The Nordic countries share a long history, and their political systems are quite similar, which makes a Nordic Assessment relevant and appropriate. One example is that there is a well developed fiscal system and a possibility of working with green incentives, such as taxes, fees and subsidies. One other similarity - for Sweden, Norway and Finland, and the Danish coastline - is the right of common access (allemansratten), which provides better opportunities for the public to interact with nature. However, the extent of the right of common access varies from country to country, and in certain regions within a country there are different common access rights, such as between Aland and Finland. In contrast to most parts of the world, the landscape outside settled areas is accessible and people do not rely as heavily on protected areas for outdoor recreation as they do in many other countries. An assessment of the Nordic region will allow for the exploration of several transboundary issues, including water quality and quantity, fisheries, climate change, air pollution and migratory species.