Sweden's actions in the EU

The plan states that the progress made within the EU, including certain climate and environmental regulations, is important to defend and build upon, and wants Sweden to play a driving role for far-reaching climate commitments. Working to ensure that the postponement of sustainability reporting is withdrawn follows from this. The plan furthermore wants Sweden to be a steady voice for human rights, which the counter-proposal explicitly invokes.

• defend EU climate regulationsdecisive»De framsteg som trots förutsättningarna gjorts inom ramen för EU är viktiga att försvara och bygga vidare på. Det handlar bland annat om utbyte mellan länder och vissa klimat- och miljöregleringar.« (party programme ↗)“The progress made despite the circumstances within the framework of the EU is important to defend and build upon. This includes exchanges between countries and certain climate and environmental regulations.”
• driving climate policy»Vi vill att Sverige ska spela en pådrivande roll för långtgående internationella klimatavtal« (party programme ↗)“We want Sweden to play a driving role for far-reaching international climate agreements”
• steady voice for human rights»Sverige behöver vara en stadig röst i världen som talar för mänskliga rättigheter, fred och nationellt självbestämmande.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden needs to be a steady voice in the world that speaks for human rights, peace and national self-determination.”

The plan wants to see Sweden pushing for higher climate commitments in the EU and UN, and sees the EU as a platform for tightening protection of the environment, consumers and wage earners. The election manifesto establishes that trade rules should be guided by human rights and the environment. That Sweden works for the postponement of sustainability reporting to be withdrawn follows from this, which is why the counter-proposal is supported.

• driving force in the EU and UNdecisive»Ett Sverige som driver på i EU och FN för att världens länder ökar sina« (party programme ↗)“A Sweden that pushes in the EU and UN for the world's countries to increase their”
• tightened protection at EU level»plattform för att på europeisk nivå skärpa skyddet av miljö, konsumenter och löntagare.« (party programme ↗)“platform for tightening protection of the environment, consumers and wage earners at the European level.”
• human rights in trade»EU behöver sluta fler handelsavtal där också våra värderingar om social dialog, mänskliga rättigheter och miljö är vägledande.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The EU needs to conclude more trade agreements where our values regarding social dialogue, human rights and the environment are also guiding.”
• leading force for environmental goals»Sverige som ledande kraft i världen för att överenskomna internationella miljö- och« (party programme ↗)“Sweden as a leading force in the world for agreed international environmental”

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 the EU be the leading force in global climate work and that member states lead the way, and that credible and ambitious climate policy gives business the conditions for long-term investments. Postponing sustainability reporting weakens precisely that steering. The counter-proposal's requirement that Sweden work to reverse the postponement therefore follows from the plan's commitments, even though the reporting directive is not mentioned specifically.

• EU leading in climate workdecisive»EU ska vara den ledande kraften i det globala klimatarbetet och driva på för att minska« (party programme ↗)“The EU shall be the leading force in global climate work and push for reducing”
• credible climate policy»En trovärdig och ambitiös klimatpolitik skapar de förutsättningar som« (party programme ↗)“Credible and ambitious climate policy creates the conditions that”
• sharpened protection must not be hindered»skärpa skyddet för människor, miljö och djur.« (party programme ↗)“sharpen protection for people, environment and animals.”

The plan wants to clear up the regulatory maze for companies, large and small, and thinks the EU should do fewer things but do them better. Comprehensive sustainability reporting is precisely the kind of expensive regulation the plan wants to lighten, and the plan prioritises effective measures over regulations that cost a lot. Demanding that the postponement be withdrawn therefore goes against the plan's line, although its high climate ambition pulls in the other direction.

• regulatory simplification for companiesdecisive»Rensa upp i regelträsket för entreprenörer, stora som små.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Clear up the regulatory maze for entrepreneurs, large and small.”
• narrower but sharper EU»EU måste bli smalare, men vassare, göra färre saker men göra dem bättre.« (party programme ↗)“The EU must become narrower, but sharper, do fewer things but do them better.”
• no expensive and complicated regulations»Klimatet kan inte vänta på dyra och krångliga regelverk.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The climate cannot wait for expensive and complicated regulations.”
• effective climate measures»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Leadership that prioritises effective measures over symbolic politics or passivity.”

The counter-proposal requires that Sweden drives for the postponed requirement on sustainability reporting to be withdrawn, thus that the administrative burden is fully reinstated. The plan is clear that the regulatory burden on businesses shall decrease at both national and European level and that climate governance shall primarily occur through general economic policy instruments, not reporting requirements. The plan thus speaks against the requirement, even though it simultaneously wants to raise the EU's environmental ambitions.

• reduced regulatory burden in EUdecisive»Regelbördan för små företag ska minska, genom ansträngningar på både kommunal, statlig och europeisk nivå, och offentliga beslut analyseras ur småföretagarperspektiv.« (party programme ↗)“The regulatory burden on small businesses shall decrease, through efforts at municipal, state and European level, and public decisions analysed from a small business perspective.”
• economic instruments over rules»Generella och teknikneutrala ekonomiska styrmedel, såsom koldioxidskatt och breda system för handel med utsläppsrätter, är det mest effektiva redskapet.« (party programme ↗)“General and technology-neutral economic policy instruments, such as carbon tax and broad systems for emission trading, are the most effective tool.”
• competitiveness in internal market»Den inre marknaden ska utvecklas, regelverk ska harmoniseras och reformtakten för konkurrenskraft och produktivitet vara hög.« (party programme ↗)“The internal market shall be developed, rules harmonised and reform pace for competitiveness and productivity be high.”
• raised environmental ambitions in EU»EU:s ambitioner måste höjas och regelverken skärpas.« (party programme ↗)“The EU's ambitions must be raised and rule frameworks sharpened.”

The plan demands that bureaucracy and complex rules are counteracted and that the EU develops the internal market precisely by simplifying rules, and that the EU's tasks are delimited to prevent unwelcome centralization. The counter-proposal's demand that Sweden should push for the postponed sustainability reporting requirement to be withdrawn means the opposite: that a comprehensive reporting requirement enters into force without simplification. The plan's consideration of ethical codes for business does not outweigh this.

• counteract bureaucracy and complexitydecisive»Byråkrati och krångliga regler ska« (party programme ↗)“Bureaucracy and complex rules shall”
• simplify EU regulations»Det måste ske genom att förenkla regler och förbättra« (party programme ↗)“This must happen by simplifying rules and improving”
• delimited EU competence»En avgränsning av EU:s uppgifter är nödvändig« (party programme ↗)“A delimitation of the EU's tasks is necessary”
• ethical codes for business»Därför är det viktigt att förstärka de globala etiska« (party programme ↗)“Therefore it is important to strengthen global ethical”

The plan wants to sharply reduce red tape and administrative costs for businesses and push for simplification and growth in the EU, with EU rules implemented at minimum level. Acting to reverse the postponement of sustainability reporting would return an extensive reporting burden to businesses. The plan therefore argues against the counter-proposal's demand.

• EU rules at minimum leveldecisive»Minska regelkrånglet och onödig byråkrati, bland annat genom att motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut – som huvudregel ska EU-direktiv genomföras på miniminivå« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Reduce red tape and unnecessary bureaucracy, among other things by countering over-implementation in Sweden of EU decisions - as a general rule, EU directives shall be implemented at minimum level”
• reduced administrative burden»Ta bort en tredjedel av företagens administrationskostnader och en tredjedel av regelkrånglet« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Remove a third of businesses' administration costs and a third of red tape”
• growth focus in the EU»Arrangera ett EU-toppmöte om tillväxt under det svenska EU-ordförandeskapet i syfte att sätta i gång ett arbete med att få på plats en ny tillväxtstrategi för EU« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Arrange an EU summit on growth during Sweden's EU presidency with the aim of launching work to put in place a new growth strategy for the EU”

flags: citat_migrerat

The plan warns that stricter requirements in Sweden than elsewhere strike down Swedish industries without delivering the intended effect, and requires regulatory simplification and reduced administrative burden for businesses. The counter-proposal wants Sweden to push for the postponed requirement on sustainability reporting to be withdrawn, that is, for more reporting burden in the near term. That goes against the plan's requirement to prioritize industry competitiveness.

• reduced regulatory burdendecisive»Verka för regelförenkling och avlasta småföretagens administrativa börda« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Work for regulatory simplification and relieve small businesses' administrative burden”
• no Swedish special requirements»Strängare miljö- och utsläppskrav i Sverige jämfört med i omvärlden riskerar ofta att slå ut svenska näringar och få globalt kontraproduktiva resultat när det kommer till de mål kraven syftar till att uppnå.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stricter environmental and emissions requirements in Sweden compared to elsewhere often risk striking down Swedish industries and producing globally counterproductive results when it comes to achieving the goals the requirements aim for.”
• stop for symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that harms the ability to conduct industry and business”
• industry competitiveness»Prioritera svensk industri och konkurrenskraft« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Prioritize Swedish industry and competitiveness”