The Regional Council of South Karelia maintains connections with a wide range of stakeholders. The most important stakeholders groups operate at the national and municipal levels. The Regional Council acts as an intermediary in between these two political levels.
Regional planning is an open and transparent process that involves the participation of various regional actors and decision-makers. The Regional Council implements a continuous and interactive strategic decision-making process, which enables prompt action and – if necessary – the reassessment of strategies. This is essential, as the strategies rely on effective cooperation with different regional actors and decision-makers, as well as with other national, regional, and local authorities.
The key stakeholders are the municipalities of South Karelia: the cities of Lappeenranta and Imatra, and the smaller municipalities of Parikkala, Ruokolahti, Rautjärvi, Taipalsaari, Savitaipale, Luumäki and Lemi.
Another important cooperation partner is Economic Development Centre (of Southeast Finland), which is responsible for the regional implementation and development tasks of the central government.
Other stakeholders include educational institutions (LUT University and LAB University of Applied Sciences), the Chamber of Commerce, business and industry representatives, cultural organizations, environmental authorities and interest groups, and welfare and health organizations such as Ekhva.
The Regional Council also coordinates the regional transport system; therefore, all transport authorities work in close cooperation with the Council.