Stakeholder engagement continues to be engrained into the law-making process in Sweden. Sweden now makes more systematic use of their central government portal where consultations and their relevant documentation are posted to receive feedback from authorities, organisations, municipalities, relevant stakeholders and the general public. Stakeholders can provide their feedback by email to the corresponding policy maker, which are then made publicly available on the same website. Sweden could benefit from moving towards a more interactive consultation website, where the public at large can publicly provide their feedback and react to the suggestions of other stakeholders.
When a committee of inquiry is appointed to investigate a policy issue, it normally includes a mix of policy makers, experts, and politicians, enabling consultation early in the process. The committee analyses and evaluates the proposal. The final report is sent to relevant stakeholders for consideration, before the joint draft procedure continues within the government offices.
Simplification remains a cornerstone of Sweden’s regulatory policy. In 2020, the Committee for Technological Innovation and Ethics (Komet) created a forum to receive feedback from citizens and businesses on regulatory barriers for technological development. This was followed by feasibility studies on 11 of the received proposals regarding health, science and transport. In September 2021, the Government published new goals for simplifying policy and the regulatory environment for businesses.
Ex ante evaluation is required for all primary laws and subordinate regulations by the 2007 Ordinance on Impact Analysis of Regulation. In 2018, the guidelines for conducting impact assessment were updated to provide more detailed guidance on assessing economic, social and environmental impacts, as well as on how consultations with relevant actors can be conducted. Ex post evaluation is normally conducted ad hoc by a ministry, government agency, or by a committee of inquiry, as there is no requirement to carry out ex post evaluations systematically. Individuals or interest groups can also make suggestions to conduct ex post evaluations by sending proposals directly to the responsible ministry or government agency. Sweden could consider expanding ex post evaluation through carrying out comprehensive in-depth reviews in particular sectors or policy areas.
The Swedish Better Regulation Council is a is a decision-making body responsible for reviewing the quality of impact assessments to legislative proposals with effects on businesses. Its secretariat is located within the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth. The Agency, in turn, is responsible for methodological development, guidance and training in regulatory management tools. It also develops and proposes simplification measures, participates in international activities aimed at simplifying regulation for businesses, and promotes awareness among other government agencies of how businesses are affected by the enforcement of regulations.
For all EU directives/regulations/ ■ Always/ ▲ Yes
For major EU directives/regulations/ ■ Frequently
For some EU directives/regulations/ ■ Sometimes
Never/ ▲ No