Certain restrictions on PFAS

The plan states that environmental policy should be regulated across borders without preventing countries from moving ahead with more radical legislation, and demands strong legislation against environmental threats. It also emphasizes that the best interests of children come first. A national ban on certain PFAS products, with priority for products aimed at children, thus follows directly from the plan rather than waiting for the EU.

• move ahead of the EU nationallydecisive»gå före med radikalare lagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“move ahead with more radical legislation”
• strong chemical legislation»Därför behövs en kraftfull lagstiftning, ekonomiska styrmedel, långsiktig samhällsplanering, klimatinvesteringar« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, strong legislation, economic instruments, long-term societal planning and climate investments are needed”
• best interests of children first»Vänsterpartiets politik ska utformas så att barnens bästa kommer i första rummet« (party programme ↗)“Left Party policy should be designed so that the best interests of children come first”
• stop the poisoning»Jordens resurser föröds och miljön förgiftas.« (party programme ↗)“The Earth's resources are destroyed and the environment is poisoned.”

The plan establishes that Sweden shall be a leader in its own national environmental policy and that member states shall be able to go ahead of the EU precisely on environmental issues. A national ban on certain PFAS products, with priority for children and food, follows from this and from the requirement that environmental considerations be built in from the start and that children's upbringing be protected. The plan does not mention PFAS specifically.

• right to go ahead of the EUdecisive»Medlemsländerna ska också kunna gå före, inte minst inom det miljö- och« (party programme ↗)“Member states shall also be able to go ahead, not least on environmental”
• Sweden as a leader»vara en föregångare i den egna, nationella klimatpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“be a leader in its own, national climate policy.”
• environmental considerations from the start»Hänsynen till miljöns krav ska byggas in i produktionsprocesserna redan från början.« (party programme ↗)“Environmental considerations shall be built in to production processes from the start.”
• children's protection first»Alla barn ska ha rätt till en trygg uppväxt i enlighet med FN:s barnkonvention.« (party programme ↗)“All children shall have the right to a safe upbringing in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

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 toxic substances be phased out immediately, especially from products for children, and states that member countries must be allowed to go ahead with tougher legislation to protect environment and health even if it conflicts with the EU's internal market. The precautionary principle shall guide assessment of chemicals since children are particularly sensitive. A national PFAS ban before the EU is thus the plan's own line.

• immediate phase-out for child productsdecisive»fasa ut giftiga ämnen omgående, speciellt från produkter för barn« (2022 manifesto ↗)“phase out toxic substances immediately, especially from products for children”
• go ahead of the EU»hårdare lagstiftning till skydd för miljö och hälsa« (party programme ↗)“tougher legislation to protect environment and health”
• precautionary principle»ska försiktighetsprincipen tillämpas så långt det är« (party programme ↗)“the precautionary principle shall be applied as far as”
• children particularly sensitive»Barn är särskilt känsliga för många miljögifter« (party programme ↗)“Children are particularly sensitive to many environmental toxins”

The party programme's decisive principle is that the absence of or low international standards must not prevent a country from taking the lead with stricter standards, which supports the counter-proposal's national ban on certain PFAS products pending EU action. The plan makes a poison-free environment a fundamental right and especially lifts children's protection from poisons. Chemical legislation is moreover counted among the tools the party itself drives.

• Sweden can take the leaddecisive»får inte hindra nationer och regioner från att gå före och tillämpa skärpta krav.« (party programme ↗)“must not prevent nations and regions from taking the lead and applying stricter standards.”
• poison-free environment as right»Tillgång till rent vatten, ren luft och giftfri miljö är en fundamental rätt för alla människor« (party programme ↗)“Access to clean water, clean air, and a poison-free environment is a fundamental right for all people”
• children protected from poisons»Våra barn ska kunna bada utan att utsättas för gifter, nedskräpning eller algblomning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our children must be able to swim without being exposed to poisons, litter, or algal blooms.”
• active chemical legislation»satsningar gällande försurning, återvinning, förnybar energi, koldioxidskatt, utsläppsrätter, kretslopp, kemikalielagstiftning och grön skatteväxling.« (party programme ↗)“efforts regarding acidification, recycling, renewable energy, carbon tax, emissions trading, circular economy, chemical legislation, and green tax shift.”

The party programme establishes that chemical legislation shall be based on the precautionary principle and that special consideration shall be given to children and young people's sensitivity, and that Sweden shall be a model and driving force in sustainability work. This supports the counter-proposal's requirement for faster phase-out of PFAS products with children's products and food first. That the plan at the same time sees stricter EU legislation as the main route makes support for a national ban derived rather than stated.

• precautionary principle in chemical policydecisive»Kemikalielagstiftningen ska utgå från försiktighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“Chemical legislation shall be based on the precautionary principle.”
• consideration for children's sensitivity»särskild hänsyn tas till barn och ungas känslighet« (party programme ↗)“special consideration is given to children and young people's sensitivity”
• Sweden as leading model»Sverige ska vara en förebild och en pådrivande kraft i det globala arbetet för ett hållbart samhälle.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden shall be a model and a driving force in the global work for a sustainable society.”
• national instruments against dangerous substances»Kemikalieskatt bidrar till att få bort farliga kemikalier.« (party programme ↗)“Chemical tax contributes to removing dangerous chemicals.”

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.

Stewardship requires according to the plan that the precautionary principle governs when there is suspicion of irreversible damage, and the plan expressly points to legislation with prohibitions and limit values and an environmental guarantee with reversed burden of proof as tools. A national ban on certain PFAS products, with priority for children and food, follows from this. The plan does not mention PFAS.

• the precautionary principle governsdecisive»också att agerandet grundas på försiktighetsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“also that action is grounded on the precautionary principle”
• prohibition as an environmental tool»Lagstiftning med förbud och gränsvärden« (party programme ↗)“Legislation with prohibitions and limit values”
• reversed burden of proof in environmental matters»En stärkt miljögaranti med omvänd bevisföring« (party programme ↗)“A strengthened environmental guarantee with reversed burden of proof”
• national scope in environmental policy»så flexibel att varje land och region kan anpassa åtgärder efter sina unika förhållanden« (party programme ↗)“so flexible that each country and region can adapt measures to its unique circumstances”

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 establishes that Sweden shall not over-implement EU decisions and that cross-border issues are best solved together within the EU, and that science and facts shall guide environmental policy. A national ban that precedes the EU's chemical work is precisely such separate regulation the plan wants to avoid. The plan's ambition to reduce releases of hazardous substances remains, but it shall be realized within the common framework.

• EU rules at minimum leveldecisive»motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut« (2022 manifesto ↗)“counter over-implementation in Sweden of EU decisions”
• cross-border issues in EU»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 that Sweden cannot handle alone, for example trade, climate, migration and security.”
• science-led environmental policyweak support»Vetenskap och fakta ska vara ledande i klimat- och miljöpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“Science and facts shall lead climate and environmental policy.”
• reduce hazardous substances»Det handlar om att minska övergödning, försurning, utsläpp av farliga ämnen och marin nedskräpning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is about reducing over-fertilization, acidification, releases of hazardous substances and marine littering.”

flags: citat_svagt

The plan's environmental policy is governed by environmental efficiency and explicitly warns that stricter Swedish requirements than the rest of the world knock out Swedish industries and become globally counterproductive. To go ahead of the EU with a national ban on certain PFAS products is precisely such a separate requirement, and the plan wants to stop symbolic politics that affect industry and business. The demand is therefore rejected, even though the plan wants to see fact-based measures against toxins.

• no Swedish separate requirementsdecisive»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 emission requirements in Sweden compared to the rest of the world risk often knocking out Swedish industries and having globally counterproductive results when it comes to the goals the requirements aim to achieve.”
• stop symbolic politics»Stoppa symbolpolitik som går ut över möjligheten att bedriva industri och näring« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Stop symbolic politics that go beyond the possibility of conducting industry and business”
• environmental efficiency per krona»Sträva efter miljöeffektivitet och hitta de åtgärder som ger mest miljö per krona« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Strive for environmental efficiency and find the measures that give the most environment per krona”
• fact-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 calibrated against new research findings and be based on facts rather than feelings.”