A marine environment law

The plan demands strong legislation, economic policy instruments and long-term societal planning to master environmental threats, and states that long-term environmental considerations take precedence. It also wants Sweden to be able to lead with more radical environmental legislation. A marine environment act with an ecosystem approach and recurring marine environment propositions are such a long-term framework, even though a marine environment act is not mentioned in the plan.

• strong environmental legislationdecisive»Därför behövs en kraftfull lagstiftning, ekonomiska styrmedel, långsiktig samhällsplanering, klimatinvesteringar« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, strong legislation, economic policy instruments, long-term societal planning, climate investments”
• environmental considerations take precedence»de långsiktiga miljöhänsynen måste vara överordnade« (party programme ↗)“long-term environmental considerations must take precedence”
• lead nationally»gå före med radikalare lagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“lead with more radical legislation”
• protection of biological diversity»Ett ständigt överutnyttjande av naturens resurser leder till kraftig utarmning av den biologiska mångfalden och växthusgasutsläpp« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Continuous overexploitation of nature's resources leads to severe depletion of biological diversity and greenhouse gas emissions”

The plan requires strategic environmental policy where legislation is one of the most important instruments and notes that ecosystems are already exploited beyond the limits of sustainability. A marine environmental law with an ecosystem approach and recurring marine environmental government bills are such an instrument for the goal of clean water and biological diversity. The plan does not address marine environmental legislation, however, so the support is derived.

• legislation as environmental instrumentdecisive»Detta kräver en strategisk miljöpolitik, där« (party programme ↗)“This requires strategic environmental policy, where”
• ecosystems are overexploited»naturtillgångar och ekosystem utnyttjas i dag över gränsen för det långsiktigt hållbara« (party programme ↗)“natural resources and ecosystems are exploited today beyond the limit of long-term sustainability”
• clean water and diversity»värld med frisk luft och rent vatten, hållbart klimat och biologisk artrikedom.« (party programme ↗)“world with clean air and clean water, sustainable climate and biological diversity.”
• threatened biological diversity»Samtidigt accelererar artdöden och den biologiska mångfalden hotas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, species extinction is accelerating and biological diversity is threatened.”

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 ecosystem-based marine management be introduced and that ecosystems in the seas set the limits for extraction, and that the coast's destroyed ecosystems be restored. A marine environment act with the ecosystem approach as starting point and recurring marine environment proposals is a way to realize precisely this. The plan therefore supports the counter-proposal's requirement.

• ecosystem-based marine managementdecisive»inför en ekosystembaserad havsförvaltning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“introduce ecosystem-based marine management”
• restored coastal environments»rädda kustens ekosystem« (2022 manifesto ↗)“save the coast's ecosystems”
• protected marine areas»skydda minst 30 procent av världens hav« (2022 manifesto ↗)“protect at least 30 percent of the world's seas”
• marine key biotopes»skydd av nyckelbiotoper i vatten« (party programme ↗)“protection of key biotopes in water”

The plan requires in substance that the marine environment is saved and that harmful bottom trawling does not destroy the marine environment, and it states that care for the environment is never a special interest. Sustainable and broad marine environment efforts with an ecosystem approach are therefore in the plan's direction. The plan does not, however, take a position on a particular marine environment law and warns against symbolic politics ahead of effective measures, which is why the conclusion is uncertain.

• save marine environmentdecisive»Rädda Sveriges sjöar, vattendrag och hav.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Save Sweden's lakes, watercourses and seas.”
• protect sea ecosystem»Skadlig bottentrålning ska inte få förstöra för varken havsmiljön, den småskaliga fiskenäringen eller sportfisket.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Harmful bottom trawling should not be allowed to destroy either the marine environment, the small-scale fishing industry or sport fishing.”
• environment is central»För Centerpartiet är omsorg om miljö och klimat en central del av politiken, aldrig en nedprioritering eller ett särintresse.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“For the Center Party, care for the environment and climate is a central part of the policy, never a downgrading or a special interest.”
• effective measures ahead of symbolic politics»Ett ledarskap som prioriterar effektiva åtgärder framför symbolpolitik eller passivitet.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Leadership that prioritizes effective measures ahead of symbolic politics or passivity.”

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 states that the marine environment is seriously damaged and requires continued battle against eutrophication, marine reserves for the most valuable maritime areas and clear sanctions for violations. The requirement for broad and sustained marine environment efforts thereby lies in line with the plan, even though the plan's instruments are primarily agreements between coastal states rather than a new Swedish framework law.

• protect the marine environmentdecisive»Kampen mot övergödningen ska fortsätta, industrifisket ska begränsas och de mest värdefulla havsområdena skyddas som marina reservat.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The battle against eutrophication shall continue, industrial fishing shall be limited and the most valuable maritime areas protected as marine reserves.”
• seriously damaged marine environment»havsmiljön är allvarligt skadad« (party programme ↗)“the marine environment is seriously damaged”
• international maritime protection»Sverige omges av hav som behöver skyddas genom avtal mellan alla kuststater.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden is surrounded by seas that need to be protected through agreements between all coastal states.”
• sanctions for violations»Det behövs tydliga sanktioner« (party programme ↗)“Clear sanctions are needed”

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 counts legislation with prohibitions and limit values among the strategic instruments to be used in environmental policy, demands that the environment and natural resources are managed responsibly and that environmental considerations permeate all policy areas. A sea environmental law that gives sustainable measures for a balanced sea is compatible with this. The plan at the same time points mainly to international agreements, so the support is weak.

• legislation as environmental instrumentdecisive»Lagstiftning med förbud och gränsvärden, en ekologiskt färgad skattepolitik, miljöledningssystem och miljövänlig upphandling är exempel på strategiska instrument som ska användas.« (party programme ↗)“Legislation with prohibitions and limit values, an ecologically coloured tax policy, environmental management systems and environmentally friendly procurement are examples of strategic instruments to be used.”
• stewardship of natural resources»Miljön och naturresurserna måste förvaltas ansvarsfullt, så att goda livsbetingelser inte äventyras och så att kommande generationer också får del av dem.« (party programme ↗)“The environment and natural resources must be managed responsibly, so that good living conditions are not endangered and so that future generations also benefit from them.”
• environmental considerations in all policy»Miljöhänsyn behöver genomsyra alla politikområden.« (party programme ↗)“Environmental considerations need to permeate all policy areas.”
• 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.”

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 wants to take powerful action for marine and water environments, but the tools it points out are concrete action and regional cooperation: salvage of environmentally hazardous waste, water purification and a strengthened joint Baltic work. No new framework law or recurring marine environment proposition is in the plan, which instead wants to reduce regulatory burden and let science and facts guide action. So the plan does not carry the demand for a special marine environment law.

• regional Baltic cooperationdecisive»Förstärka det gemensamma Östersjöarbetet för åtgärder mot övergödning och nedskräpning« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strengthen the joint Baltic work for action against eutrophication and litter”
• concrete marine environment action»Bärga miljöfarligt avfall som hittats i haven« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Salvage environmentally hazardous waste found in the seas”
• powerful marine environment action»Moderaterna vill vidta kraftfulla åtgärder för att förbättra havs- och vattenmiljön.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“The Moderates want to take powerful action to improve marine and water environments.”
• knowledge-based environmental policyweak support»Vetenskap och fakta ska vara ledande i klimat- och miljöpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“Science and facts shall be leading in climate and environment policy.”

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The plan establishes that marine and water environments shall be prioritized more clearly and that the pace of work to restore the Baltic Sea's marine environment shall increase, as the situation is assessed as serious. A marine environment act that provides broad and sustained measures is in that direction, although the plan itself prefers to point to international cooperation than new national legislation. The plan addresses the committee's reasons through its view of regional Baltic cooperation.

• increase pace for marine environmentdecisive»Öka takten i arbetet med att återställa havsmiljön i Östersjön« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increase the pace of work to restore the marine environment in the Baltic Sea”
• marine environment prioritized»Vår havs- och vattenmiljö måste prioriteras tydligare framför ett allt för intensivt fiske och omfattande vindkraftsutbyggnad.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our marine and water environment must be prioritized more clearly ahead of all too intensive fishing and extensive wind power expansion.”
• serious situation in the Baltic»Det är därför allvarligt att situationen i våra vatten och framför allt i Östersjön är så dålig.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is therefore serious that the situation in our waters and especially in the Baltic Sea is so poor.”
• international cooperation needed»Mer fokus måste i detta sammanhang satsas på internationell samverkan mellan östersjöländerna då Sverige inte ensamt kan bidra till att lösa situationen.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“More focus must in this context be put on international cooperation between Baltic states as Sweden cannot alone contribute to solving the situation.”

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.