Measures to reduce the occurrence of hazardous substances

The plan requires ambitious environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and deliberate work for rich ecosystems. An EU-wide group ban on PFAS is just such sharp regulation of the most harmful substances. The plan furthermore sees EU climate and environmental regulations as progress to defend and build on, which speaks for joint decision-making at EU level.

• sharp environmental legislationdecisive»miljömål som följs upp med skarp lagstiftning och praktiskt arbete.« (party programme ↗)“environmental goals followed up with sharp legislation and practical work.”
• protection of ecosystems»skapa goda villkor för rika ekosystem, bland annat genom att återställa« (party programme ↗)“create good conditions for rich ecosystems, in part by restoring”
• protect biodiversity»Vi måste lösa klimatkrisen och skydda den biologiska mångfalden – omställningen går alldeles för sakta.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must solve the climate crisis and protect biodiversity – the transition is going far too slowly.”
• defend EU environmental regulations»utbyte mellan länder och vissa klimat- och miljöregleringar.« (party programme ↗)“exchange between countries and certain climate and environmental regulations.”

The party programme sets the goal of a poison-free environment with clean air and clean water throughout Sweden and sees the EU as the necessary platform to sharpen environmental protection at European level. A group ban on PFAS decided jointly in the EU is exactly that working method applied to a persistent pollutant. The plan does not mention PFAS, but the commitments point unambiguously toward the counter-proposal's direction.

• poison-free environmentdecisive»Giftfri miljö med ren luft och rent vatten i hela Sverige.« (party programme ↗)“Poison-free environment with clean air and clean water throughout Sweden.”
• EU sharpens environmental protection»Socialdemokratin ser EU som en nödvändig plattform för att på europeisk nivå skärpa skyddet av miljö, konsumenter och löntagare.« (party programme ↗)“Social democracy sees the EU as a necessary platform to at European level sharpen protection of environment, consumers and employees.”
• decisions at the right level»Frågor som bäst hanteras på EU-nivå ska också lösas där« (party programme ↗)“Issues best handled at EU level shall also be solved there”
• protection of nature and water»Värn av biologisk mångfald och Sveriges värdefulla natur och vattenmiljöer.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of biological diversity and Sweden's valuable nature and water environments.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto requires that toxic substances are phased out immediately, and the party programme states that the precautionary principle shall apply to chemical assessment and that testing within the EU's chemical policy must be stringent. An immediate group ban on difficult-to-degrade PFAS decided at EU level is a direct application of these commitments, and the plan gladly sees supranational decisions in cross-border environmental issues.

• immediate phase-out of toxinsdecisive»fasa ut giftiga ämnen omgående, speciellt från produkter för barn.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out toxic substances immediately, especially from products for children.”
• precautionary principle for chemicals»Försiktighetsprincipen måste gälla vid bedömning av kemikalier, eftersom det kan ta tid innan negativa effekter blir tydliga.« (party programme ↗)“The precautionary principle must apply to the assessment of chemicals, because it can take time before negative effects become apparent.”
• stringent EU chemical control»Prövningen och kontrollen, såväl nationellt som inom EU:s kemikaliepolitik, måste vara skarp.« (party programme ↗)“Testing and control, both nationally and within the EU's chemical policy, must be stringent.”
• active EU environmental policy»EU måste föra en mer aktiv miljöpolitik.« (party programme ↗)“The EU must pursue more active environmental policy.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto promises to save lakes, waterways and seas so children can swim without exposure to toxins, and the party programme makes a toxic-free environment a fundamental right. An EU-wide group ban on persistent non-degradable PFAS is the measure that answers that commitment, and the plan makes clear that low international standards shall not prevent stricter requirements. The plan does not mention PFAS by name, so coverage is derived.

• toxic-free watersdecisive»Rädda Sveriges sjöar, vattendrag och hav. Våra barn ska kunna bada utan att utsättas för gifter, nedskräpning eller algblomning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save Sweden's lakes, waterways and seas. Our children should be able to swim without exposure to toxins, litter or algal blooms.”
• toxic-free environment as a right»Tillgång till rent vatten, ren luft och giftfri miljö är en fundamental rätt för alla människor och en förutsättning för frihet i en vidare bemärkelse.« (party programme ↗)“Access to clean water, clean air and a toxic-free environment is a fundamental right for all people and a prerequisite for freedom in a broader sense.”
• caution regarding chemicals»Dagligen används kemikalier och tekniker vars effekter på människan och naturen är skadliga eller okända.« (party programme ↗)“Daily, chemicals and techniques whose effects on humans and nature are harmful or unknown are used.”
• lead with stricter requirements»får inte hindra nationer och regioner från att gå före och tillämpa skärpta krav.« (party programme ↗)“shall not prevent nations and regions from going further and applying stricter requirements.”

The plan establishes that chemical legislation shall be based on the precautionary principle and that European chemical legislation needs to be strengthened, with particular attention to the cumulative effect when multiple chemicals interact – which is exactly the group-based approach the counter-proposal seeks. It also wants international cooperation to eliminate the most dangerous chemicals and sees the EU as the most important environmental instrument. An EU-wide group ban on PFAS thus follows from the plan's direction.

• stricter EU chemical legislationdecisive»kemikalielagstiftningen behöver skärpas, och särskild hänsyn tas till barn och ungas känslighet« (party programme ↗)“chemical legislation needs to be strengthened, and special attention is paid to the sensitivity of children and young people”
• attention to combination effects»samt till den samlade effekten då flera olika kemikalier samverkar« (party programme ↗)“and to the cumulative effect when several different chemicals interact”
• the precautionary principle»Kemikalielagstiftningen ska utgå från försiktighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“Chemical legislation shall be based on the precautionary principle.”
• environmental policy at EU level»EU är världens viktigaste miljöorganisation« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU is the world's most important environmental organization”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The party programme explicitly states legislation with bans and limits as a strategic instrument and makes the substitution principle an important tool, while the precautionary principle shall apply when there is suspicion of irreversible harm. PFAS is difficult to break down and spreads across borders, and the plan identifies the EU as the most appropriate level for transboundary environmental problems. An EU-wide group ban thereby follows from the plan's environmental commitments.

• bans as environmental instrumentsdecisive»Lagstiftning med förbud och gränsvärden, en ekologiskt« (party programme ↗)“Legislation with bans and limits, an ecological”
• the substitution principle»innebär att mindre farliga ämnen så långt möjligt ska« (party programme ↗)“means that less dangerous substances as far as possible shall”
• the precautionary principle»också att agerandet grundas på försiktighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“also that the action is based on the precautionary principle.”
• EU the right level for environmental problems»natur är EU i många fall den mest lämpliga nivån för att« (party programme ↗)“nature, the EU is in many cases the most appropriate level for”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan commits to reducing emissions of hazardous substances, not least in the Baltic Sea, and states that the EU should focus on problems Sweden cannot solve alone. A transboundary, persistent substance like PFAS therefore falls within exactly that category where the plan wants to see joint EU action. The plan simultaneously requires that science and facts are leading, which argues for a ban that rests on a knowledge base rather than on symbolic measures.

• reduce hazardous substancesdecisive»Vi ska slå vakt om allemansrätten och minska övergödning, försurning, utsläpp av farliga ämnen och nedskräpning, inte minst i Östersjön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We shall watch over the right to roam and reduce eutrophication, acidification, emissions of hazardous substances and littering, not least in the Baltic Sea.”
• the EU solves transboundary problems»EU:s fokus ska ligga på att lösa problem som Sverige inte kan hantera ensamt, till exempel handel, klimat, migration och säkerhet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU's focus shall be on solving problems Sweden cannot handle alone, for example trade, climate, migration and security.”
• cleaner sea and water environments»Det handlar om att minska övergödning, försurning, utsläpp av farliga ämnen och marin nedskräpning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is about reducing eutrophication, acidification, emissions of hazardous substances and marine littering.”
• scientifically grounded environmental policyweak support»Vetenskap och fakta ska vara ledande i klimat- och miljöpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“Science and facts shall be leading in climate and environmental policy.”

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The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan requires that environmental policy be based on facts and research and seek the methods that provide the most environmental benefit per krona without harming industries. An immediate and comprehensive group ban on PFAS is a broad measure that deviates from the evidence-based and balanced line. The party programme establishes that environmental interests must always be weighed against other social values, which argues for continued gradual phase-out rather than an immediate comprehensive ban.

• cost-effective environmental policydecisive»Sverigedemokratisk miljöpolitik utgår från förvaltarskapstanken och strävar efter att hitta de mest miljöeffektiva och kostnadseffektiva metoderna, som samtidigt inte skadar näringar och landsbygd.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden Democrats environmental policy is based on stewardship thinking and strives to find the most environmentally and cost-effective methods, which at the same time do not harm industries and rural areas.”
• evidence-based environmental policy»Miljöpolitiken måste alltid stämmas av mot nya rön i forskningen och baseras på fakta framför känslor.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Environmental policy must always be attuned to new findings in research and based on facts over feelings.”
• balance against other values»Vi inser att de miljöpolitiska intressena ständigt måste vägas mot andra viktiga samhällsvärden, att merparten av miljöproblemen är av global karaktär, att Sverige inte ensamt kan lösa problemen och att de resurser som kan avsättas för att förbättra miljön bör satsas där de gör största möjliga nytta.« (party programme ↗)“We realize that environmental interests must constantly be weighed against other important social values, that the majority of environmental problems are global in nature, that Sweden cannot solve the problems alone, and that resources that can be allocated to improve the environment should be invested where they do the greatest good.”
• most environmental benefit per krona»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental effectiveness and find the measures that provide the most environmental benefit per krona”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.