaches to economic constitutionalization.
European Public Law