- 2026-07-14 “Thank you, Thomas. I wish you the best of luck in your presidency and look forward to cooperating on this in the coming months. There is indeed significant work to be done and the importance of getting it right cannot be be overstated. I appreciate the presidency priorities from my side and the Swedish government's side. We will do our best to help delivering on them.
We will continue to push the competitiveness agenda including further simplification, capital markets, and trade agreements. Closely related to the competitiveness agenda is also the climate agenda. And here, it is also important to stay the course, also looking at it from a single markets and competitiveness angle. I always come back to how predictability is key for investments, in particular in the green transition.
And this week, we expect the review of the emission trading system And it's crucial that the ETS remains the backbone of our transition, and that includes a clear carbon price trajectory and also widening the scope to cover more emissions. It all comes down to making sure we have a level playing field for our industry, not punching holes in the system and creating incentives to not invest.
We also have to continue our strong focus on building security. There is no more urgent task for the EU than to ensure a strong, sustained and long term support for Ukraine, including by moving forward in the membership negotiations. And this goes, of course, for other candidate countries also doing real progress.
And finally, I look forward later on to hear you set out your work program for the MFF. And thank you, Marilena, for your efforts on this the last 6 months. Sweden stands ready to work constructively in the period ahead. At the same time, we should be honest about the distance still to travel. The central problem remains unresolved. The overall size of the budget is far too large. A revised box will need to deliver considerable reductions. Thank you.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- 2026-07-10 “37:29 - 11:39:08): The mics have their own life today, I think. Thank you, Simon. Sincere thank you for the note. I think the questions are absolutely correctly put. And to continue the football analogies of Roland, thank you also for keeping up the level of energy and ambition in the second half.
I mean, for us, it's not 90 minutes. It's roughly 90 days. But I do hope we don't get into overtime. But I would actually like to begin with welcoming the recent pension reform proposals we have seen in Germany and Finland. They include steps to increase the level of pension funding in their system. And as I've said before, national reforms are necessary to make our capital markets bigger. So you're on the right way, just to have that said.
On the issues note, you have identified all the right issues. So I think you're on the right way. One comment on process and then on substance. On process, we clearly support the aim to reach an agreement by October. We will work very hard. We will be very constructive, but there is a but. There's always a but in these discussions. Quality and outcome matter. We need to get this right.
With that said, I do think we can make it without going to overtime or penalties in the worst case. On substance, I think the Swedish priorities are clear, but just to mention them shortly. We want to see a fair composition of the Executive Board, so we want them to reflect the expertise from EU's main capital markets. Secondly, we want to see permanent cooperation arrangements between ESMA and the national authorities. Thirdly, on scope, we would like to see the group criterion removed. This is also important for the efficiency and cost and allocation of supervisory resources in ESMA. Particularly in the note, we do welcome the strong emphasis on crisis management and resolution framework, particularly for CCPs. I think that is an issue we need to continue to discuss.
And just to end, what we all want to see is a singular, a European financial market that works as well as some of the national markets do already today. Thank you.”
Financial regulation
- 2026-06-29 “Thank you, Chair Day, executive vice president. Dear ministers, thank you for everything here. To begin with, Sweden would also like to thank the presidency for your efforts to secure the approval of the revision of the modernized and simplified Social Security Coordination rules. We look forward for the final adoption. Effective and well-functioning coordination rules for social security systems are essential to strengthen EU's competitive competitiveness, as well as to counteract the risk of cross-border welfare crime. Therefore, it is essential that the coordination rules are developed and modernized in line in line with the societal developments as well as well as evolving labor market realities. Moreover, clear and transparent rules are a prerequisite for reducing uncertainty for employers, but also for retaining individuals access to social social security in cross-border situations. Finally, it is important to make use of the potential of digitalization in the area of Social Security. Digitalization may increase administrative efficiency as well as counter the risk of cross-border welfare welfare fraud. Accordingly, the digital solutions developed in this area should be long term secure, stable and cost effective. Thank you.”
EU regulation of cross-border and posted workers
- 2026-06-29 “Thank you. Chair. Sweden welcomes the objective of the new anti-poverty strategy to reduce poverty and social exclusion, and in particular, its emphasis on work as a key driver for exiting poverty. Sweden firmly believes that the employer that employment for both women and men is the most effective way to overcome poverty and social exclusion. Therefore, efforts should focus on helping those who are able to work to, to to go from reliance on benefits to financial independence. In a few days time, we will have a new system in place in Sweden. We have introduced an activation requirement for income support recipients. It entails that income recipients who are able to work are required to take active steps towards employment. It also obliged municipalities to provide activities that support individuals in taking these steps. The activities must, of course, be adapted to the individual's capacity. Secondly, Sweden would also like to underline the importance of economic growth as a prerequisite for well-functioning labour markets and effective measures to tackle poverty. This perspective should be more clearly reflected in the anti poverty strategy and encouraged during its implementation. In addition, early and coordinated interventions for both children and adults are necessary to support people out of poverty. Finally, like other member states have expressed here today, Sweden is skeptical of the need of an EU legal act, as announced in a strategy to support the activation of persons outside the labour market. It is essential that Member States. Different circumstances are considered that the vision of competences between the EU and Member States is respected, and that different labour market models, as well as autonomy of the social partners, is Safeguard it. Thank you.”
EU competences on social policies
- 2026-06-29 “Thank you, chair. Indeed, a complex and an important issue. And here are some examples from from Sweden. When it first comes to providing housing for university students. Our starting points point is an educational system university educational system with no fees and a rather generous monthly funding. As a registered university student, you can apply for student rooms or apartments. These are normally provided by foundations often controlled by the students themselves, but can also be provided by the university, the city or a private company. Since student apartments are used for limited time in life, there are exemptions from the building codes to allow smaller and thus cheaper solutions. The Swedish model for supporting students thus combines tuition free higher education, a strong student financial aid system and student housing with tailored conditions. Further, regarding middle income households, Sweden believes that it's essential to let the market meet the demand and deliver a range of housing that meet the needs and preferences for all households. With that said, there is continuous need to adjust policy to strengthen the demand from groups which would otherwise have problems finding a suitable home. For instance, we recently introduced legislation to offer a new possibility to rent, to buy to rent by housing. Sweden has also increased the loan to value cap, which shortens the time needed to save up to down payment and directed at families with children. We have adjusted our housing allowance to cover higher rents and made it mandatory for local authorities to provide rent guarantees in certain cases. Thank you.”
Public funding for education
- 2026-06-25 “And from that angle, I am particularly concerned about the fuel credits. These are simply free credits. And companies don't need to do anything to get them. They are also likely to increase costs, as they will divert biofuels to road transports and thereby driving up prices, making this transition even more expensive for households and for industry. And there is also a resource constraint that needs consideration because sustainable biofuels are limited and are urgently needed in many sectors where electrification is difficult. So using them in road transports is clearly not cost efficient. This will become even more evident as we enter discussions on how to achieve our 90% CO2 emissions reduction target over the next decade. And finally, fuel credits risk delaying electrification, amongst other things. This would mean that consumers would miss the part of the expected price reductions of EV vehicles as technology and measures scale up. I also see risk with other parts of the proposal. Super credits, for example, could distort the market and weaken incentives for electrification, and steal credits is something that could be an interesting complementary option, provided they are designed to support industrial development. It is also essential that the revised utility factor is properly implemented, because, to better reflect the real world, emissions of plug in hybrids is important as well. So in conclusion, Sweden supports credible and competitive climate policy, and this requires clear rules and a steadfast continued focus on electrification. Thank you.”
Biofuels (RED II)
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you so much. Water is very much a common strategic resource for Europe's prosperity, our security and our climate resilience. And it affects all parts of society. We're all interdependent on the secure access to to water. For instance, the ability of our industries to deliver depends on access of water. But let me highlight a few aspects that I think are key to further implementation of this strategy. Firstly, the strategy highlights the importance of cooperation around shared water resources. A holistic approach from source to sea is fundamental for cost effective measures, and what happens upstream doesn't stay upstream. Secondly, continued actions to limit loss of nutrients and the spread of hazardous substances are needed, and that is essential to ensure the quality of drinking water and, of course, of human health. It is particularly important to push forward the regulation on a general ban on use of PFAs. Continued use should only be allowed when it's essential for society. And finally, Sweden welcomes the approach of integrating climate resilience across policies and sectors, bringing together climate adaptation, water security, crisis preparedness and civil defence. And this requires coordinated action across policies, not parallel initiatives. So we look forward to follow the stakeholder platform for the Water Resilience strategy, and we will continue to contribute constructively to further developments. Thank you.”
PFAs
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you so much, Madeira. And good morning, colleagues. Lovely to see everyone again. Let me start with a reflection on the recent developments on the ground and what signals the market is sending to the car manufacturers. Over the recent months, we have experienced the effects of yet another energy crisis driven by geopolitical factors and fossil fuels, and in response, there has been a sharp increase in electric vehicle sales. Good timing, Adam. This shift in car sales can also be attributed to our earlier efforts to set predictable and ambitious CO2 standards alongside broader electrification initiatives. Together, these measures provide clear investment signals to our car manufacturers and as a result, today's EV vehicles not only Chinese ones, but certainly also European ones, are vastly different from those just a few years ago in terms of range charging times, energy efficiency and overall performance. Colleagues, we need to ask ourselves if we should continue supporting this shift wholeheartedly, or if we want to take a step back and delay the investments that competitive companies inevitably have to make, because, frankly, that's what this is about. Since I last saw you in December, the geopolitical developments have further convinced me that electrification is the path that we must pursue For the sake of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing our competitiveness and most importantly, strengthening our resilience and security in Europe. So I believe that the emissions targets, especially for 2035, should remain unchanged. Any flexibility should be strictly limited and deliver real emission reductions.”
Road transport environmental policy
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you so much. First of all, I'd like to thank the presidency for raising this important discussion. And in Sweden, we are taking active steps to develop practical strategies that enable businesses to manage nature related risks while strengthening their competitiveness, driving innovation and improving resilience in the Swedish Embassy. Delivering on the Kunming Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. We highlight that the loss of biodiversity constitutes a growing risk for businesses, and the government emphasizes the importance of involving the private sector in efforts to halt and reverse biodiversity loss and safeguard our ecosystem services. An important tool is to deepen our dialogue, deepen our dialogue with different businesses, and to identify which sectors and which companies we'd like to lead by example and together with them, progressively broaden and strengthen the engagement. Businesses could carry out the work on nature related risks and biodiversity in a way that strengthens our innovation, our capacity for competitiveness and preparedness. The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency have been assigned with the task to address the business dependencies and impact on biodiversity, with a special focus on reducing biodiversity impact in value chains, and this can be done together with the business sector over a three year period. Dialogue, collaboration, exchange of experiences and knowledge sharing is what we believe to be key elements, and it will also propose suggestions for policy actions and the next steps. Identifying forward looking actions will strengthen companies competitiveness and preparedness at the local, regional, European and global level. And our Swedish Business Association, the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise, have also highlighted that strengthening biodiversity is a prioritized area alongside and closely interlinked with climate action. Finally, it's worth noting that the importance of biodiversity for national and global security have received increased attention, and this is an attention that I'm appreciating that the European Union is also taking care of. Thank you.”
Nature protection and restoration in the EU
- 2026-06-25 “Sweden remains committed to the Inc. process and still believe it is possible to achieve an outcome that will effectively address the ending of plastic pollution, and that can be strengthened over time. Even though we would have liked the treaty to be decided already, we are also aware of the complexity and the short time frame allowed for negotiations in the resolution. We believe the EU and its member states currently have a strong position as we proceed with the informal process and move closer to Inc 5.4. We need to monitor where we are and what we may need to be revised to be able to achieve the goal of agreeing a legally binding treaty that covers the full life cycle of plastics. Thank you.”
EU policy towards plastics
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you so much. I warmly welcome this very timely discussion on the European Union's chemical legislation and on the way forward, in absence of a revision of the Reach regulation. So I'd like to thank the presidency and and France for bringing this important issue to the table. I share France's assessment that there is both a clear need and a real opportunity for the European Commission to take action to improve and modernise the regulatory framework, notably through the use of comitology. And a key priority should be to align the data requirements under reach with the new hazard classes introduced in the regulation on classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures, and this is essential to ensure the effective identification of substances of high concern, including endocrine disruptors and substances that, like PFAs, are highly persistent and mobile in the environment, and this identification is a prerequisite for an effective phase out of these substances in consumer products and subsequently in recycled material. We also welcome exploring the possibility to make other improvements via Comitology in order to simplify and modernise in other areas of the legislation, and this could include, for example, to adequately address risk related combination effects and to make information exchange in the value chain more efficient and more relevant to the users. As we all know, significant challenges remain in ensuring that products entering the union fully comply with EU legislation and this merits further focused action. Strengthening the enforcement of reach requirements for imported goods is therefore imperative. And finally, regarding what can be done via Comitology. I take this opportunity to remind the Commission to put forward proposals based on the restriction dossiers that have already been submitted by us and by other member states. Thank you.”
Classification, labelling and packaging of chemicals
- 2026-06-25 “Thank you chair. And I'm sorry I won't be able to do this in French. Firstly, congratulations to the partial general approach on the environment omnibus. Even though we regret that the simplification of the chemicals inventory and the EPR reporting frequency could have gone further. Secondly, as for the regulation on the speeding up of environmental assessment, we should deliver genuine Simplification in particular as regards the birds and habitats directives. Thirdly, we also agree with France that it's important to provide greater consistency between the energy sector provisions and the environmental omnibus. Finally, to provide real simplification, the rules have have to provide sufficient flexibility to work with national efforts to speed up permitting processes, not make it more difficult and complex. Thank you.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you. Maria and I would also like to thank the Commission for the communication. It's a useful tool as it contributes to transparency regarding the state of the stocks and implementation implementation of the CFP. It is concerning that several key species in the North east Atlantic are under pressure. Despite our efforts to decrease the fishing pressure in line with scientific advice and often below levels of maximum sustainable yield. Many of the fish stocks are affected negatively by climate, but also disagreements over quota shares with third countries. It's therefore more important than ever that the Commission and the member states have a unified position in order to defend the EU's fishing interests and a sustainable management in the consultations with third countries. The Baltic Sea is in a vulnerable state. We therefore need to continue our efforts to address the environmental situation and the predation from seals and cormorants, which which have a negative effect on fish stocks. We also need a restrictive approach when deciding on fishing quotas, to increase the resilience and to accelerate the recovery, in particular for certain fish stocks in the Baltic Sea. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you Maria, and thank you for your work on this proposal. I have constantly emphasized the importance of adequate support for effective implementation of the EU's fisheries control and data collection. Ensuring sufficient capacity, effective effectiveness and harmonised level of implementation across the Union is crucial in this regard. I welcome the progress that has been made. However, we have three major concerns with the current text and based on the latest revised compromise. First, the support for the construction of new fishing vessels risked distorting competition and undermining the sustainability of fisheries. Investments in new vessels should be driven by operator's own assessment of long term sustainability and economic viability. Furthermore, the conditions for support for this support remains unclear. Second, it's important to maintain a clear link between support and compliance with the rules of Common fisheries policy. Even though this link must be proportional, I don't consider an exception exemption from the rules to be justified. Thirdly, the regulation must be consistent with the V2 agreement on fisheries subsidies based on the advice provided by the Council Legal Service. I assume the text will be corrected accordingly. To conclude, the support for the Common Fisheries Policy should promote sustainable, resilient and competitive blue value chain. While I welcome the simplification. I would like to stress the need for relevant conditions to support to ensure uniform implementation across the union and living a level playing field. Thank you.”
Funding for fisheries and aquaculture
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you chair. Sweden welcomes the evaluation of the CFP as well as increased efforts to achieve the objectives. In general, Sweden shares the conclusions made by the Commission. Many elements of the CFP are important to maintain. We should, however, strengthen the implementation to achieve the objective of a robust and energy efficient blue value chain, including a competitive coastal fishery contributing to food security and decreasing the EU's dependency of imports. To achieve this, we need to strengthen the application of the ecosystem based approach to management and to ensure that the precautionary approach is the basis for regulatory measures. This, especially in the event of warning signs of significant ecosystem effects. This is obvious in the case of the Baltic Sea. We believe that the Commission, in its request to ISIS. To a greater extent, should include ecosystem effects of fishing and how human activities and mortality from predators such as seals and cormorants, affects fish stocks. More focus is needed on the rebuilding of fish stocks, both for the sake of a healthy marine environment and for the industry is. Depending on these stocks, rebuild stocks would provide better possibilities to avoid large tax fluctuations and to maintain healthy biomass levels in the long term, while fostering socio economic stability and growth for fishery related industries.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Fisheries measures alone is not enough to recover all the stocks in the Baltic Sea. We therefore need to apply a more holistic approach and strengthen our efforts to address the environmental situation and the predation, which have a negative effect on fish stock recovery. The new control regulation is now in place, and it will contribute to improved compliance and facilitating reaching the objectives. At the same time, simplification needs to be the guiding star in the implementation. We should prioritize the external dimension of the CFP, and the EU's fishing interests are defended in the consultations with third countries. Maintaining access to traditional fishing grounds, including in Norwegian and UK waters is essential. We want to stress the importance of cooperation among coastal states. Also, in the light of changes in fishing migration due to the due to increased sea temperatures and climate change, as well as taking a stand against states engaging in unsustainable fisheries. Recovery of stocks. Access to waters, cooperation on shared stocks and attracting young people are all necessary to future proof the sector and food security. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you, chair, and thank you to Germany for this initiative. Sweden also shares the view that future regulations must be designed to function smoothly in practice, be based on reliable data and at the same time safeguard the EU's competitiveness and contribute to long term competitive and sustainable fishing industry. In this context, we would like also to emphasize the importance of a risk based approach within catch, with the aim of ensuring that resources are used as efficiently as possible to achieve the overall objectives of the IUU regulation. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- 2026-06-22 “Thank you chair. And also from our side the congratulations on the agreement on the issue of animal transport. Thank you for the progress report. This is an important and long awaited revision. And we thank the current and the previous presidencies as well as the Commission for for the efforts of advancing. In these discussions, we share the ambition to strengthen um. Livestock production within the Union. And we believe that high standards in animal welfare, combined with good animal health and reduced reliance on antibiotics, are essential not only for sustainability, but also for maintaining the long term competitiveness and credibility of European agriculture. There are challenges, but we need to move towards a more consistent and credible framework, which is grounded in scientific evidence, and that is proportionate, effective and economically sustainable. We look forward to continuing this work together in a constructive spirit, ensuring outcomes that strengthen animal protection, support our producers and reinforce trust in the European food system. Thank you.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- 2026-06-16 “This box, I'm sorry to say, is not even close to delivering on this. We will need much more than barely 2%. No heading can be excluded when the overall volume is brought down. The effort must be shared across the budget, and we need to see a lot more cuts in heading one. Moreover, we need to get the framing of the discussion right. We remain convinced that innovations on the revenue side will not be able to solve these problems. We see no need for new own resources. It's also clear that the existing corrections must be renewed. At this point, we're not even close to a landing zone on the volume. The possibility of reaching a timely agreement is therefore put under severe pressure, and I believe the discussion at the Euco on Friday will give important input to the continued work by the incoming Irish presidency. As a final point, let me also echo my Finnish colleague on the need to recognise the special treatment of the northern, sparsely populated areas, as specified in the protocol of our Accession Treaty. Thank you chair.”
Size of EU budget
- 2026-06-16 “Thank you, thank you. And thank you to the to the presidency. From the very start of these negotiations, we have been crystal clear about one fact, and that is that the overall volume of the Commission's proposal is not acceptable and needs to be significantly reduced. We are working for a restrained budget of around 1% of GNI. With the Commission's proposal, Sweden's contribution would rise considerably by 80% in real terms. That is not acceptable. All member states are investing heavily in security and defence. Sweden is also among the largest bilateral donors to Ukraine in absolute terms. We have called a long time for increased burden sharing, but clearly we and a few other member states are doing the heavy lifting. So when I say there's no room for increased contributions, I mean exactly that. Since the publication of the proposal, there has been a flood of concessions from our side on structure, flexibility and And modernization constantly moving in the wrong direction. And this continues in the latest negotiation box with the handout of billions in additional collections allocations to certain member states being the most recent example. We're at a point where we need to balance both the originally proposed volume and the concessions made during the last year by major reductions in volume.”
Size of EU budget
- 2026-06-16 “Dear Marielena, first of all, thanks for your efforts to reach this partial general approaches. It's been a major. It's a major achievement by the presidency. And congratulations on that. And to all of us for actually reaching this partial general approach. I would be quite brief. Um, as for many others, to be clear, this has this has not been easy and we have had to make some difficult compromises. But Sweden supports the general approaches and the establishment of the new modernized structure, where a stronger rule of law and charter conditionality, as well as a continued excellence based approach in directly managed funds, will be two key components. But let's remember this is not the end of the process, and we will monitor these aspects closely in negotiations with the European Parliament and in the box. Thank you.”
EU Supervision of the Rule of Law
- “Thank you. Chair Sweden highly values the high animal health status of the European Union, despite the increase of serious animal disease outbreaks in recent years. Sweden maintains that biosecurity is the fundamental cornerstone of prevention and control of infectious animal diseases. This said, vaccination can serve as an important complementary measure, and in this matter, I support the initiative from Hungary. Vaccination and the necessary follow up surveillance come with significant costs and their financial sustainability must be ensured. The vaccines used must also be both safe and effective, something that vary from case by case and must be subject to thorough evaluation. The European Food Safety Authority must be actively involved and provide the scientific basis necessary to support vaccination related decision making, also for animals. Lastly, continued dialogue with third countries in collaboration with the European Commission is essential to minimise trade related consequences of animal disease outbreaks. Thank you.”
Animal diseases prevention and management in the EU
- “Thank you very much. First, let me extend our support to Romania. This morning's events highlights the importance of a strong research in Europe that can combat future military aggression, as well as the wide range of tools used in the Twilight Zone between war and Peace. That being said, turning today to today's agenda, the shift from a planned, partial general approach to today's policy debate is a welcome one, as it underlines the importance of solving important issues in response to the key issues identified in the policy debate paper. Sweden's position is guided by one main fundamental principle the programme must continue to rest firmly on excellence. This is the foundation of Europe's research and innovation, strength and must underpin all elements of the future programme. Regarding recent formulation on strategic prioritisation, we welcome the more structured process introduced in the latest compromise where Member States contribute through Iraq. This is the step in the right direction. However, for Sweden, it is crucial that member states are giving meaningful influence over both the work programmes and the long term strategic priorities. This also relates to the need for effective coordination between Horizon Europe and European Competitiveness Fund. We must avoid overlap and ensure a coherent implementation that strengthens the overall impact of EU investments. A second key issue is concern, partnerships and implementation. We note that further clarification has been necessary regarding the selection process and implementation of partnerships.”
EU-level coordination of research agendas · Research priorities within the EU
- “Thank you very much. Um, as my minister said earlier today, we think it's very positive that an agreement in principle has been reached with Ukraine. We would like to underline how important it is that Ukraine can continue to trade freely with the EU, without restrictions or barriers. The agreement is a step in the right direction, although it could have been more ambitious. At the same time, we understand that certain member states are more exposed to the effects of increased trade liberalization, and we find that it's important that their concerns are addressed in a constructive and balanced manner. And as for Estonia, I would like to underline the importance of that. The agreement is not further weakened. Thank you very much.”
Agricultural trade: Ukraine imports
- “Thank you chair. And first, thank you very much to the Commission for putting EU's bioeconomy strategy on today's agenda. I don't know about the rest of the fine, ladies and gentlemen. Well, at least a lot of gentlemen in this room. Sometimes I'm not going to say when, um, at some point in time in my career as a politician, I thought bioeconomy. That sounds like a lot of humbug. As we say in Swedish, it sounds like some sort of flower power strategy, and I've come to understand it's very much a matter of money. It's very much a matter of economic growth. It's very much a matter of our industry. It's very much a matter of job opportunities for our citizens. And of course, showing that it is possible to solve what seems for, for some, an impossible equation which we know it is not to combine a decrease in emissions with increased economic growth. So this is the reason why this has become somewhat of a new favorite topic of mine. What we're asking is to keep on pushing this. We welcome the strategy of. Of course, we have to avoid adding layers of detailed rules, administrative burdens, or new regulations on how biomass may be utilized. The industry needs long term, stable and predictable conditions, and this is the reason why we're pushing rather to go with prioritizing efficient implementation of existing legislation rather than new and continued than are our simplification efforts, of course, which there is a high support for in this room. I think we also need to highlight the need for faster market access while then maintaining quality in the permitting procedures. And just finally, we truly welcome that. The Commission builds on the successful research and innovation work already done and now aim to scale up innovation and investments, and that we start seeing this as an important part for for our for our industries and for a more job creating Europe. Thank you chair.”
EU support for bioeconomic applications
- “Thank you madam. We had high hopes for this last cap reform and thought that we actually would be able to simplify this time. This hasn't been the case. Instead of a result oriented policy with more flexibility for member states, we feel we have the bigger administrative burden than ever. The current demands from the Commission do not fully reflect what we agreed on, and do not permit us to simplify our national control systems to the benefit of our farmers situation. Instead of changing small errors, we should focus on what is important for achieving the objectives of the policy. Thank you.”
Agriculture (green)
- “Thank you chair. I would like to thank the Czech Republic for raising the urgent issue of cormorants and its detrimental impact on fish stocks. Several fish stocks in the Baltic Sea are struggling and do not recover, despite restrictive fishing opportunities and measures to protect protect spawning. There are several factors having an impact on the stocks and their recovery, in addition to the pressure from fisheries. A holistic approach and a range of measures are thus needed. Measures to improve the Baltic Sea environment are key. In addition, facilitating the hunting of fish eating predators such as seals and cormorants would be a directly effective measure. We agree with the need for a management plan at the EU level. However, such management plan would only be effective if cormorants are moved to annex two and made huntable in the birds directive. On this subject, I would like to refer to the letter just sent to Commissioner Roswall and Commissioner Caddis by a large number of environmental as well as fisheries ministers on the need for action during this time. When necessary action is lacking, important fish populations failed to recover. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you. Colleagues the effect of climate change such as floods, heatwaves, forest fires and droughts are [00:26:30] already now having a serious impact on the health and well-being of people, as well on ecosystems and economics. The EU climate risk assessment gives us a better understanding of the risks that EU is facing, and of the actions that need to be taken at EU and national level to address those risks. In this regard, the Swedish government decided on a new National Strategy and Action Plan on Climate Adaptation on March the 14th. The strategy [00:27:00] defines Sweden's work on climate adaptation for the next five years. We will be happy to engage with the Commission and other member States to share insights and knowledge on this important topic on the 2040 climate target. Let me first say that I'm glad to see that the process for adopting a target is now underway. Uh, 20 uh, and EU 2040 target and NDC, in line with an ambitious climate policy, can enable others [00:27:30] to follow suit. The EU is and should continue to be a central actor for both addressing emissions within the union, as well as influencing other large emitters. International collaboration, exchange of knowledge, free trade are all central elements for a successful transition globally. We must ensure that the EU sets out a credible path towards climate neutrality 2050. Therefore, we want to see a 2040 target and enables such [00:28:00] a pathway in a socio economic efficient way based on the best available science and in line with one and a half degrees. We are still analysing the Commission's communication, and we look forward to adopt and present a position to the specific target level in due time.
Further, we think it's important that the regulatory framework is designed in a way that entails public support and acceptable consequences for households and companies. The new target should constitute a driving force for new jobs, growth [00:28:30] and strengthened competitiveness within the EU and its member states. The climate transition can only succeed if it takes place within a growing economy where prosperity increases. Also, it's the only way to show the lead for other regions and large emitters around the world. The EU has to show that the climate transition is compatible with the growing economy and increasing prosperity. Colleagues, let me conclude with [00:29:00] a few words on the transition post 2030. Access to increased amounts of fossil free energy will be key, not least as an enabling condition for the industry's transition. In this regard, we welcome that the Commission points also at nuclear energy as a technology that will play an important role. Negative emissions such as biochar, a sustainable bio economy and measures for circular economy are important elements in realising the target. The framework post 2030 should be designed to both enable [00:29:30] an active and sustainable forest management, and allow for member states to account for negative emissions, both from bio X and direct air capture. Finally, the climate transition must take place throughout the entire Union. We want to see a post 2030 framework with increased convergence between member states towards 2040. Focus should be on cost efficient policy instruments such as emissions trading. We look forward to taking these discussions further to enable a transition [00:30:00] to climate neutrality by 2050 that reinforces growth and competitiveness. Thank you.”
Climate efforts
- “Thank you so much, Magnus. And thank you for giving us the opportunity to discuss and address the environmental aspects of the European Ocean Pact. In response to your first question regarding the main challenges and obstacles to ensure good environmental status in our oceans and how to tackle them, I would like to share three brief messages. Firstly, regarding the importance of our regional sea conventions and regional cooperation. Sweden places high priority on helcom. An ospar cross-border and cross-sector dialogue is crucial, and we thank Commissioner Cordis and Roosevelt for bringing us together ministers of environment and ministers responsible for fisheries at the Baltic Conference three weeks ago. Secondly, we see the evaluation of the Common Fisheries policies as a unique opportunity to assess its coherence with EU environmental legislation, as well as to get a reference point, a shared vision on how to achieve a healthy ecosystems that can form the basis for a competitive blue economy. And third, I would like to highlight the four key principles of the Ocean Pact a source to sea approach to tackling pollution, the precautionary principle, a science based approach to policy decisions, and an eco based, ecosystem based approach. The emphasis on the Source to Sea principle aligns well with our support to the Water Resilience Strategy, urging us to address and prevent water pollution at source, including excess of nutrients, as well as to specifically address hazardous substances such as PFAS. And let us not forget the challenge of marine litter, not least ghost nets. And I am personally very pleased to see that the ecosystem based approach has been clearly acknowledged in the European Ocean Pact to strengthen the implementation of the ecosystem based approach. It is necessary for the Marine Strategy Framework Directive as well as for Marine Spatial Planning Directive, and we will need to return more in detail at a later stage regarding the revision of the directives. And finally approaching Cop 30 in Belgium. Let us remember that one of the main challenges for our oceans, not least in the Baltic Sea, is the intensified stress on the ocean that is caused by climate change. Thank you.”
EU ocean policy
- “16:18 – 16:18:39): Thank you chair the world of work is constantly evolving and the deployment of ai tools is one transformative example of this the constant changes need to be carefully handled so we can boost our competitiveness while maintaining good working conditions protecting workers and respecting workers' personal integrity.
In this transformation social dialogue has a central role to play in the member states and the union for quick adaptation to the structural changes social dialogue builds trust and supports our internal market.
We know that labor market models with strong social dialogue have proven to deliver higher levels of growth and lower levels of inequality than any other models therefore we should not jump to the conclusion that all developments require new legal measures.
We have a framework to handle changes so instead of proposing new measures focus should be on implementing and enforcing already existing eu legislation but if new initiatives are to be presented it is crucial that they should provide a clear added value and are accompanied by thorough impact assessments.
Also any initiatives in the social field at eu level should provide for sufficient flexibility to design measures that are effective and adapted to the different national systems of the member states.
Regarding the country specific recommendations they should to a greater extent focus on market liberalization reforms and reduced regulatory burden as key reforms for strengthened competitiveness and improved labor market outcomes.
Finally I would like to underline that the division of competences between the eu and the member states must as always be respected thank you”
EU competences on social policies
- “Thank you, Mr. Chair. Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues. Sweden welcomes the progress made so far and wishes to highlight that pillar one on scientific excellence is sufficiently mature, but we still need to safeguard its independence. The ERC and the Msca are established, internationally respected instruments that deliver high quality results. They require stability and autonomy and an excellence based, bottom up driven approach. Also, the EU has reached a high level of maturity. Adjustments may be needed, but they should remain limited. However, issues relating to dual use within the EU require further analysis and a common conceptualized definition of dual use in the context of R&D support. Question number two. Several questions need to be resolved. Sweden three issues that particularly are particularly important. First, we share the ambition of strengthening the EU's competitiveness. But excellence must remain the primary selection criterion. An excellent and useful results must be the outcome of all parts of the Framework programme. It is essential to avoid overlaps and to clearly define the role of each instrument. Second, we need a governance structure that ensures transparency, predictability and maintains the balance between political objectives and scientific quality. Flexibility is valuable, but it must not come at the expense of member states influence and the programme's long term predictability. Thirdly. Fp10 must continue to cover the full chain from fundamental research to application. We cannot allow shifts that eliminate pre-commercial research collaborations. This is particularly important in pillar two. We endorse a strong synergy between Horizon Europe and the ECF that channels the results of Horizon Europe's fundamental research into innovation and commercialization phases. Question number three we see a need for clearer rules on international cooperation and association of third countries to avoid risking the EU's research collaborations. I am thinking in particular about maintaining collaboration with important countries such as the UK. This collaboration strengthened our collective capacity without increasing our Vulnerability. And finally, the dual use questions, as mentioned earlier, require a common conceptualized definition of dual use in the context of R&D support so that researchers and other actors understand the conditions under which they are expected to operate. Thank you.”
EU research funding
- “Thank you, Minister Bodnar. Uh, when it comes to the proposed pre-pack proceedings, we support the objective to facilitate for the business of an insolvent debtor to be sold as an ongoing concern at the highest available market price. But that said, our overriding approach is that the harmonised rules on Pre-pack proceedings must be flexible enough to make it possible for member states to integrate the Pre-pack procedure into the national system in an efficient way. This had been said by many before. We deal with very complex issues in this file, and whether there should be an automatic transfer of executory contracts, or whether the objective of Pre-pack proceedings is best achieved otherwise. It's a complex and delicate issue, so there are several different interests to take into account here. How auditors contracts are handled in an insolvency proceeding is also closely linked to other parts of national law, for instance, contract law. So in our view, member States therefore need full flexibility. So to make it very clear, we suggest that the potential transfer of the debtor's contracts in Pre-pack proceedings is not included in the directive, but regulated by national law instead. And let me also finish on a broader note, taking into account the further discussions on this file, and just as has been said by others, Germany, Finland, Slovenia, for instance, in order to really make progress on this file, we should focus our efforts on the parts of the proposals that actually could have a positive impact on the capital markets union, such as the Pre-pack proceedings discussed here today. The proposed simplified, winding up proceedings for micro-enterprises has very little to contribute in that regard, in our view, and should be deleted from the directive. Thank you.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you chair, and many thanks also to our Italian friends for raising this important point. Sweden. Located in a rather remote part of the union with long distances within and out of our country, fully agrees on the need for a level playing field within the EU. European farmers have faced tough challenges in recent years with high costs and great market uncertainty. Requirements must be appropriate, proportionate and cost effective. But we're convinced that ambitious animal welfare legislation, coupled with good animal health and reduced need for antibiotics, is the very basis of a sustainable food system with high quality and globally competitive European products. We look forward to continued negotiations to find an appropriate pathway forward that contributes to enhanced protection for animals, increased competitiveness for our producers and that will earn and maintain the trust of our consumers and citizens. Thank you.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- “Moreover, we need to counteract the harms caused by the use of alcohol, tobacco, and nicotine. In these efforts. The protection of children and young people must be a priority. The EU's tobacco regulation is a vital tool for safeguarding public health in Europe. Measures concerning tobacco policy should be proportionate and aimed at protecting vulnerable groups, such as children and young people. To conclude, EU level initiatives should provide clear added value and the division of competences between the EU and the Member States, as well as national health care systems, must be respected. Sweden welcomes the EU level initiatives that foster increased knowledge, dialogue and the exchange of experiences among member States. A good example of this is the Expert Meeting on Digital Media and Health, which we co-hosted with Finland on June 3rd in Brussels. Another important tool in our efforts is the EU funding that supports research and joint projects that enhance our understanding of health, cancer and other non-communicable diseases As well as alcohol and tobacco consumption through programs such as EU for Health and Horizon Europe. Thank you.”
EU measures on lifestyle-related behaviours (smoking, drinking, eating, etc.)
- “Thank you very much, Minister. And thank you. And and thank you also to your team for all the efforts on this important file. And we are very pleased that the Council will reach agreement on a general approach. Today, Sweden supports the proposal by the presidency for today's meeting. We are in particular supportive of the inclusion of nuclear on the list for strategic technologies. It is a complex and broad yet important file, and we fully understand fully understand the reasons for the high pace during the negotiations. In the upcoming trialogues, we must continue our efforts to reach a regulation with textural clarity and coherence that will not create uncertainties for our businesses and authorities. We will continue our support for the presidency and the incoming Belgian presidency in reaching an agreement with the European Parliament regarding financing. The Net Zero Industry Act is not about changing the conditions or award criteria for allocation of union funding, or to steer the EIB s activities. We are thus in agreement with the president's Sentences. Proposed wording in article three be. Thank you very much.”
Nuclear energy
- “Thank you, President. We have been looking forward to this new legislative proposal on genomic techniques. We are still examining this. But having had a look at this, we are positive on this. And our preliminary conclusion is that this is very promising in our preliminary analysis. We think that this has potential [00:14:30] to contribute to to contribute to a more sustainable, resilient food system. And the proposal gives researchers and plant breeders a new tool in their toolbox. Now, on your question on which aspects are particularly important for us, we'd like to emphasize that this should be seen as a whole. All of this fits together. One particularly positive aspect, though, is that the proposal takes [00:15:00] particular account of products properties as opposed to the technique which has been used. This part of the proposal supports the idea of equivalent products being dealt with in the same way, regardless of the methods which have been used to produce them. So we think that this is a clever, well motivated approach and to a larger extent that this will contribute to eliminating a discriminatory [00:15:30] effect. So we look forward to our continued work on this important proposal and you have our full support in this proposed approach. Thank you.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “Thank you. Chair. Dear colleagues, dear Commissioner. I would like to also welcome you to the council. I'm looking forward to constructive cooperation. And you can count on Sweden's support in all measures, but not at least on road safety. And we are proud of the work done in Sweden with Vision Zero for decades. And we are happy that this important step will be taken today. So I would like to thank the presidency for the work done and its effort to create a comprehensive directive. Sweden is supportive for further attempts aimed to improving road safety in the Union. We therefore support the general approach and in the upcoming negotiations. We believe that it is important to uphold a good balance between enhancing the effect of driving disqualifications and ensuring that the administrative burden for Member States remain proportionate. So we welcome this and support it. Thank you very much.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you chair. We will also follow on where the Danish, Dutch and Finnish ministers spoke on the new benchmarks. We need predictability and long term stability of the regulatory framework. Keeping in mind that surgical interventions directly undermine the provisions of the ETS directive, create unpredictability, and are harmful to the ETS system as a whole in the long run. We need to adhere to the methodologies as agreed, and any changes in the scope or methodologies should be revised in the context of the ETS revision. As the Dutch minister just said, and the necessary adjustments can be made for the post 2030 benchmark period for sectors where emissions are often processed, related and difficult to eliminate. We need a balanced approach. Strong climate ambition combined with industrial industrial competitiveness, affordable energy and predictable investment conditions. Thank you.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “Thank you, Oscar, and thank you Poland and Slovakia and Hungary for describing the situation you're experiencing in the transport market. I can understand that the situation is complicated, but at the same time, I would like to point out how important Sweden thinks it is to solve the situation [00:16:00] with blockades at the Ukrainian border. Free flow of goods across the borders between the EU and Ukraine is crucial to sustain Ukraine's economic situation. So Sweden is prepared to participate in discussions on how to strike the right balance between the different interests to solve the situation. Thank you.”
EU–Ukraine road transport / haulage agreement
- “Thank you very much and good morning. And this regulation on CO2 standards for cars and vans has been a central instrument of the EU's climate policy since 2008 2009. From the beginning, the framework rests on same. The same of some important principles fair competition between manufacturers and a clear division of responsibility, which means that vehicle manufacturers obligations are kept separate from those of the fuel suppliers. These principles have served European industry well by providing clarity and stability. With the proposal before us, however, I see a risk that we now are undermining them. While the flexibility proposed is well intended, the proposed measures risk penalizing companies that have already invested heavily in zero emissions technology, which is more concerning. What is more concerning is that the proposal, which is flexibility, creates creates uncertainty, thereby making long term industrial planning more complicated. With that, the EU may set out on a path that weakens our Competitiveness. Perhaps not in 2 or 3 years, but over time. Global competition is fierce as our automotive industry is painfully aware of. But if the EU slows down the pace of electrification, we. We are deemed to find ourselves in an even weaker position in 2035.”
2035 ICE phase-out: strict zero-emission target vs. flexibility for carmakers · Road transport environmental policy
- “Um, thank you very much, Minister. Uh, first of all, we would like to thank the [00:14:00] presidency for all its hard work with the Cyber Solidarity Act. We welcome the ambition to strengthen the solidarity and capacity in the union when it comes to detecting, preparing and responding to cyber security threats and incidents. These represent technically challenging questions which need careful consideration, and we would be well advised to give appropriate time to this work in the council. Also, on this initiative, we want to emphasize [00:14:30] the importance of national security related questions and that Member States responsibilities in this regard are not affected. Information which may have implications for national security cannot fall within the scope of this regulation. Further roles and responsibilities of the Commission and the Member States, respectively, must be sufficiently clarified. While bearing in mind the importance of not duplicating already existing structures and networks [00:15:00] within the Union. Sweden is currently analysing the third compromise proposal, and we are pleased to note that several important clarifications have been made in it. We're looking forward to continuing the discussion, and we want to contribute constructively to the forthcoming negotiations in the Council. Thank you very much.”
Governance of EU cyber crisis-response mechanisms (Cyber Solidarity Act)
- “Thank you Stephanie, and congratulations on getting to lead us all. It's mostly, uh, mostly joy and privilege. I hope Sweden is ready to work to find an agreement during your presidency. Uh, just one thing. Uh, one issue. There is no thing that is not. There is one thing that is not mentioned in the in the note. And that is the requirement for euro land bank, like Sweden and other banks to handle digital euro for euro area citizens. And I think I think we need a balanced solution that doesn't burden our banks too much. I just want to raise that issue. Thanks.”
Digital euro
- “And this is the reason why, although we're alone with our situations, don't leave us alone in this. And thank you for a part of that. Support Czechia. Since we are best in class, we also collect massive amounts of congestion revenues and this is my assignment today. And this is. These revenues arise for three principal reasons. One, we export the most per capita in the EU. This creates huge flows of electricity. Two, when we export fossil free electricity increases power prices in southern Sweden primarily. Three we are one of only three member states that have introduced national bidding zones. We're still waiting for our dear German friends, but I know that that's Germany's decision. It's not going to be our decision. And this also, of course, amplifies the congestion revenues that we have within Sweden. So to put it into numbers, last year, the Swedish t.s.o collected €3 billion in congestion revenues. The vast majority of this 75% is all collected on internal bottlenecks, not through interconnectors. So, I mean, come on, it is simply unacceptable that countries which lead the way are ultimately now heavily penalized for it. I also want to underline that we fear that the central scenario risks being yet another administrative obstacle for TSOs to overcome. And these are hard red lines for us.”
EU energy infrastructure integration
- “Thank you chairman. Thank you Luis. First of all, I would like to thank the Spanish [00:42:30] presidency for all the hard work that has gone in to these negotiations. It's important legislation which can make a contribution to a competitive and sustainable EU with alternative solutions for food production and farming. Now we have a time window now before the parliamentary elections to get this legislation [00:43:00] up and running quite quickly. So that would help us to give our researchers and businesses a chance to. Be able to meet the challenges of a changed climate in Europe and not lose too much competitiveness. The compromise proposal, um, maintains the main parts of the commission's proposal, but it's now a clearer text. It's no surprise that we would have preferred [00:43:30] the Commission's proposal to be more ambitious, and we know that others wanted to take the proposal in the opposite direction. The Commission's proposal, as in itself, was already a compromise. So we've all made concessions with the aim of pushing these discussions forwards. Sweden has said that we can accept the so-called opt out process for NT two plants. [00:44:00] I regret that organic farmers will not be able to make use of NT one plants. I think that those plants could be a good tool for the future in environmental and organic farming. I'm hoping that we'll be able to resolve the remaining problems, and we support the proposal and hope that this compromise proposal can be adopted. Thank you.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “Thank you Chair. Thank you to Denmark for raising this very important issue on simplification of regulation. Sweden has welcomed the legislation on new genomic techniques for plants, and we think it can contribute to a competitive and sustainable eu. We had hoped to have reached further than we have in the negotiations, but we will continue to work for a proportionate legislation with legal certainties that can result in new plant species of the market. Thank you.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “These are important issues for ensuring efficiency, transparency and strong governance. At the same time, Sweden has concerns regarding the proposed central financial management and does not support moving towards such an approach. Third, on widening participation, we understand and support the objective of strengthening participation across the Union, including Estonia's proposal on advancing support for transition countries and call for an effective model to guide the path to excellence. However, measures must remain well targeted and clearly delimited within pillar four and must not affect the selection criteria in other parts of the programme. While existing effective tools can be acknowledged, we do not see a need for mentioning new ones in the regulations. Excellence must remain the guiding principle. Finally, let me briefly touch on bottom up collaborative research and innovation. Sweden sees several merit in furthering strengthening bottom up approaches with a focus on excellence and truly strategic thematic areas for Europe. However, at this point, Sweden prefers to make full use of existing instruments before creating new ones. To conclude, Dear Chair, Sweden stands ready to engage constructively to reach an agreement under your guidance. For us, the key is clear a programme firmly based on excellence, with effective governance and broad participation without compromising quality. Thank you.”
EU-level coordination of research agendas
- “Thank you, Hector. And thank you for having this discussion today on the Euro seven proposal. The overall aim of the Euro seven proposal is to improve air quality in the European Union. And as you all know, road transport is still a major contributor to air pollution, especially in our cities. Sweden [00:37:30] agrees that the current European emission standards for pollutants needs to be revised to further contribute to improving air quality and to be in line with the development of electric vehicles. We therefore welcome that. The Euro seven proposal also specifies new standards for particulate emissions from brakes and tires and new durability standards for batteries installed in the vehicles. However, for the legislation to be as effective as [00:38:00] possible, it is also important to ensure that there is a coherence between the new Euro seven requirements and the new CO2 requirements for light and heavy duty vehicles which have recently been adopted or are under negotiation. Stricter Co two requirements and the transition to zero emission vehicles primarily through electrification reduces emissions of both Co two and air pollution. It is therefore important that Euro seven does [00:38:30] not disproportionately slow down the transition to electrification. Sweden appreciates the efforts of the Spanish presidency to find a compromise proposal between member states. We believe that the amendments introduced by the Spanish presidency significantly improves the coherence between the new Euro seven requirements and the new CO2 requirements compared to the original proposal. In particular, the postponement [00:39:00] of the entry into force, simplifications of test methods and more clearly defined test conditions, as well as easing of the limit values. So to sum up, Sweden believes that the compromise proposal provides a good balance between the need for emission reduction of air pollution from road transport and the costs of investments to achieve this. We can therefore support the proposal from the Spanish presidency for a general approach. Thank you.”
Road transport environmental policy
- “Thank you Max. So these comments will be in addition to the ones I made when we had this discussion last. Um, first of all, uh, we clearly welcome work to remove barriers in order to ensure that that our capital markets become more integrated at the same time. It is important to maintain well-functioning national markets that exist today. And a key part for that, for us, is to keep the national influence, both in supervision and governance. And I have three proposals, concrete proposals to achieve this. The first one is to remove the group criteria for companies that would fall under my supervision. And let me elaborate a little bit on this. So in my country, we have three SME growth markets, one of which fall under the main market. Um these SME growth markets do IPO. So primary listings for for SMEs. And these companies very often graduate to the main market once they grow, which is a good sort of journey for them. Uh, and also to be concrete on this, uh, looking at the EU growth prospectuses. So, so the, the, the sort of A little bit lighter regime for SMEs to do prospectuses. Sweden actually accounts for 57% of those in the EU.”
EU Single Market harmonisation
- “Thank you, Maria. And thank you, Kostas. The EU's fisheries and agriculture sectors are dependent on making the energy transition both to complete, to compete and deliver a stable food production across the EU. This is part of strengthening the sector's overall resilience and critical priority and is a critical priority. Healthy marine ecosystems and sustainable management of fish stocks, ensuring long term productivity and stability for the sector are vital to ensure the profits needed to make the transition. In addition, measures to strengthen the entire value chain are necessary to improve overall profits. Economic incentives, including support for innovation, knowledge sharing, accessible charging infrastructure and investment support where needed, are necessary. Economic policy instruments that promote the use of renewable energy, such as ETS two, can also be an important tool. When it comes to public support, it is important that available instruments are targeted to reduce emissions as much as possible. Stronger links within a wider maritime sector can also speed up technology transfer. We must reduce the gap between innovation and practical practical application. New technologies must be translated into real world use on vessels in ports as soon as they become available. Lastly, to ensure that a transition strengthens the long term sustainability of the sector, we need to reduce the sector's dependency on fossil fuels, while at the same time maintaining the balance between fishing opportunities and the capacity of the fleet. The ETP and the and its support groups have provided important insights in both the challenges and opportunities ahead. I would like to thank the Commission for its efforts in this area, and I look forward to the climate roadmap later this year. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you, Maria. And thank you, Kostas. The EU's fisheries and agriculture sectors are dependent on making the energy transition both to complete, to compete and deliver a stable food production across the EU. This is part of strengthening the sector's overall resilience and critical priority and is a critical priority. Healthy marine ecosystems and sustainable management of fish stocks, ensuring long term productivity and stability for the sector are vital to ensure the profits needed to make the transition. In addition, measures to strengthen the entire value chain are necessary to improve overall profits. Economic incentives, including support for innovation, knowledge sharing, accessible charging infrastructure and investment support where needed, are necessary. Economic policy instruments that promote the use of renewable energy, such as ETS two, can also be an important tool. When it comes to public support, it is important that available instruments are targeted to reduce emissions as much as possible. Stronger links within a wider maritime sector can also speed up technology transfer. We must reduce the gap between innovation and practical practical application. New technologies must be translated into real world use on vessels in ports as soon as they become available. Lastly, to ensure that a transition strengthens the long term sustainability of the sector, we need to reduce the sector's dependency on fossil fuels, while at the same time maintaining the balance between fishing opportunities and the capacity of the fleet. The ETP and the and its support groups have provided important insights in both the challenges and opportunities ahead. I would like to thank the Commission for its efforts in this area, and I look forward to the climate roadmap later this year. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you Maria. Sweden agrees with Germany that a current implementing a proposal on weighing is imposed. Disproportional, disproportional burden and cost for operators and competent authorities. Sweden sees a significant need to reduce the minimum levels of inspection benchmarks. The proposed levels could undermine the current risk based approach. Central to ensuring effective fisheries controls. The proposal would mean that mean a step backwards from progress made at EU level. It risks requiring member states to allocate a large share of control resources to low risk fisheries. We also agree with Germany on the urgent need to ensure essential simplification and improvements in the catch systems. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you, chair. And thank you, Latvia and Lithuania, for highlighting the issues and undesired practical effects on fisheries related to the new provisions on tolerance margins. Sweden welcomes the revised control regulation, but provisions developed in delegated acts or implementing implementing acts must be purposeful, proportionate and cost effective. We must not also forget that simplification should be a guiding star when we when implementing the new fisheries control framework. We need to find ways to improve and make fisheries control more efficient, without disproportionately increasing the overall administrative burden in the sector, without assessing the detailed proposals from Latvia and Lithuania. Sweden welcomes the initiative to ask the Commission to assess the situation and strive to find a swift and workable solution to different aspects of the question of margin of tolerance. The provisions should be designed to be practically implementable for the stakeholders in the fishery industry, and to further enhance fisheries control. Thank you.”
Environmental regulation of fisheries
- “Thank you very much, chair. We thank the presidency for this timely initiative to discuss the upcoming EU work plan for culture. The work plans are a good way to structure our joint efforts within the field of culture. They combine strategic long term action and flexibility. This combination is important to safeguard.
In parallel with the drafting of the new work plan, we have the negotiations on the joint declaration, Europe for Culture, Culture for Europe as part of the Culture Compass. It is meant as an EU strategic framework for culture. It could inspire also the future work plans, which therefore could focus more on the actual tools.
Under the current work plan, Sweden was the first member state to have the Council Presidency, and we had a strong focus on artistic freedom. And it's good to see the effects that this has had on our joint work over the last couple of years. We were, for example, happy to see that the commission placed special focus on artistic freedom in its proposal to the joint declaration, and we look forward to seeing such commitments translated into actions in the upcoming work plan.
Together with the topics where we can be inspired by the current work plan, the upcoming work plan could, of course, also take up new ones. As also proposed in the joint declaration, the issue of innovative and alternative modes of funding could be of of particular interest.
As for actions to address the different topics, it's clear that many of the tools provided in the work plan so far have been useful for policy input, such as studies or the open method of coordination groups that have let the member states' experts' networks learn from each other and come up with useful recommendations. With this in mind, we look forward to good cooperation on outlining the upcoming EU work plan for culture. Thank you very much. Thank you very much. When I have Ireland, Charlie, the floor is yours.”
EU and national cultural identities
- “Speaking more specifically on European preference, Sweden would like to highlight two key aspects. Firstly, Sweden generally believes that measures concerning union origin should be exceptions and established with caution. Union origin requirements can be justified to counter strategic high risk dependencies where the diversification through trade has been assessed as insufficient. Sweden believed that the definition of union origin should include countries that the EU has a free trade agreement with as a starting point to safeguard the EU's trade relations. Second, Sweden would also like to underline that the Council must work together to produce a regulation that has the intended effect. Otherwise, the EU will be less credible as a legislator to be effective. Implementation in practice and predictability are key. New measures should avoid creating overlapping structures or disproportionate burdens. My last point here is on foreign direct investment. The EU should support foreign direct investments, but also consider EU political realities of today. Sweden's starting point is that the EU should continue to be an attractive market for investments, and requirements should be targeted to specific cases. Sweden sees that some EU harmonization in this area is beneficial. Thank you.”
EU policy on screening foreign investment in strategic sectors and critical infrastructure
- “Our preliminary, very conservative estimates indicate an increase of at least 60% and possibly even a doubling. This is not possible for us. That's why we believe that the MFF volume must remain around 1% of GNP. And as we have said many times before, renewed NI corrections will also be necessary in a final agreement and we welcome that they are now mentioned in the negotiation box. We reject the argument that the modernised MFF makes NI corrections Is redundant, our net position remains severely unbalanced and deteriorates further due to the increased volume. We do not question our role as net contributor, but this is about fair burden sharing and making sure that excessive imbalances are compensated. The revenue side and the expenditure side must be seen together in this respect. Let me therefore take also a moment to address some of the concerns raised by other Member States regarding the inclusion of the rebates in the negotiation box. Corrections represent the crucial element in the broader conversation about volume structure and modernisation. It is therefore only natural that they have now been included as an option in the box. This enables us to have a comprehensive discussion covering all aspects. Number three, we oppose all forms of new common borrowing, including loan for loan arrangements.”
Size of EU budget
- “Thank you chair. And thank you also to Slovenia for raising this issue, as we have emphasized many times before. An ambitious and effective animal welfare legislation is a prerequisite for a sustainable food system. Good animal welfare contributes to good animal health, which in turn reduces the need for antibiotics. This is of great importance in the work to combat antimicrobial resistance. The review of the legislation is necessary in order to improve animal welfare, but also to address the existing gaps in implementation and compliance within the EU today, thereby creating a level playing field for all Member States. We therefore strongly urge the Commission to prioritise the remaining proposals in the field of animal welfare, high on the agenda in the coming year, and to ensure that the review is carried out in full and across all the areas promised by the Commission. Thank you.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- “Thank you Marie, and many thanks to the Commission for all your work and the presentation of your priorities of the legislative agenda for 2026. Regarding the letter of intent, I would particularly like to emphasize the following three areas a strengthened and continued support to Ukraine, a call for a more united European Union, and a goal to strengthen the competitiveness of the European Union. It's of great importance that the Commission continues to provide its unwavering support to Ukraine, and continues to put pressure on Russia. Ukraine is fighting not only for its own peace and freedom, but for the whole of Europe. Moreover, only by staying united, The EU can shape its future and its role in the world. Boosting our own security, preparedness and resilience is essential in these uncertain times. This forms the basis for a more independent, stronger and united Europe. Linked to this, we must also boost the EU competitiveness and growth agenda. The way forward is to improve the single market, scale up innovation and simplify the rules for our companies and businesses. We welcome that the Commission continues to work on this important agenda, and let us all work together to see how we can speed up this work even further, because I believe that is very important. Lastly, in the context of the upcoming F'f, we want to make it clear that EU fundings are for those who care about the rule of law, respect rule of law and fundamental democratic principles. Thank you.”
Russia-Ukraine conflict (10th term)
- “But thank you, Madam President. Dear chair, Commissioner, ministers, colleagues, first, I would like to thank the presidency for proposing this very important Portant topic for today's debate. Protecting children and young people on the internet is one of the great challenges of our time. And let me be clear. We are about to lose an entire generation to endless scrolling and deep rabbit holes. In addition, young people also risk being exposed to manipulation, threats, hatred, violence, and sexual violence and harassment online. Europe must come together to save our children and young people. We must show that the health and safety of our children and youth is non-negotiable. We need to target both the negative impact that the digital development has on young people in terms of effects on health and wellbeing, as well as risks of being exposed to manipulation, threats, hate or violence online. It is also important to take into account that certain groups are more exposed than others. And here I would like to emphasize the critical need for effective measures to combat the alarming issue of sexual harassment and violence and grooming against all young people, particularly girls. A balanced use of digital media needs to be promoted among young people, together with measures aiming to protect young people online and strengthen their resilience.”
Safety features & content control for child protection online
- “Thank you chair. And thank you for having this discussion on the action plans. Sweden finds the plans generally address the important issues for strengthening competitiveness in these sectors. While it is important to also strengthen competitiveness through simplification, as we just discussed deepening of the internal market and the removal of trade barriers. However, I'd like to maybe add a bit of nuance to the report that we heard of this morning's meeting with the Ministerial Alliance of the Energy Intensive Industries. As concerns for Sweden. If you look at the EU ETS, it is the cornerstone of the EU climate policy framework. It gives us long term predictability and stable carbon pricing and are essential components for the EU industrial transformation and competitiveness. This is I mean, it is one thing to ask for fine tuning of the Cbam or the ETS, but to call out for basically an open heart surgery of one of the most successful economic instruments that the union has risks cutting the blood flow altogether. I mean, it really, truly risks undermining the support also from the private sector for larger measurements moving forward. If the EU decides on one thing and then a few years in, then rolls back the whole economic infrastructure just because. And let's be frank, a few member states did not do their homework on time. There are competitive companies that are selling at a competitive price on the European market because they did their homework on time. I will not be punished because others did not read the timetable. Having said that, the issues raised in the Steel and Metals Action Plan are in many ways good, and we are asking to see how some of these measures can be analysed further.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “Thank you very much, chair. And thank you also to the Commissioner for the information. Simplification is also important to us, and we support the Commission in this agenda. I would just like also to agree with Ireland and others who have pointed to the energy performance of buildings, which we also think can be simplified to support competitiveness and to reduce burdens on households without compromising on decarbonisation goals. We've also submitted proposals to the Commission as regards reducing excessive regulation on solar energy, on charging infrastructure and technical systems. Thank you.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you. Chair, I would start to thank you and your team in the presidency for all your efforts to find a compromise text. Combating child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children are very important issues for Sweden, and we therefore welcome the revision of this directive, even if we acknowledge the need for a balanced approach. Sweden cannot accept the text that has been put forward today. The most critical issue for Sweden in the negotiations has been to ensure that children who have reached the age of sexual consent are provided with a comprehensive and robust legal protection against unwanted sexual activities. However, the text on consent is now not ambitious enough for us. Essential parts of the text have been deleted or moved from the operative part into recital. For example, we are seriously troubled by the inability to agree among us on the fact that sleeping or drugged children cannot give consent, or that past sexual behavior is irrelevant to the assessment of whether consent has been given or not. In our mind, it should be self-evident in a modern society that sexual acts must be voluntary to be legal. Consent must always be given to engage in sexual activity. So because of this, we will not be able to support the text and will therefore abstain from voting. Finally, I would like to refer to the statement made by Sweden and six other member States in which we all regret the position that the majority of the Member States has taken on the critical issue of consent. Thank you.”
Criminal-law harmonisation of child sexual abuse offences (CSAM Directive recast)
- “So our SME, local SME market is very vivid. And I would argue that we need to keep the local knowledge of these markets that are truly local. Secondly, looking at at ESMA, we would like to ensure that the ESMA Board of Governance, sorry, Board of Supervisors has a stronger role in governance and also that the Executive Board members both reflect and have experience from important financial markets in the Union. This is exceptionally important to us, and the way I see it is that those of us with bigger capital markets, we have higher stakes in this. So what we're talking about that this should be reflected in the executive board. I'm talking about fair representation. That's what I'm talking about. Thirdly, on the cooperation between asthma and the national competent authorities, we would like to see that clearly defined in the legal texts. So the forms of cooperation specify what the the arrangements are and what what it should should cover. And lastly, just a reminder. So we are talking about integrating our capital markets. Let's not forget that we need to make our capital markets bigger. And for that we have other measures that we have talked about before. Thank you.”
Financial regulation
- “Thank you. I'd like to thank the Spanish presidency for the hard work that they've put into the proposal to try and make progress. We welcome what has been done. We want a rapid procedure to get this legislation through. We want to see a European Union, which is sustainable but also competitive with the rapid deployment of these new technologies, which will improve the level of EU's competitiveness. Our national experts and Efsa have told us that these technologies are safe for the environment, safe for our health, and we think that this is a positive [00:24:00] move forward. Are an important instrument. We want European and Swedish industries to be able to benefit from NGOs to create new plant species. We think that organic farming can decide whether they for themselves, whether they should use one plants or not. And that would resolve a lot of issues. If plants are considered to be conventional equivalent to conventional plants, then the treatment should [00:24:30] also be equivalent. Next year we will have a new parliament and so so as not to lose an entire year. We want to see this legislation implemented ASAP. We'll be as constructive as we can.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “Thank you president. And first of all, I would like to welcome you, Oscar, to this group of colleagues. We're happy to have you here. And I would like to thank you and the Spanish presidency for your hard work on these files. And we all recognize the road safety. And for Sweden, that is [00:28:30] a crucial part of the work of when we're discussing transport and infrastructure issues. So I'm happy to hear all the support to improve the road safety and that we need to do that across the union. I'm confident that the implementation of the CB directive, as well as the driving license directive, will help increase the safety on our roads and therefore Sweden supports the adoption of the general approaches on both these files as proposed. I would like to convey [00:29:00] my gratitude to the presidency for the work done on the revision of the driving License directive. We are pleased to see the flexibility when it comes to health requirements. Both the possibility to only require a self-assessment when you apply for a driving licence for the first time, as well as for the optionality regarding checks for elder drivers. We are also pleased that measures have been taken to ensure the mobility of youth, which is an extremely important issue, especially in the rural [00:29:30] areas of Sweden. We also appreciate the flexibility introduced for the accompanied driving schemes, such as domestic option to include C1 and C licenses. We would like to extend the thank you for the positive cooperation in this file, not least when it comes to the issues around assessment of health. We believe that this revision, with measures such as a probationary period, will increase road safety and make it easier for EU citizens to move freely around [00:30:00] the Union. And we have very good experience from Sweden when it comes to probationary periods. Sweden also appreciates the work done by the presidency. With the revision of the driving and rest time rules, we support the general approach and welcomes these more flexible rules as they are better suited for the occasional passenger transport sector. However, for the sake of ensuring road safety, Sweden would have preferred that more flexible rules on the distribution of brakes would have been limited [00:30:30] to driving during daytime, due to the risks related to night work. Being able to carry out checks and enforce the rules is important, of course, but nonetheless Sweden would have preferred less burdensome rules concerning the journey forms. But with that said, we support the adoption of this general approaches and I will thank you for your hard work to achieve this. Thank you.”
Driving licences
- “Thank you, chairman, and thank you for the presentation. Thank [00:05:30] you for putting this on the agenda and for organising the conference in January. In our long term, uh, attempts to achieve a sustainable food system, ambitious animal welfare, uh, regulations are an essential part. This is something that we support in all the areas promised by the Commission. [00:06:00] We would like to encourage the Commission to fully implement the reforms and, uh, and, uh, uh, address the review as soon as possible. Thank you.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- “Thank you Istvan. Sweden would like to thank the Hungarian presidency for the update on the progress regarding the on the protection of animals Is during transport. An update on the to the current transport regulation is essential to ensure good, good animal welfare during transport, while also achieving greater harmonisation and fairer competitive conditions within the union. We look forward to the continued work on the regulation during the Polish Presidency. Finally, I would like to briefly mention our additional item on animal welfare, which will be addressed later today. Unfortunately, I have to leave the meeting before then, but I would like to emphasize the importance of strengthening animal welfare in the European Union, and I hope we'll soon see the promised proposals.”
EU requirements on animal welfare for farmers
- “Thank you chair. And thank you for having this discussion on the action plans. Sweden finds the plans generally address the important issues for strengthening competitiveness in these sectors. While it is important to also strengthen competitiveness through simplification, as we just discussed deepening of the internal market and the removal of trade barriers. However, I'd like to maybe add a bit of nuance to the report that we heard of this morning's meeting with the Ministerial Alliance of the Energy Intensive Industries. As concerns for Sweden. If you look at the EU ETS, it is the cornerstone of the EU climate policy framework. It gives us long term predictability and stable carbon pricing and are essential components for the EU industrial transformation and competitiveness. This is I mean, it is one thing to ask for fine tuning of the Cbam or the ETS, but to call out for basically an open heart surgery of one of the most successful economic instruments that the union has risks cutting the blood flow altogether. I mean, it really, truly risks undermining the support also from the private sector for larger measurements moving forward. If the EU decides on one thing and then a few years in, then rolls back the whole economic infrastructure just because. And let's be frank, a few member states did not do their homework on time. There are competitive companies that are selling at a competitive price on the European market because they did their homework on time. I will not be punished because others did not read the timetable. Having said that, the issues raised in the Steel and Metals Action Plan are in many ways good, and we are asking to see how some of these measures can be analysed further.”
Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM)
- “Thank you chair. And thank you for having this discussion on the action plans. Sweden finds the plans generally address the important issues for strengthening competitiveness in these sectors. While it is important to also strengthen competitiveness through simplification, as we just discussed deepening of the internal market and the removal of trade barriers. However, I'd like to maybe add a bit of nuance to the report that we heard of this morning's meeting with the Ministerial Alliance of the Energy Intensive Industries. As concerns for Sweden. If you look at the EU ETS, it is the cornerstone of the EU climate policy framework. It gives us long term predictability and stable carbon pricing and are essential components for the EU industrial transformation and competitiveness. This is I mean, it is one thing to ask for fine tuning of the Cbam or the ETS, but to call out for basically an open heart surgery of one of the most successful economic instruments that the union has risks cutting the blood flow altogether. I mean, it really, truly risks undermining the support also from the private sector for larger measurements moving forward. If the EU decides on one thing and then a few years in, then rolls back the whole economic infrastructure just because. And let's be frank, a few member states did not do their homework on time. There are competitive companies that are selling at a competitive price on the European market because they did their homework on time. I will not be punished because others did not read the timetable. Having said that, the issues raised in the Steel and Metals Action Plan are in many ways good, and we are asking to see how some of these measures can be analysed further.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme
- “If we look specifically to the steel sector, of course, Sweden has a large steel producing and iron ore exporting country. The overcapacity of steel is a real problem. At the same time, it is important that the proposals for steel safeguard measures do not negatively affect the competitiveness of user industries such as the automotive industry to an excessive stent. If I then turn to chemical industry, the Swedish government is positive about the action plan objectives with the increased focus on resilience, competitiveness of course, and the need to ensure continued EU production of essential chemicals. And I think we need to further analyze what measures can be taken nationally and on EU level in terms of increasing demand of these products. Last but not least, the automotive industry increasingly tough global competition, as you all know, just want to highlight we stand firm with the targets and adjustments that have been discussed right before Christmas. We've also put forward additional simplification proposals in the automotive omnibus, which strengthens electrification and competitiveness also in this sector. And last but not least, in this regards, battery supply for the automotive industry is crucial. The conditions for the development of the EU battery industry have deteriorated, have deteriorated and distortive state subsidies in third countries. Trade barriers, export restrictions and global overcapacity have skewed competitive competition in this market and that remains one of our main issues to solve. If we put money on the table, then it's better we make sure that it actually does the trick, or else it's better not to put any money on the table at all. Thank you chair.”
Chinese clean tech competition: trade barriers and investment caps vs. open market
- “Thank you. Marilena, let me start by giving you a few words on our most important positions on the MFF. The volume of the commission proposal is significantly too high. The EU budget as a share of GNI should continue to be approximately 1% under the current proposal. Sweden's contribution would rise significantly by around 80%. In real terms, that is simply unrealistic. We fully support a modern, streamlined budget that allows flexibility to address unforeseen challenges as well as the strengthened emphasis on security, defence and competitiveness. We oppose all forms of new common borrowing, including loan for loan arrangements, with the exception of support to Ukraine. On the revenue side, we see no need for new own resources. The NI component works well, although there will be need for a correction mechanism for fair burden sharing. But ultimately we need to focus on the expenditure side where we need to do priorities just as we do on a member state level. When it comes to governance, a more flexible EU budget requires modifications and adjustments of the governance arrangements. At the same time, it's crucial that such reforms must preserve the institutional balance and ensure that the Council and the Member States retain influence over the direction and implementation of the budget. Sweden is very positive towards the increased flexibility proposed by the Commission. Greater flexibility can help the EU respond more efficiently to emerging challenges and evolving priorities counter the pressure for a mid-term review. However, this increased flexibility must be purely horizontal. That means flexibility within the ceilings rather than instruments outside the ceilings, or to new loan financed mechanisms, which we firmly oppose. A higher degree of flexibility gives the annual budget negotiations a greater political importance and impact. It's therefore essential to find ways to safeguard the strategic role of the council and to ensure that Member States are given sufficient time to examine and discuss the commission's proposal for the annual budget, for example. Finally, strong governance also means ensuring that all member States fully respect our common values when receiving EU funding, EU funds must only be disbursed to member states that uphold the rule of law and respect the Charter of Fundamental Rights. Thank you.”
Size of EU budget
- “For this is why if the direction does not change, we're going to have to consider and reconsider Sweden's role in the energy union. I don't say this lightly. I'm a warm, dedicated friend of the European Union, but we will then have to investigate all viable national measures to protect Swedish citizens and companies. And this includes a moratorium for new interconnections to continental Europe and for renewal of existing interconnections. And we are prepared with harsher and further actions apart from that. Fifthly, we propose a different solution. The scope of how these revenues may be used must be broadened, and that decision must rest solely with the Member States and their competent authorities. It is not a matter for EU legislation to determine. Looking forward, I propose a new focus. Energy system. Planning must be close to the energy consumption as possible and focus on where the demand is. A bottom up approach must be the guiding principle. Equally important is protection and resilience and to address the need for repairs. And we've heard many of my colleagues ask for this as well. All member states must take their responsibility to phase out and replace fossil based electricity production with fossil free. The chaos in the Middle East once again is a reminder of this before our electricity markets can be further integrated. Thank you.”
EU energy infrastructure integration
- “Their colleagues, their executive vice president. Let me first warmly congratulate you, Hanna, on your appointment. You have an important task ahead of you. And Sweden is really looking forward to working with you and with the new commission in delivering on the priorities for the Union so warmly. Congratulations. I would like to thank the presidency as well for his efforts on the Council conclusions and the Member States and the Commission for Constructive Discussions. Sweden welcomes the conclusions. It is especially important that they underscore the need of simplification for businesses, strengthening innovation and research, and Europe's long term competitiveness and reducing trade barriers. Thorough analysis and impact assessment are now needed to identify how to reduce regulatory burden and develop the regulatory framework. It is, moreover, important to continue to harmonise the implementation of the framework, and Sweden is looking forward to continuing constructive discussions on these important topics. Thank you.”
Energy (green transition)
- “Thank you. Sweden welcomes France's initiative. We believe that preserving the functioning and the internal market, and increasing the level playing field in the EU is very important. An expanded EU wide mandatory labeling is therefore preferable to national mandatory measures. Our consumers should have access to appropriate and relevant food information so that they can make conscious decisions on what to buy. We in Sweden have recently implemented rules on mandatory origin labelling for meat in restaurants to increase this consumer possibility. But we'd like to also support a more developed system on the EU level. Thank you.”
Food labelling harmonisation at EU level
- “Older farmers still play an important role in food production, and in some areas the prospects of generational generational renewal are limited. Again, targeting active farmers is key. As regards to coupled support, this can be an important tool for specific sectors and regions. But in the light of the need for market orientation, it is still important to only pay coupled support in cases where it is strongly motivated. To conclude on targeting support. I would like to express my appreciation for the Cap toolbox as a whole. That gives us good opportunities for targeted support to meet the goals of the cap. Concerning the second question on national preparedness reserves, Sweden is working now to establish such reserves. Initially focusing on cereals and key inputs, these reserves should serve as our ultimate insurance used only in severe crisis. It is crucial to minimize market impact during the build up, as also emphasized by the Commission. Finally, in response to the Italian AOB. Sweden sees opportunities for increased flexibility and will work to preserve these elements. At the same time, we agree on the importance of safeguarding a common agricultural policy and ensuring fair competition and market orientation. Thank you.”
Direct payments to farmers (pillar 1)
- “Thank you dear Alan. And thank you also for your team and all your efforts in finding a balanced text. I will keep it quite brief as Sweden is happy with and can support these council conclusions. We think they constitute a strong signal from the council that the green transition must remain at the centre of EU cooperation and that the EU and its member states now need to be determined and effective in implementing the legislation and commitments resulting from the green deal. I especially welcome that circular economy is a key part of these council conclusions. The transition to a circular economy is an instrumental tool in tackling the triple planetary crisis as well as in by resource efficiency contributing to European competitiveness and I would like to in particularly also stress the importance of fully implementing the chemical strategy for sustainability. Thank you.”
Chemicals regulation
- “Yes. Thank you, chair, and thank you, commissioner. Sweden continues to support the ambition of the proposal to strengthen children's rights and provide legal certainty for families in the EU. At the same time, the proposal gives rise to important issues that need careful deliberations. The re regulation needs to respond to actual needs and lay down rules that are clear and fit for purpose. While we appreciate the progress that has been made in the negotiations, there is more work to be done. Several issues remain to resolve. Among these are the concerns regarding parenthood following surrogacy, which Sweden and other member states raised in the policy debate held in the council in 2024. At this point, we're unwilling to accentuate certain elements of the proposals as being more important than others that would necessarily entail other important aspects being downplayed. Rather, the ambition should be a regulation that is set satisfactory in a as a whole. The way to reach such result is to continue work on the technical level in a focused effort to reach a stable text. Sweden intends to do its part to achieve this goal and is open to considering solutions that address the concerns which we have raised. Thank you.”
Regulation of surrogate pregnancy
- “Thank you. And thank you for the update. Sweden has welcomed the Commission's proposal and its underlying principles. We support a solid, high quality regulation that really facilitates the introduction of new plant varieties varieties onto the market. Sweden envisions competitive and sustainable European Union, and we believe that the early adoption of new techniques is essential to strengthening our competitiveness across the Union. We want Swedish and European companies to be able to use new genomic techniques to develop and grow these new plant varieties in in Europe. Therefore, plants that have been found to be equivalent to conventional plants must be treated the same, that is, without requiring additional risk assessments, labeling or traceability. Thank you. Peter. Anton.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “Thank you. Jacob. A competitive and diversified protein supply chain is essential part of a resilient food system. In 2017, the Swedish parliament adopted a national food strategy aimed at increasing food production in a sustainable manner. As part of this strategy, we have launched a national research programme for food where we allocated funded funding for research and innovation, including on how plant based proteins can be used. We have also established a competence Centre for Plant Breeding, which has received dedicated funding to focus specifically, specifically on protein. Through plant breeding and innovation, we can enhance both competitiveness and sustainability in the long term. It is important that new knowledge and innovations are widely shared. Therefore, I see great value in strengthening research collaboration at EU level. I believe that our joint research and innovation efforts must be open to a broad range of innovative solutions suitable for different farming systems across the European Union. When it comes to EU level measures, I would like to emphasize the importance of legislation that enables innovation and development. In this context, it's crucial that new regulation on new genomic techniques for plants is adopted as soon as possible, as it will allow new plant varieties to reach the market. Furthermore, we need rules that enable small companies to bring new varieties to the market. This is important for all our farmers. We welcome the Commission's focus on these issues and the renewed attention to preparedness in the light of the current geopolitical situation. Finally, sustainability must be addressed in all its dimensions environmental, economic and social. In order to ensure truly resilient and future proof food system. Thank you.”
New Genomic Techniques
- “Thank you, Cher, and thank you for having this discussion today. Sweden welcomes the proposal and is very pleased that the commission has presented an important step in the work to strengthen EU's competitiveness and to create a best better business environment.
We see many positive elements in the proposal such as the possibility of an efficient registration procedure and the possibility for the EU ink companies to have a multiple vote share structure. A multiple vote share structure is something which has existed for a long time in Sweden, and it has proven to be beneficial for the companies as well as investors.
Sweden is also open to the proposal of not requiring a minimum capital for the EU Inc. Companies. However, such an arrangement needs to be combined with an adequate protection for the creditors of the company.
When it comes to the possibility for a company to grow, access to capital is crucial. It is therefore of importance that the EU ink companies can access the capital markets, which we noticed the proposal does not prevent.
While flexibility and efficiency should be a cornerstone in the regulatory framework, it is at the same time important that the EU ink company cannot be used for legal purposes or misused to circumvent legislation in other areas.
Furthermore, it is important to clarify that the regulatory framework must not prevent or alter the application of legal rules that fall outside of the scope of the proposal such as labor law.
We also have doubts when it comes to having specific rules for winding up insolvent EU ink companies as part of the proposal.
As regards the provision providing for a harmonized timing of taxation for certain employee stock options, it can be noted that the proposal here deviates from how Sweden generally taxes employee stock options.
Sweden is in principle opposed to increased harmonization of taxes at EU level, in particular in the area of direct taxation. Thank you.”
Overall simplification of regulation in the EU
- “Thank you. Theresa. Let me first express our gratitude for your words of sympathy regarding the terror attacks last night in Brussels, directed at Swedish citizens. And by the way, European citizens. Let me also express our appreciation for the [00:18:00] professionalism of the Belgian authorities and express my our full confidence in their ability to investigate last night's heinous events. Regarding today's matter, we would like to first like to thank the Spanish Presidency for all your efforts made during the negotiations of electricity market revision. The revision as a whole contains many important aspects that can improve the functioning of electricity market. [00:18:30] European households and businesses, however, should not be expected to wait any longer for these reforms to take come into action. It is therefore important that we can find a compromise here today on the remaining issue. On the one remaining issue, so that we can start negotiations with the European Parliament as soon as possible. With this said, we need to keep in mind that one of the critical objectives of the reform is to allow for support for more fossil free electricity production. The rules outlined [00:19:00] in the regulation for support schemes should promote and not prohibit new production and lifetime extensions in a consistent, fair and non distortive manner.
[00:19:10] Particularly important for Sweden is the need for flexibility around how contract values are determined. When state aid rules are already firmly in place to ensure auctions are preferred where appropriate. It would be distortive disruptive and would risk very high costs for consumers to force competitive bidding in every [00:19:30] case, given specific cases where contract negotiations are economically preferable. To be clear, an auction is no guarantee against undesirable contract values when there is only one feasible bidder. Nor should a competitive auction lead to a higher strike price and a lower so-called revenues from a two way contract for difference. This applies both to inefficiency, high or low values inefficiently high or low values. It is state aid rules that must play the role of policing optimising [00:20:00] in such cases. We also see the fair sharing of risks between consumers and producers to be important in supporting the legitimacy of today's market model. General rules, such as the proportion of kilowatt hour based redistributions to undertakings, are therefore to be preferred to arbitrary limits or permitting disproportionate payments that could risk the integrity of our internal market and compromise that fulfils this concern [00:20:30] and the concern of other member States does, however, seem to be enriched today. Thank you.”
EU approach to electricity market and prices