Nordic Council of Ministers preparedness is set to be a key priority for Denmark and the Faroe Islands as they take over the presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers for 2026. Denmark’s Minister for Nordic Cooperation (minister for nordisk samarbejde) Morten Dahlin said the chairmanship will push for closer co-ordination on societal security and the security of supply, citing Russia’s war against Ukraine and what Denmark describes as intensified hybrid pressure in Europe.
Why preparedness is at the top of the 2026 agenda
Denmark’s presidency comes at a moment when Nordic co-operation on security has expanded beyond traditional defence policy. Sweden and Finland’s NATO membership has lowered some of the political barriers to deeper alignment across the region, while recent incidents involving cyber threats, infrastructure disruptions, and disinformation have sharpened attention on how governments keep essential services running during crises.
In an online statement marking the start of the presidency, Dahlin argued that Russia’s “aggressive behaviour” makes closer Nordic co-operation necessary, and that the region should act together to protect critical functions that underpin daily life and national resilience.
What “preparedness” means in practice: supply chains and critical systems
The Danish presidency is framing preparedness broadly, with an emphasis on continuity of essential services. The concrete focus, according to Dahlin’s statement, is on how the Nordic countries can jointly secure the supply of critical resources needed when crises hit — including IT systems, hospitals and healthcare, and the flow of essential goods.
This approach aligns with the Nordic model of “total defence” thinking, where civil preparedness complements military defence. In practical terms, this can include shared risk assessments, more interoperable emergency planning, and coordinated strategies to reduce vulnerabilities in cross-border supply chains.
Denmark and the Faroe Islands’ 2026 programme sets an intersectoral approach
The official presidency programme for 2026 places societal security among its core intersectoral priorities, alongside themes such as competitiveness and international engagement. Nordic institutions have also highlighted preparedness as an area where coordination is becoming more urgent as security conditions around the Baltic Sea and the High North evolve.
Denmark and the Faroe Islands are expected to use the presidency to steer work across several councils of ministers, rather than treating preparedness as a single-sector issue. That makes the agenda relevant to areas such as digital policy, healthcare, transport, energy, civil protection, and crisis communication.
Where the Nordic Council of Ministers fits in the region’s security architecture
The Nordic Council of Ministers is the intergovernmental forum for Nordic co-operation, bringing together Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland. It operates in parallel to the Nordic Council, which is the parliamentary cooperation body.
Preparedness policy in the region also connects with other frameworks — including NATO and national defence planning — but the Nordic Council of Ministers can provide an institutional lane for aligning civilian resilience measures, sharing best practices, and developing joint initiatives where mandates overlap.
Greenland’s pause adds a political layer to Nordic co-operation
Greenland is not taking part in the 2026 presidency work, after Nuuk in 2024 decided to suspend political participation at government level in the Nordic Council of Ministers. Greenland’s government linked the decision to frustrations over how the autonomous territories are included in high-level Nordic formats, including instances where Greenland, the Faroe Islands and Åland said they were left out of meetings.
The Danish government has signalled that questions about the role of the autonomous territories — and how Nordic institutions reflect them — will remain part of the broader discussion during the presidency, alongside the preparedness agenda.
What to watch next
The most immediate test for Denmark and the Faroe Islands will be whether the preparedness agenda translates into specific joint measures — such as shared stockpiling approaches, coordinated standards for critical infrastructure resilience, or upgraded mechanisms for rapid cross-border assistance.
With Russia’s war against Ukraine still reshaping European security, Nordic governments are increasingly treating civilian resilience as a core part of deterrence. The 2026 presidency could therefore become a platform for turning a broad political priority — Nordic Council of Ministers preparedness — into practical co-operation with measurable outcomes across the region.
