Limit values for PFAS in drinking water

The plan establishes that environmental policy shall be regulated across borders without preventing countries from going ahead with more radical legislation, and requires powerful legislation where long-term environmental considerations are subordinate. Access to clean water counts as a fundamental need. Temporary national limit values for PFAS in drinking water pending EU rules therefore follow directly from the plan.

• go ahead pending EUdecisive»gå före med radikalare lagstiftning« (party programme ↗)“go ahead with more radical legislation”
• powerful environmental legislation»Därför behövs en kraftfull lagstiftning, ekonomiska styrmedel, långsiktig samhällsplanering, klimatinvesteringar« (party programme ↗)“Therefore, powerful legislation is needed, economic instruments, long-term societal planning, climate investments”
• precaution as main rule»de långsiktiga miljöhänsynen måste vara överordnade« (party programme ↗)“the long-term environmental considerations must be subordinate”
• clean water as fundamental need»kunna ha tillräckligt med mat, rent vatten, utbildning och hälsovård« (party programme ↗)“have enough food, clean water, education and healthcare”

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 member states shall be able to go ahead of the EU on environmental matters and that Sweden shall be a leader in its own environmental policy. Temporary national limit values for PFAS in drinking water pending EU regulations are exactly such a measure, and the requirement for a world with clean water as well as children's right to a safe upbringing strengthens the conclusion. The plan does not specifically address limit values.

• right to go ahead of the EUdecisive»Medlemsländerna ska också kunna gå före, inte minst inom det miljö- och« (party programme ↗)“Member states should also be able to go ahead, not least on the environment and”
• clean drinking water»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.”
• Sweden as leader»vara en föregångare i den egna, nationella klimatpolitiken.« (party programme ↗)“be a leader in its own national climate policy.”
• child 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 promises to strengthen protection of drinking-water sources and states that the precautionary principle shall be applied as far as possible when assessing chemicals. It explicitly accepts that member states go ahead with stricter legislation to protect environment and health. Temporary national limit values for PFAS in drinking water pending EU rules therefore follow from the plan.

• protect drinking-water sourcesdecisive»stärka skyddet av våra dricksvattentäkter och se till att det finns fungerande reservvattentäkter« (2022 manifesto ↗)“strengthen protection of our drinking-water sources and ensure there are functioning reserve water sources”
• precautionary principle»ska försiktighetsprincipen tillämpas så långt det är« (party programme ↗)“shall the precautionary principle be applied as far as”
• go ahead of the EU»hårdare lagstiftning till skydd för miljö och hälsa« (party programme ↗)“stricter legislation to protect the environment and health”
• reduce environmentally harmful substances»Utsläpp av miljöstörande ämnen såsom kväve, fosfor« (party programme ↗)“Emissions of environmentally harmful substances such as nitrogen, phosphorus”

The plan makes access to clean water and a toxin-free environment a fundamental right and requires that toxins be removed from Swedish water. The party programme's principle that low or absent international requirements should not prevent a country from leading the way supports temporary national limit values while awaiting EU rules. The plan also establishes that requirements should be based on what science shows is necessary, which supports a precautionary level.

• lead the way while awaiting EUdecisive»får inte hindra nationer och regioner från att gå före och tillämpa skärpta krav.« (party programme ↗)“must not prevent nations and regions from leading and applying stricter requirements.”
• clean drinking water as a 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 toxin-free environment is a fundamental right for all people”
• science-based requirements»Klimatpolitiken ska utgå från vad vetenskapen visar är nödvändigt för att undvika farliga förändringar.« (party programme ↗)“Climate policy should be based on what science shows is necessary to avoid dangerous changes.”
• toxins out of water»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, watercourses and seas. Our children should be able to swim without being exposed to toxins, litter or algal blooms.”

According to the party programme, the precautionary principle is the basis for chemical legislation, and everyone has the right to clean water with a secured drinking water supply. The counter-proposal's requirement for temporary national limit values for PFAS in drinking water, fully based on the precautionary principle, follows directly from these commitments. The plan at the same time points to tightened European chemical legislation as the main track, which makes the support inferred.

• precautionary principle governs chemicalsdecisive»Kemikalielagstiftningen ska utgå från försiktighetsprincipen.« (party programme ↗)“Chemical legislation shall be based on the precautionary principle.”
• right to clean drinking water»Alla har rätt till rent vatten.« (party programme ↗)“Everyone has the right to clean water.”
• stop pollution in water»Samtidigt behövs fortsatta insatser för att förhindra att skräp och föroreningar, som plast och läkemedel, sprids i våra vatten.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“At the same time, continued efforts are needed to prevent garbage and pollutants, such as plastic and medicines, from spreading in our waters.”

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's stewardship is built on the precautionary principle: when there is suspicion of threat or irreversible damage, extra caution shall be applied, and legislation with prohibitions and limit values is stated as a strategic instrument. Access to clean water is pointed out as threatened and water poisoning is rejected. Temporary national limit values for PFAS in drinking water pending EU rules therefore follow from the plan.

• precautionary principle governsdecisive»också att agerandet grundas på försiktighetsprincipen« (party programme ↗)“also that action is based on the precautionary principle”
• limit values as instrument»Lagstiftning med förbud och gränsvärden« (party programme ↗)“Legislation with prohibitions and limit values”
• protect clean water»till rent vatten och ren luft« (party programme ↗)“to clean water and clean air”
• prevent poisoning»förgiftning av luft, vatten och mark« (party programme ↗)“poisoning of air, water and land”

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 prescribes a different path for clean drinking water: research on water purification and expansion of advanced purification, while Swedish special rules beyond EU regulations should be avoided. Temporary national limit values built entirely on the precautionary principle are also wrong in relation to the requirement that science and facts should guide environmental policy. The plan therefore speaks against the counter-proposal's requirement, but the basis is thin.

• EU rules at minimum leveldecisive»motverka överimplementering i Sverige av EU-beslut« (2022 manifesto ↗)“counteract overimplementation in Sweden of EU decisions”
• advanced water purification»Satsa på forskning om vattenrening samt utbyggnad av avancerad vattenrening« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Invest in research on water purification as well as expansion of advanced water purification”
• science-guided 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 establishes that our waters are vital for life and that the marine and water environment should be prioritised, and makes the precautionary principle central to environmental policy. Temporary national threshold values for PFAS in drinking water pending a common EU framework are precisely such a precautionary measure, with direct health benefit and without harming industries. The plan's prioritisation of work against pollution points in the same direction.

• protect drinking water and water environmentdecisive»Våra vatten är livsnödvändiga för att möjliggöra liv.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Our waters are vital for enabling life.”
• the precautionary principle»Försiktighetsprincipen är således central inom Sverigedemokraternas miljöpolitik« (party programme ↗)“The precautionary principle is thus central to Sweden Democrats' environmental policy”
• water environment prioritised»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 prioritised more clearly ahead of overly intensive fishing and extensive wind power expansion.”
• measures against pollution»Ökad prioritet i arbetet med att återställa förorenade områden.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Increased priority in work to restore polluted areas.”

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.