Cross-border Integration in the Øresund Region: A NEBI Showcase?

The Oresund Bridge, which opened for traffic on 2 July 2000, is the first fixed link ever between Skane (Scania) and the Greater Copenhagen region on Zealand. The ‘official’ combined Oresund region originally had a population of 2.9 million, of which close to I.8 million in the Danish capital region and I.I million in Skane. In July 1999, however, the Danish participation in the 0resund regional co-operation was enlarged by three further counties — Western Zealand, Storstrom and Bornholm. This means that all of Denmark east of the Great Belt now participates, and this enlargement brings the combined population of the Oresund region close to 3.5 million — one of the largest concentrations within the NEBI area and, indeed, in Northern Europe.