2023-05-102022/23:MJU17 · p.1MJUEnvironment & agriculture
International conventions and treaties
International conventions and agreements on biodiversity
What's at stake: The decision concerns how Sweden engages with global targets for nature and biodiversity protection, including forest biodiversity. It affects forest owners, the forestry industry, and conservation efforts, as well as Sweden's role in international environmental negotiations.
Case texts and AI reasoning are AI-translated from the Swedish originals; the Swedish text is authoritative.
What the vote decides
Whether Sweden should keep pursuing biodiversity and forest-biodiversity goals through existing international and EU processes, or should avoid entering new international agreements that could require more forest to be protected.
Yes Yes — the committee proposal
The committee welcomes the new global biodiversity framework for 2030 and the UN's new agreement on marine protected areas, considers the motions largely already addressed by ongoing work, and finds that a functioning division of responsibility among authorities already exists for international agreements on forest biodiversity, and therefore rejects the motions.
No No — the reservations
Reservation 1 (SD)
The reservation (SD) wants Sweden not to enter international agreements that could exempt more forest from forestry or place more forest under protection than at present, arguing that decisions on protecting threatened species within Swedish forest policy should not be handed over to the EU or other international bodies.
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 1 by SD.
Abstain The party marks a position of its own that is not one of the two final alternatives.
The decision would have held
Explicit commitments that contradicted the vote: MModeraterna
Ja 218–64Ja 158–124
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 | Yes | Yes 21/0/0/3 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| S | Yes | Yes 94/0/0/13 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| MP | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/4 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| C | No | Abstain 0/0/21/3 | differs | confidence: low | not addressed |
| L | Yes | Yes 14/0/0/2 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
| KD | Yes | Yes 15/0/0/4 | match | confidence: medium | derived |
| M | No | Yes 60/0/0/8 | differsagainst own programme | confidence: high | explicit |
| SD | No | No 0/63/0/9 | match | confidence: high | explicit |
Committee proposal
The Riksdag rejects the motions 2022/23:908 by Stina Larsson et al. (C) demands 1, 2 and 6, 2022/23:972 by Martin Kinnunen et al. (SD) demand 49 and 2022/23:2110 by Per Bolund et al. (MP) demand 13.
Original (Swedish)
Riksdagen avslår motionerna 2022/23:908 av Stina Larsson m.fl. (C) yrkandena 1, 2 och 6, 2022/23:972 av Martin Kinnunen m.fl. (SD) yrkande 49 och 2022/23:2110 av Per Bolund m.fl. (MP) yrkande 13.
Riksdag decision: A reduction of the cormorant population is needed. The Riksdag urges the government to prioritize the issue. According to the committee, a revised management plan for cormorants and equivalent management across the country is required to achieve a reduction in cormorant populations. The government has appointed an investigation into a new management plan for cormorants. The Riksdag wants to ensure that the investigation, without delay, results in an updated management plan for cormorants. The Riksdag particularly emphasizes the importance of better cooperation between the county administrative boards and the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management. The appeal to the government is made in a formal request (tillkännagivande) with regard to two proposals in motions from the general motion period 2022.
Counter-proposals
- The counter-proposal wants Sweden not to enter international agreements that require greater forest protection from commercial use. (SD) — Reservation 1
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 counter-proposal demands that Sweden does not enter international agreements that mean more forest is protected than today, which directly contradicts the election manifesto's commitment to strengthen protection of forest areas for biodiversity.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The counter-proposal demands that Sweden does not enter international agreements that mean more forest is protected than today, which directly contradicts the election manifesto's commitment to strengthen protection of forest areas for biodiversity. The party programme furthermore states that environmental policy should be regulated across borders and that the party can be positive to binding minimum levels when national regulation is insufficient. Long-term environmental considerations are according to the plan overriding when interests are weighed against each other.
Original (Swedish)
Motförslaget kräver att Sverige inte ingår internationella avtal som innebär att mer skog skyddas än i dag, vilket direkt strider mot valmanifestets åtagande att stärka skyddet av skogsområden för biologisk mångfald. Partiprogrammet slår dessutom fast att miljöpolitiken bör regleras över gränserna och att partiet kan vara positivt till bindande miniminivåer när nationell reglering inte räcker. De långsiktiga miljöhänsynen är enligt planen överordnade när intressen vägs mot varandra.
- strengthened forest protectiondecisive»Skyddet av skogs- och strandområden är en viktig del för att värna den svenska allemansrätten och den biologiska mångfalden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protection of forest and coastal areas is an important part of safeguarding the Swedish right of public access and biodiversity.”
- cross-border environmental regulation»Miljöpolitiken bör regleras över gränserna« (party programme ↗)“Environmental policy should be regulated across borders”
- binding minimum levels»kan Vänsterpartiet till exempel vara positivt till bindande miniminivåer på dessa områden« (party programme ↗)“the Left Party can for example be positive to binding minimum levels in these areas”
- environment overriding»de långsiktiga miljöhänsynen måste vara överordnade« (party programme ↗)“long-term environmental considerations must be overriding”
The plan's line is opposite: environmental and climate issues are global, Sweden should be a strong force in the UN and EU for countries to increase their commitments, and EU environmental policy should be further developed.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan's line is opposite: environmental and climate issues are global, Sweden should be a strong force in the UN and EU for countries to increase their commitments, and EU environmental policy should be further developed. The party programme furthermore states that biological diversity must be protected. A requirement that species protection in forests should be decided nationally and that Sweden should not enter agreements that protect more forests therefore conflicts with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planens linje är den motsatta: miljö- och klimatfrågorna är globala, Sverige ska vara en stark kraft i FN och EU för att länderna ska öka sina åtaganden, och EU:s miljöpolitik ska utvecklas ytterligare. Partiprogrammet slår dessutom fast att den biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas. Ett krav på att artskyddet i skogen ska avgöras nationellt och att Sverige inte bör ingå avtal som skyddar mer skog strider därför mot planen.
- increase international commitmentsdecisive»Sverige ska vara en stark kraft i FN och EU för att världens länder ska öka sina åtaganden för att göra verklighet av Parisavtalets ambitioner.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden should be a strong force in the UN and EU for the world's countries to increase their commitments to realise the Paris Agreement's ambitions.”
- environmental issues are global»Miljö- och klimatfrågorna är globala.« (party programme ↗)“Environmental and climate issues are global.”
- protect biological diversity»biologiska mångfalden måste skyddas.« (party programme ↗)“biological diversity must be protected.”
- develop EU environmental policy»de rika ländernas resursförbrukning måste EU:s miljöpolitik ytterligare utvecklas.« (party programme ↗)“the rich countries' resource consumption must EU environmental policy be further developed.”
The party programme explicitly states that protection of threatened species and natural environments is of global significance and therefore requires supranational decisions, and that Sweden must work towards shared commitments against depletion of biological diversity.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme explicitly states that protection of threatened species and natural environments is of global significance and therefore requires supranational decisions, and that Sweden must work towards shared commitments against depletion of biological diversity. The counter-proposal's requirement that species protection in forests shall be decided nationally and that Sweden shall not enter agreements that protect more forest runs directly counter to this. The election manifesto's goal of protecting 30 percent of nature presupposes, by contrast, more, not less, exemptions for forests.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet säger uttryckligen att skydd av hotade arter och naturmiljöer är av global betydelse och därför behöver överstatliga beslut, och att Sverige måste arbeta för gemensamma åtaganden mot utarmningen av den biologiska mångfalden. Motförslagets krav att artskyddet i skogen ska beslutas nationellt och att Sverige inte ska ingå avtal som skyddar mer skog går rakt emot detta. Valmanifestets mål att skydda 30 procent av naturen förutsätter tvärtom mer, inte mindre, undantagen skog.
- supranational decisions on species protectiondecisive»Skydd av hotade arter och naturmiljöer är av global betydelse och behöver därför överstatliga beslut.« (party programme ↗)“Protection of threatened species and natural environments is of global significance and therefore requires supranational decisions.”
- shared international commitments»Sverige måste arbeta för gemensamma åtaganden för att stoppa utarmningen av den biologiska mångfalden.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden must work towards shared commitments to halt the depletion of biological diversity.”
- protect 30 percent of nature»skydda 30 procent av Sveriges natur, bland annat våra unika sammanhängande fjällskogar och skyddsvärda skogar i hela landet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect 30 percent of Sweden's nature, including our unique contiguous mountain forests and valuable protected forests across the country.”
- valuable forests exempted»Särskilt värdefull skog ska skyddas från avverkning.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly valuable forests shall be protected from felling.”
The plan bases forestry policy on active use and strong property rights, and states that only decisions that must be made collectively should be made at EU level.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto · party programme
Reasoning and quotes
The plan bases forestry policy on active use and strong property rights, and states that only decisions that must be made collectively should be made at EU level. That speaks for protection of threatened species in forests being decided nationally. At the same time, the plan wants nature to be cared for and biological diversity to develop, which makes a ceiling for future protection harder to reconcile with the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Planen bygger skogspolitiken på aktivt brukande och en stark äganderätt, och slår fast att bara beslut som måste fattas gemensamt ska fattas på EU-nivå. Det talar för att skyddet av hotade arter i skogen avgörs nationellt. Samtidigt vill planen att naturen vårdas och den biologiska mångfalden utvecklas, vilket gör ett tak för framtida skydd svårare att förena med planen.
- active use of forestsdecisive»Skogen är en nyckel i den gröna omställningen. Ett hållbart skogsbruk förutsätter ett aktivt brukande av skogen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The forest is a key in the green transition. Sustainable forestry requires active use of the forest.”
- strong property rights in forestry»Skogsbruket behöver goda förutsättningar grundade i en stark äganderätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Forestry needs good conditions based on strong property rights.”
- decisions near the citizen»Principen måste vara att beslut fattas så nära medborgaren« (party programme ↗)“The principle must be that decisions are made as close to the citizen”
- developed biological diversity»Sveriges natur ska vårdas och den biologiska mångfalden utvecklas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden's nature shall be cared for and biological diversity shall develop.”
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 makes EU cooperation the party's most important instrument for driving environmental work and requires that EU's ambitions are raised and regulations are tightened, and the election manifesto calls the EU the world's most important environmental organization.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The party programme makes EU cooperation the party's most important instrument for driving environmental work and requires that EU's ambitions are raised and regulations are tightened, and the election manifesto calls the EU the world's most important environmental organization. The counter-proposal's requirements that species protection in forests should be decided nationally and that Sweden should not enter agreements that protect more forest directly contradict this. The plan moreover wants to protect threatened species and rejects protectionism.
Original (Swedish)
Partiprogrammet gör EU-samarbetet till partiets viktigaste instrument för att driva på miljöarbetet och kräver att EU:s ambitioner höjs och regelverken skärps, och valmanifestet kallar EU världens viktigaste miljöorganisation. Motförslagets krav på att artskyddet i skogen ska avgöras nationellt och att Sverige inte ska ingå avtal som skyddar mer skog går rakt emot detta. Planen vill dessutom skydda hotade arter och avvisar protektionism.
- EU drives environmental workdecisive»EU-samarbetet är vårt viktigaste instrument för att driva på miljöarbetet. EU:s ambitioner på miljö- och« (party programme ↗)“EU cooperation is our most important instrument for driving environmental work. The EU's environmental ambitions and”
- cooperation in Europe and globally»EU – för klimatets skull. EU är världens viktigaste miljöorganisation – det är bara genom samarbete i Europa och globalt som klimatutmaningen kan mötas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“EU – for the climate's sake. The EU is the world's most important environmental organization – it is only through cooperation in Europe and globally that the climate challenge can be met.”
- protection of threatened species»Allt fler arter hotas av utrotning.« (party programme ↗)“More and more species are threatened with extinction.”
- no to protectionism»Nationalism, protektionism och stängda gränser ska höra till historien.« (party programme ↗)“Nationalism, protectionism and closed borders shall be history.”
The plan establishes that the most serious environmental threats are global or regional, that cooperation across borders is therefore necessary and that the EU in many cases is the most appropriate level for environmental issues.
Plan documents: party programme · 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that the most serious environmental threats are global or regional, that cooperation across borders is therefore necessary and that the EU in many cases is the most appropriate level for environmental issues. Moving decisions on protection of endangered species to solely the national level and refraining from international agreements on forest protection goes against this. The plan's protection of property rights in forests points in the opposite direction but does not outweigh the stated commitment to international environmental cooperation.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att de allvarligaste miljöhoten är globala eller storregionala, att samarbete över nationsgränserna därför är nödvändigt och att EU i många fall är den mest lämpliga nivån för miljöfrågor. Att lyfta beslut om skydd av hotade arter till enbart nationell nivå och avstå från internationella avtal om skogsskydd går emot det. Planens värn om äganderätten i skogen talar i motsatt riktning men väger inte över det uttalade åtagandet om internationellt miljösamarbete.
- the EU as an appropriate environmental leveldecisive»natur är EU i många fall den mest lämpliga nivån för att« (party programme ↗)“nature is the EU in many cases the most appropriate level for”
- cross-border environmental cooperation»Därför är ett samarbete över nationsgränserna« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, cooperation across borders is”
- international agreements»Internationella överenskommelser behövs för att begränsa utsläpp som leder till försurning och övergödning.« (party programme ↗)“International agreements are needed to limit emissions that lead to acidification and eutrophication.”
- protected property rights in forests»äganderätten över skogen hotas« (2022 manifesto ↗)“property rights over forests are threatened”
The election manifesto promises to reduce the forest area exempted from forestry and that formal protection should occur through voluntariness, which is precisely the counter-proposal's requirement that Sweden does not internationally bind itself to exempting more forest.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The election manifesto promises to reduce the forest area exempted from forestry and that formal protection should occur through voluntariness, which is precisely the counter-proposal's requirement that Sweden does not internationally bind itself to exempting more forest. The plan also makes conditions for the forestry industry a question Sweden should actively drive in the EU and maintains that the EU should not decide about everything. Decisions about species protection in forests therefore belong nationally according to the plan.
Original (Swedish)
Valmanifestet lovar att minska den skogsareal som undantas från skogsbruk och att formellt skydd ska ske genom frivillighet, vilket är precis motförslagets krav att Sverige inte internationellt binder sig till att undanta mer skog. Planen gör dessutom villkoren för skogsnäringen till en fråga Sverige aktivt ska driva i EU och håller fast vid att EU inte ska besluta om allt. Beslut om artskydd i skogen hör därför enligt planen hemma nationellt.
- no additional exempted forestdecisive»Minska ytan av skog som är undantagen från skogsbruk« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce the area of forest that is exempted from forestry”
- Swedish forestry position in the EU»driva frågor som är särskilt viktiga för Sverige, som villkoren för skogsnäringen« (2022 manifesto ↗)“drive issues that are particularly important for Sweden, such as conditions for the forestry industry”
- voluntariness as protection form»Stärka skogsägarnas äganderätt genom att formellt skydd av skog ska ske genom frivillighet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen forest owners' ownership right by ensuring formal protection of forests occurs through voluntariness”
- national decision-making authority»EU ska varken göra eller fatta beslut om allt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU should neither do nor decide about everything.”
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 establishes that Sweden's self-determination over the forest shall be protected against the EU and that the forest within the EU shall be managed by the member states themselves.
Plan documents: 2022 manifesto
Reasoning and quotes
The plan establishes that Sweden's self-determination over the forest shall be protected against the EU and that the forest within the EU shall be managed by the member states themselves. The counter-proposal's demand for national decisions on species protection in the forest and for not entering into international agreements that exempt more forest from use is the same position. It is also supported by the commitment to protect forest owners' use rights.
Original (Swedish)
Planen slår fast att Sveriges självbestämmande över skogen ska värnas gentemot EU och att skogen inom EU ska skötas av medlemsländerna själva. Motförslagets krav på nationella beslut om artskydd i skogen och på att inte ingå internationella avtal som undantar mer skog från bruk är samma ståndpunkt. Den stöds även av åtagandet att värna skogsägarnas brukanderätt.
- national forest decisionsdecisive»Värna Sveriges självbestämmande över skogen gentemot EU« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect Sweden's self-determination over the forest against the EU”
- member states manage the forest»Skogen inom EU ska skötas av medlemsländerna själva, men EU-kommissionen inskränker allt mer denna rätt.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The forest within the EU shall be managed by the member states themselves, but the EU Commission increasingly restricts this right.”
- forest owners' use rights»Värna skogsägarnas rätt att bruka sina skogar« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Protect forest owners' right to use their forests”
- management before reserves»Att anpassad skogsskötsel prioriteras före reservatsavsättning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“That adapted forest management is prioritized before setting aside reserves”
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Sources and documents
- The committee report on riksdagen.se (2022/23:MJU17)
- Committee report full text (HA01MJU17)
- Per-MP voting data (API)
- Case status (API)
Documents under consideration
- Motion 2022/23:1006 — Långsiktigt planerande och byggande av Mikael Eskilandersson m.fl. (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1081 — Förenklande av bostadsbyggande i attraktiva strandnära lägen av Camilla Brunsberg (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1091 — Frivillig sekretess för skyddsjaktsansökare av Alexandra Anstrell (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1104 — Den svenska vargstammen av Ann-Sofie Alm (M)
- Motion 2022/23:116 — Allmän jakt på skarv och andra åtgärder av Viktor Wärnick och John E Weinerhall (båda M)
- Motion 2022/23:119 — Vargföryngringar inom renskötselområdet av Helén Pettersson (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1218 — Hållbart och livskraftigt fiske i Östersjön av Aron Emilsson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1221 — Ökad jakt på skarv av Aron Emilsson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1246 — Hållbart skogsbruk för biologisk mångfald och klimatet av Kajsa Fredholm m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1247 — Minskad övergödning av Kajsa Fredholm m.fl. (V)
- Motion 2022/23:1251 — Förvildat Sverige av Rebecka Le Moine och Marielle Lahti (båda MP)
- Motion 2022/23:1290 — Bekämpning av översvämningsmyggen vid nedre Dalälven av Sanne Lennström m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1409 — Avskaffande av strandskyddet av Josefin Malmqvist (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1411 — Åtgärder för ett mer hållbart och konkurrenskraftigt yrkesfiske av Johan Hultberg (M)
- Motion 2022/23:1420 — Skarven i Roxen av Jonas Andersson (SD)
- Motion 2022/23:1497 — Skyddsjakt på säl och skarv av Lili André (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1546 — Vargjakt av Patrik Björck (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1580 — Skyddsjakt och allmän jakt på säl av Roland Utbult (KD)
- Motion 2022/23:1591 — Beståndet av skarv av Sofia Amloh m.fl. (S)
- Motion 2022/23:1631 — Förändrad lagstiftning för jakt av Martina Johansson (C)
Source: The Swedish Parliament