Christiania Bank major financial crisis in Norway and by 1991 the bank had used up all capital. To save the bank, the Government of Norway took over the bank and gave it new capital, rescuing it from bankruptcy. In the early years of the 1990s, the bank also bought Sunnmørsbanken and Sørlandsbanken. In 1995, the government reduced its ownership to 51%, listing it on the Oslo Stock Exchange, and in 1999 to 35%. The same year, the Swedish MeritaNordbanken bid for the bank, and in 2000 the government sold its shares and the bank became part of Nordea. Christiania Bank was at
European Green Capital Award submitted the so-called "Tallinn Memorandum" to the European Commission, proposing the establishment of an award rewarding cities that are leading the way in environmentally friendly urban living. The award was officially launched based on an initiative of the European Commission in May 2008, and each year one European city is selected as the European Green Capital. Following the success of the European Green Capital Award (EGCA), many smaller cities seek EU recognition for their efforts and commitment in the areas of sustainability & environment. In response, the European Commission has launched a new pilot European Green Leaf (EGL) initiative in