The Steering Committee serves as the main coordinating body of the NDPC. The SC consists of national ministerial representatives from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Sweden, as well as EU representatives.
The Steering Committee formulates the overall policy orientation of the Partnership, ensures political support and continued commitment and decides on issues relating to the NDPC Secretariat, and more.
NDPC’s chairing country in 2026 is Norway.
Latvia – 2025
Finland – 2024
Sweden – 2023;
Russia – 2022 (until 3/2022);
Poland – 2021;
Norway – 2020;
Latvia – 2019;
Finland – 2018;
Sweden – 2017;
Russia – 2015/2016;
Poland 2014 – 2015;
Finland 2012 – 2013;
Norway – 2011;
Sweden – 2010.
Steering Committee Members
| Denmark | Ms Rose Sofie Levinsen, Head of Section, Analysis and International Relations, Ministry of Culture |
| Estonia | Ms Diana Lorents, Head of the Communication and International Cooperation Department, Ministry of Culture. |
| Finland | Ms Maija Lummepuro (chair), Senior Ministerial Adviser, Cultural Affairs, Ministry of Education and Culture |
| Ms Marja Joenusva, Finland’s Ambassador for Barents and Northern Dimension | |
| Germany | Ms Mechthild Ermisch, German Federal Foreign Office |
| Iceland | Ms Arna Kristín Einarsdóttir, Director General, Department of Culture and Media, Ministry of Culture and Business Affairs |
| Latvia | Ms Ina Ločmele, Senior Officer, Department of Creative Industries, Ministry of Culture |
| Ms Lāsma Krastiņa-Sidorenko, Head of Creative Industries Department, Ministry of Culture | |
| Lithuania | Ms Birutė Kazlauskienė, Advisor, Cultural Education Policy Unit, Ministry of Culture. |
| Norway | Mr Sverre Miøen, Royal Ministry of Culture |
| Poland | Ms Urszula Ślązak, Director of International Relations Department, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage |
| Ms Anna Woźnicka, Department of International Relations, Ministry of Culture and National Heritage (on leave) | |
| Sweden | Mr Robert Nilsson, Deputy Director, Ministry of Culture |
NDPC Steering Committee is coordinated by the Head of Secretariat Krista Petajajarvi, krista@ndpculture.org
* Since the 8th of March 2022, the European Union, Iceland, and Norway have suspended until further notice all activities of the Northern Dimension policy that involve Russia. Read more.
* Since September 2025, the Northern Dimension policy has ceased. Please note that this has no impact on the NDPC activities, which remain unaltered as a transnational cooperation framework. Read more.