2023-03-292022/23:SoU19 · p.4SoUHealth & social services
Systembolaget's retail monopoly etc.
Systembolaget's retail monopoly and EU-compatibility of regulatory changes
What's at stake: Systembolaget's monopoly rests on an exemption in EU law linked to public-health grounds. If the rules are changed without first securing the monopoly's compatibility with EU law, a central part of Swedish alcohol policy risks being called into question.
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 proposed changes to alcohol legislation, such as on farm sales, should first be preceded by negotiations with the European Commission and a binding pre-ruling to safeguard Systembolaget's retail monopoly, or whether this does not need to be a separate parliamentary initiative.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee considers that any changes to alcohol legislation should remain compatible with Systembolaget's retail monopoly and sees no need for a separate parliamentary initiative on the matter, and therefore rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 4 (S, V, MP)
The reserving parties consider that farm sales are not compatible with Sweden's EU exemption for the retail monopoly, and want any proposed changes to be preceded by negotiations with the European Commission and a request for a binding pre-ruling, so that no proposal is advanced that risks Sweden's ability to independently control developments.
Summarised from the committee report. Party labels in the summary come from the report, not from the vote.
What do the votes mean here?
Yes The committee proposal: rejecting the motions (keeping things as they are).
No Backing the counter-proposal: reservation 4 by S, V, MP.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have gone the other way
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: KDKristdemokraterna, LLiberalerna
Ja 174–129Nej 145–158
Counterfactual: the parties above are moved to the position their own documents explicitly point at, carrying their whole contingent present. Every other party keeps its real figures, including dissenters and absentees.
How the AI parties would have voted
For each party: what its own plan – election manifesto and party programme – argues for in this case, next to how the party actually voted. The AI can only answer Yes or No; a party can also abstain.
| AI | Vote | Confidence | Evidence | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| V | No | No 0/21/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | No | No 0/93/0/14 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| MP | No | No 0/15/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| C | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| L | No | Yes 14/0/0/2 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | No | Yes 15/0/0/4 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: medium | explicit |
| M | Yes | Yes 59/0/0/9 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
| SD | Yes | Yes 65/0/0/8 | match | confidence: low | not addressed |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:654 by Pontus Andersson (SD), 2022/23:655 by Pontus Andersson (SD), 2022/23:1930 by Niels Paarup-Petersen et al. (C), 2022/23:2061 by Fredrik Lundh Sammeli et al. (S) amendment 64 and 2022/23:2150 by Markus Wiechel et al. (SD).
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:654 av Pontus Andersson (SD), 2022/23:655 av Pontus Andersson (SD), 2022/23:1930 av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C), 2022/23:2061 av Fredrik Lundh Sammeli m.fl. (S) yrkande 64 och 2022/23:2150 av Markus Wiechel m.fl. (SD).
Riksdag decision: The Riksdag rejected approximately 80 proposals in motions submitted during the general motion period in 2022. The motions address issues including overall policy for alcohol, narcotics, doping, tobacco and gambling, the so-called ANDTS policy. The Riksdag points out that work is already underway to review ANDTS policy. Other proposals address changing alcohol legislation, including regarding the rules for serving licenses. In this case as well, the Riksdag refers to the work already underway.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants to establish a national goal to reduce mortality related to substance abuse and coordinate addiction and substance abuse care. (S, V, MP) — Reservation 4
Plan vs actual vote
Every party, in chamber order: what its own plan pointed to, how it voted, and the reasoning behind both. Highlighted rows are where the two differ — but a vote that follows the plan is a result too, so the reasoning is there for every party.
The plan's core position is that socially important activity should be taken back into common ownership and that social and democratic rights are placed above the freedom of capital.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's core position is that socially important activity should be taken back into common ownership and that social and democratic rights are placed above the freedom of capital. Not pushing through rule changes that risk independent control over the retail monopoly, but first securing a binding decision, protects precisely a commonly-owned monopoly from market opening. The plan does not mention Systembolaget specifically, which is why the conclusion is derived.
Original (Swedish)
Planens bärande hållning är att samhällsviktig verksamhet ska tas tillbaka i gemensam ägo och att sociala och demokratiska rättigheter överordnas kapitalets frihet. Att inte driva igenom regeländringar som riskerar den självständiga kontrollen över detaljhandelsmonopolet, utan först säkra ett bindande besked, skyddar just ett gemensamt ägt monopol mot marknadsöppning. Planen nämner inte Systembolaget särskilt, varför slutsatsen härleds.
- rights ahead of freedom of capitaldecisive»demokratiska rättigheter ska överordnas kapitalets frihet.« (party programme ↗)“democratic rights should be placed above the freedom of capital.”
- reclaim socially important activities»Det är hög tid att agera och ta tillbaka den samhällsviktiga verksamhet och infrastruktur som har privatiserats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is high time to act and take back the socially important activities and infrastructure that have been privatised.”
- challenge market rules»De marknadsfundamentalistiska konkurrens- och frihandelsregler som försvårar« (party programme ↗)“The market-fundamentalist competition and free trade rules that hamper”
The retail monopoly is not addressed in the documents.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The retail monopoly is not addressed in the documents. The closest lying principles are that upbringing shall be free from drugs and that the consumer perspective, not the producer interest, shall be the starting point for policy. Based on them, the plan weighs towards the counter-proposal's demands that no regulatory changes are driven through that risk the independent control over the monopoly before EU law is clarified.
Original (Swedish)
Detaljhandelsmonopolet berörs inte i dokumenten. Närmast liggande principer är att uppväxten ska vara fri från droger och att konsumentperspektivet, inte producentintresset, ska vara utgångspunkten för politiken. Utifrån dem väger planen över mot motförslagets krav på att inga regeländringar drivs igenom som riskerar den självständiga kontrollen över monopolet innan EU-rätten är klarlagd.
- public health before accessibilitydecisive»och till en trygg uppväxt fri från droger och våld.« (party programme ↗)“and to a safe upbringing free from drugs and violence.”
- consumer before producer interest»producentintresset, ska vara utgångspunkten för en politik där säkra livsmedel, miljöhänsyn« (party programme ↗)“the producer interest, shall be the starting point for a policy where safe food, environmental considerations”
The party programme establishes that alcohol and other drugs cause society enormous costs and affected individuals great suffering, and takes a restrictive line where, for example, alcohol advertising shall be prohibited and public health carries great weight.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme establishes that alcohol and other drugs cause society enormous costs and affected individuals great suffering, and takes a restrictive line where, for example, alcohol advertising shall be prohibited and public health carries great weight. Not implementing regulatory changes that risk the retail monopoly before EU law is clarified protects precisely the public health instrument the plan rests on, so the counter-proposal's requirement is supported.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet slår fast att alkohol och andra droger orsakar samhället enorma kostnader och drabbade individer stort lidande, och håller en restriktiv linje där till exempel alkoholreklam ska förbjudas och folkhälsan väger tungt. Att inte driva igenom regeländringar som riskerar detaljhandelsmonopolet innan EU-rätten är klarlagd skyddar just det folkhälsoinstrument planen vilar på, varför motförslagets krav stöds.
- alcohol's societal costsdecisive»Alkohol och andra droger orsakar samhället« (party programme ↗)“Alcohol and other drugs cause society”
- public health before market interests»Vi menar att en långsiktig satsning på folkhälsa« (party programme ↗)“We mean that a long-term investment in public health”
- restrictive alcohol policy»förbjudet, liksom reklam för spel och alkohol.« (party programme ↗)“prohibited, as well as advertising for gambling and alcohol.”
The election manifesto explicitly requires that farm sales of alcohol shall be permitted to strengthen the tourism industry and develop the countryside, and counts the reform among those that must come in place.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto explicitly requires that farm sales of alcohol shall be permitted to strengthen the tourism industry and develop the countryside, and counts the reform among those that must come in place. The counter-proposal wants in practice to condition and postpone the reform with reference to the retail monopoly, which goes against the plan's commitment. The plan also sees local producers' sales ban as unreasonable.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet kräver uttryckligen att gårdsförsäljning av alkohol tillåts för att stärka besöksnäringen och utveckla landsbygden, och räknar reformen till dem som måste komma på plats. Motförslaget vill i praktiken villkora och skjuta upp den reformen med hänvisning till detaljhandelsmonopolet, vilket går emot planens åtagande. Planen ser dessutom lokala producenters försäljningsförbud som orimligt.
- permit farm salesdecisive»Tillåt gårdsförsäljning av alkohol för att stärka besöksnäringen och utveckla landsbygden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Permit farm sales of alcohol to strengthen the tourism industry and develop the countryside.”
- reform that must be implemented»Regelförenklingar, skattesänkningar, gårdsförsäljning av alkohol och ett mer tillväxtvänligt strandskydd är bara några av de reformer som måste komma på plats« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Deregulation, tax cuts, farm sales of alcohol and a more growth-friendly shoreline protection are just some of the reforms that must be implemented”
- freedom for local producers»Det är orimligt att lokala producenter av alkoholhaltiga drycker inte kan sälja sina produkter till besökare.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is unreasonable that local producers of alcoholic beverages cannot sell their products to visitors.”
- tourism industry's value»Besöksnäringen har stor betydelse för hela landets utveckling« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The tourism industry is of great importance for the development of the entire country”
The plan establishes that Sweden shall have a restrictive alcohol policy, that total consumption shall be kept down and that the state monopoly for alcohol retail shall be retained.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that Sweden shall have a restrictive alcohol policy, that total consumption shall be kept down and that the state monopoly for alcohol retail shall be retained. The counter-proposal's requirement that no regulatory changes are pushed through that risk the monopoly's future is thus a direct expression of the plan's commitment. The plan also establishes that public health in the EU shall weigh more than business interests, which supports that the matter is first tested against EU law.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att Sverige ska ha en restriktiv alkoholpolitik, att den totala konsumtionen ska hållas nere och att Systembolagets detaljhandelsmonopol ska behållas. Motförslagets krav på att inga regeländringar drivs igenom som riskerar monopolets framtid är därmed ett direkt uttryck för planens åtagande. Planen slår också fast att folkhälsan i EU ska väga tyngre än näringsintressen, vilket stöder att frågan först prövas mot EU-rätten.
- retained monopoly for alcohol retaildecisive»Systembolagets detaljhandelsmonopol« (party programme ↗)“The state monopoly for alcohol retail”
- restrictive alcohol policy»Sverige ska ha en restriktiv alkoholpolitik.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall have a restrictive alcohol policy.”
- low total alcohol consumption»alkoholkonsumtionen hålls nere, bland annat genom en hög alkoholskatt.« (party programme ↗)“alcohol consumption is kept down, including through high alcohol tax.”
- public health before business interests»I EU ska hänsynen till folkhälsan väga tyngre än jordbruksintressen.« (party programme ↗)“In the EU, consideration for public health shall weigh more than agricultural interests.”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan explicitly points to sales monopoly and restrictive legislation as means to reduce alcohol damage through low total consumption, and competition restrictions can occur exceptionally for public health reasons.
Plan documents: party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan explicitly points to sales monopoly and restrictive legislation as means to reduce alcohol damage through low total consumption, and competition restrictions can occur exceptionally for public health reasons. Not driving through rule changes that risk control over the retail monopoly thereby responds to the plan's commitment.
Original (Swedish)
Planen pekar uttryckligen ut försäljningsmonopol och restriktiv lagstiftning som medel för att minska alkoholskadorna genom en låg totalkonsumtion, och konkurrensbegränsningar får förekomma undantagsvis av folkhälsoskäl. Att inte driva igenom regeländringar som riskerar kontrollen över detaljhandelsmonopolet svarar därmed mot planens åtagande.
- sales monopoly as a tooldecisive»aktiv prispolitik, försäljningsmonopol och en restriktiv lagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“active price policy, sales monopoly and restrictive legislation”
- low total consumption»alkoholskador genom en låg totalkonsumtion« (party programme ↗)“alcohol damage through low total consumption”
- monopoly for public health»exempelvis av folkhälsoskäl.« (party programme ↗)“for example for public health reasons.”
- prevention for children and young people»I det förebyggande arbetet ska insatser för barn och« (party programme ↗)“In preventive work, measures for children and”
The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.
The plan wants small-scale producers to be able to sell directly to consumers - it explicitly lets hunters sell wild boar meat directly - and that conditions for starting and growing as an entrepreneur should be good with less red tape.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wants small-scale producers to be able to sell directly to consumers - it explicitly lets hunters sell wild boar meat directly - and that conditions for starting and growing as an entrepreneur should be good with less red tape. To make every regulation change conditional on negotiations and binding advance notices would in practice stop farm sales. The plan does not address the monopoly, but its business policy principle speaks against the demand.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill att småskaliga producenter ska kunna sälja direkt till konsumenter - den låter uttryckligen jägare sälja vildsvinskött direkt - och att villkoren för att starta och växa som företagare ska vara goda med mindre regelkrångel. Att villkora varje regeländring med förhandlingar och bindande förhandsbesked skulle i praktiken stoppa gårdsförsäljning. Planen behandlar inte monopolet, men dess näringspolitiska princip talar mot kravet.
- direct sale to consumerdecisive»Låta jägare sälja vildsvinskött direkt till konsumenter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Let hunters sell wild boar meat directly to consumers”
- good conditions for small businesses»Villkoren för att starta, växa och expandera behöver vara goda för att fler ska våga lämna trygga och välbetalda jobb för att starta företag.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The conditions for starting, growing and expanding need to be good so more dare to leave secure and well-paid jobs to start a business.”
- reduced red tape»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove a third of companies' administrative costs and a third of red tape”
The plan wishes to strengthen national self-determination and restore intergovernmentalism, and facilitate business throughout the country with simplified rules.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan wishes to strengthen national self-determination and restore intergovernmentalism, and facilitate business throughout the country with simplified rules. Conditioning Swedish regulatory changes on negotiation and a binding advance opinion from the EU commission instead leaves initiative to Brussels and brakes business in rural areas. The plan does not address the alcohol monopoly, which is why the conclusion rests on closest lying principle.
Original (Swedish)
Planen vill stärka det nationella självbestämmandet och återupprätta mellanstatligheten, samt underlätta för näringsliv i hela landet med förenklade regler. Att villkora svenska regeländringar med förhandlingar och ett bindande förhandsbesked från EU-kommissionen lämnar tvärtom initiativet till Bryssel och bromsar landsbygdens företagande. Planen behandlar inte alkoholmonopolet, varför slutsatsen vilar på närmast liggande princip.
- national self-determinationdecisive»Stärka det nationella självbestämmandet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen national self-determination.”
- intergovernmentalism before EU governance»Återupprätta mellanstatligheten och stärka väljarnas påverkansmöjligheter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Restore intergovernmentalism and strengthen voters' influence possibilities.”
- business throughout the country»Underlätta för industri och näringsliv i hela landet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Facilitate industry and business throughout the country.”
- regulatory simplification for small business»Verka för regelförenkling och avlasta småföretagens administrativa börda« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for regulatory simplification and relieve small businesses' administrative burden.”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:SoU19)
- Committee report full text (HA01SoU19)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:103 — Regler för alkoholservering av Oliver Rosengren m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1055 — Införande av åldersgräns vid köp av produkter och artiklar som innehåller lustgas av Azadeh Rojhan (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1065 — Gårdsförsäljning av alkoholdrycker av Camilla Brunsberg (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1083 — En moderniserad alkohollag av Gustaf Göthberg m.fl. (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1124 — En hållbar besöksnäring av Elisabeth Thand Ringqvist m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1373 — Barns rätt till frihet från alkoholreklam på sociala medier av Anna Wallentheim (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1498 — Stärkt narkotikaförebyggande arbete i Sverige av Lili André (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1536 — Avskaffat krav på matservering för alkoholtillstånd av Bo Broman (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1548 — Förbud mot filtercigaretter av Patrik Björck (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1573 — Statens statistikansvar på alkoholområdet av Camilla Brodin (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1604 — En tobaksfri uppväxt av Catarina Deremar (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1609 — Gårdsförsäljning av öl, vin och cider av Stina Larsson m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1635 — Företag inom besöksnäringen av Martina Johansson (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1647 — Gårdsförsäljning av Kerstin Lundgren (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1672 — En levande landsbygd för Sveriges bästa av Annie Lööf m.fl. (C)
- Motion 2022/23:1771 — Utredning om hälsovarningar på alkoholprodukter av Jytte Guteland m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1776 — Barns rätt till frihet från reklam på sociala medier av Jytte Guteland m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1855 — Gårdsförsäljning i Sverige av Sten Bergheden (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1927 — Utvärdering av den svenska missbrukspolitiken av Niels Paarup-Petersen och Alireza Akhondi (båda C)
- Motion 2022/23:1930 — Försäljning av öl och vin i licensierade livsmedelsbutiker av Niels Paarup-Petersen m.fl. (C)
Source: The Swedish Parliament