New safety and radiation-protection requirements for extracting and processing nuclear materials
What's at stake: The reclassification means, among other things, that the requirement for municipal approval to carry out such activity disappears, which critics say substantially weakens municipal influence over uranium mining. The question matters for how much local communities can influence decisions on establishing mines and for how quickly uranium extraction can get under way in Sweden.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
The question is whether parliament should adopt the government's bill on amended safety and radiation-protection rules for the extraction and processing of nuclear materials, which among other things reclassifies such activity from a nuclear facility to nuclear activity, or whether the bill should be rejected.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee endorses the government's bill and shares the assessment that appropriate safety and radiation-protection requirements are needed for extracting and processing nuclear materials, and therefore rejects the motion against the bill.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (V, C, MP)
The reserving members oppose the bill and consider it part of a one-sided drive to expand nuclear power; besides safety and environmental risks throughout the entire production chain, from mining to waste management, they point to high costs and financial risks for the state, and criticise that the reclassification circumvents the requirement for municipal approval and thereby substantially weakens municipal influence over uranium mining.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
V–
S–
MP–
C–
L–
KD–
M–
SD–
YesNoAbstainAbsent
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: adopting the government's legislative proposal and rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 1 by V, C, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The plan's stance / Actual vote
AI
Vote
Confidence
Evidence
Vown reservation
–
No 0/21/0/0
S
–
Yes 105/0/0/1
MPown reservation
–
No 0/18/0/0
Cown reservation
–
No 0/24/0/0
L
–
Yes 16/0/0/0
KD
–
Yes 19/0/0/0
M
–
Yes 66/0/0/0
SD
–
Yes 70/0/0/0
Committee proposal
Parliament adopts the government's proposal for
1) law amending the Act (1984:3) on nuclear technology activities,
2) law amending the Act (2006:647) on financing of nuclear waste products,
3) law amending the Act (2010:950) on liability and compensation for radiological accidents.
Thereby Parliament approves proposition 2025/26:168 points 1-3 and rejects the motions
2025/26:3959 by Birger Lahti et al. (V) and
2025/26:3982 by Katarina Luhr et al. (MP) motion 1.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen antar regeringens förslag till
1) lag om ändring i lagen (1984:3) om kärnteknisk verksamhet,
2) lag om ändring i lagen (2006:647) om finansiering av kärntekniska restprodukter,
3) till lag om ändring i lagen (2010:950) om ansvar och ersättning vid radiologiska olyckor.
Därmed bifaller riksdagen proposition 2025/26:168 punkterna 1-3 och avslår motionerna
2025/26:3959 av Birger Lahti m.fl. (V) och
2025/26:3982 av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP) yrkande 1.
Riksdag decision: The government wants mining and processing of nuclear materials to be treated in the same way as other metals and minerals within the framework of the comprehensive licensing process. Parliament approved the government's proposal.
The purpose of the government's proposal is for the assessment process for activities concerning both mining and processing of nuclear materials to a greater extent resemble the assessment process for other mining activities. This means that the process for initiating such activities becomes more transparent and efficient.
The changes are made with the purpose of creating appropriate regulation for mining and processing of nuclear materials, where radiation protection and safety requirements are adapted to the risks of the activity. The proposals entail that mining and processing of uranium at a comprehensive level will be treated in the same way as other metals and minerals within the framework of the comprehensive licensing process. This has the consequence, among other things, that the government's permissibility review under the Environmental Code will no longer cover facilities for mining and processing of nuclear materials. This simultaneously means that the approval of the municipal council will no longer be required for such activity to be permitted.
The Business Committee agrees with the government's assessment that this adaptation of the regulation entails that it becomes more logical and predictable. Overall, this creates better conditions for activities of strategic importance for the country's energy supply, as well as for Sweden to be able to contribute to both a higher degree of self-sufficiency in critical metals and minerals within the EU and the green transition.
The legislative amendments come into force on 15 July 2026.
Counter-proposals
The counter-proposal wants to maintain the requirement for municipal approval for uranium mining by classifying it as a nuclear installation. (V, C, MP) — Reservation 1
Motion 2025/26:3959 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:168 Ändamålsenliga säkerhets- och strålskyddskrav för utvinning och bearbetning av kärnämnen av Birger Lahti m.fl. (V)
Motion 2025/26:3973 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:168 Ändamålsenliga säkerhets- och strålskyddskrav för utvinning och bearbetning av kärnämnen av Fredrik Olovsson m.fl. (S)
Motion 2025/26:3982 — med anledning av prop. 2025/26:168 Ändamålsenliga säkerhets- och strålskyddskrav för utvinning och bearbetning av kärnämnen av Katarina Luhr m.fl. (MP)
Proposition 2025/26:168 — Ändamålsenliga säkerhets- och strålskyddskrav för utvinning och bearbetning av kärnämnen