COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2021 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden Accompanying the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2021 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2021-07-20
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Sweden, administrative transparency, coronavirus disease, corruption, democracy, epidemic, independence of the judiciary, infringement of EU law, political rights, rule of law

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 20.7.2021  SWD(2021) 725 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2021 Rule of Law Report  Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden Accompanying the COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS 2021 Rule of Law Report  The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2021) 700 final} - {SWD(2021) 701 final} - {SWD(2021) 702 final} - {SWD(2021) 703 final} - {SWD(2021) 704 final} - {SWD(2021) 705 final} - {SWD(2021) 706 final} - {SWD(2021) 707 final} - {SWD(2021) 708 final} - {SWD(2021) 709 final} - {SWD(2021) 710 final} - {SWD(2021) 711 final} - {SWD(2021) 712 final} - {SWD(2021) 713 final} - {SWD(2021) 714 final} - {SWD(2021) 715 final} - {SWD(2021) 716 final} - {SWD(2021) 717 final} - {SWD(2021) 718 final} - {SWD(2021) 719 final} - {SWD(2021) 720 final} - {SWD(2021) 721 final} - {SWD(2021) 722 final} - {SWD(2021) 723 final} - {SWD(2021) 724 final} - {SWD(2021) 726 final} - {SWD(2021) 727 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

Efforts  to  further  strengthen  legal  safeguards  for  judicial  independence  within  the  Swedish 
justice system are continuing, in particular through the work of the committee of inquiry on 
strengthening democracy and judicial independence, which is also reviewing the process for 
amending the Constitution. A targeted reform of the system for security clearances for judges 
has  also  been  carried  out.  Sweden  has  also  taken  certain  steps  to  further  improve  the 
digitalisation  of  the  justice  system,  in  particular  setting  up  a  new  council  on  digitalisation, 
focussed  on  criminal  proceedings.  However,  concerns  about  the  long-term  resources  of  the 
justice system persist. The justice system has continued to function efficiently, including in 
the  face  of  the  challenges  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  where  specific  measures  regarding 
their continued functioning were left to the courts to decide.  

As in previous years, Sweden’s perceived corruption levels are among the lowest in the EU 
and  the  world.  Transparency  is  the  cornerstone  of  Sweden’s  anti-corruption  approach.  In 
2020,  Sweden  adopted  its  first  strategic  National  Action  Plan  to  prevent  corruption  in  its 
public  administration.  Among  others,  it  prescribes  the  systematic  use  of  corruption  risk 
analysis to strengthen corruption risk awareness and risk management practices among public 
officials. Although this action plan is seen as an important step, it lacks concrete actions and a 
time  plan  and  it  was  subject  to  only  limited  consultation  among  relevant  stakeholders. 
Additional prevention initiatives have been undertaken in the reporting period, including the 
extension  of  revolving  doors  rules  to  top  executives  of  the  National  Audit  Office,  and  new 
guidelines  for  public  officials  to  declare  their  assets.  Lobbying  continues  to  be  unregulated 
and  there  is  no  consistent  practice  to  publicly  disclose  those  that  seek  to  influence  specific 
legislative proposals (‘legislative footprints’). Foreign bribery remains a risk area where only 
moderate levels of prosecution are seen. 

Media  freedom  and  pluralism  in  Sweden  continue  to  be  generally  robust,  mainly  due  to 
safeguards  stemming  both  from  the  Constitution  and  from  legislation.  Sweden  has  further 
strengthened  the  legal  safeguards  for  independence  and  has  increased  the  budget  of  the 
Swedish  Press  and  Broadcasting  Authority.  As  noted  in  the  2020  Rule  of  Law  Report,  the 
Government is also analysing the possibility to introduce specific legislation on transparency 
of  media  ownership,  which  currently  does  not  exist.  Sweden  is  taking  steps  to  improve 
journalists’ protection, as part of the ongoing review of the criminal law protection for certain 
vital  functions  in  the  society.  Journalists  increasingly  experience  threats  and  harassment, 
especially online. Sweden has adopted economic measures to address the negative economic 
effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on media and journalists, particularly on freelancers.  

As there is no state of emergency for a health crisis foreseen under the Swedish Constitution, 
measures related to the COVID-19 pandemic have been taken primarily by recommendations. 
In January 2021, Sweden adopted a new legislative framework enabling the Government to 
take more restrictive measures to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. This framework has been 
subject  to  ex-ante constitutionality review, but  short consultation  times have been criticised 
by the Constitution Committee. A proposal to establish a National Human Rights Institution 
in  compliance  with  international  standards  has  been  submitted  to  Parliament.  Civil  society 
space remains open, and the Government is considering steps to clarify requirements for civil 
society organisations to receive government funding. 

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I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM  

The  Swedish  justice  system  has  two  branches:  the  general  courts,  consisting  of  48  district 
courts, six courts of appeal and the Supreme Court; and the administrative courts with twelve 
administrative  courts,  four  administrative  courts  of  appeal  and  the  Supreme  Administrative 
Court1.  The  National  Courts  Administration,  an  agency  operating  under  the  Ministry  of 
Justice,  is  responsible  for  the  overall  management  of  the  Courts,  including  allocation  of 
resources, staffing levels and equipment. The independent Judges’ Proposal Board2 prepares 
proposals  for  all  judicial  appointments3,  based  on  which  judges  are  appointed  by  the 
Government4.  The  Swedish  Prosecution  Service5  is  independent  and  separate  from  the 
Government.  Sweden  is  undertaking  steps  for  joining  the  European  Public  Prosecutor’s 
Office6.  The  Swedish  Bar  Association  is  an  independent  and  self-governing  association 
established  by  law  and  is  responsible  for  supervision  of  the  professional  activities  of 
advocates and taking disciplinary measures against its members7.  

Independence  

The level of perceived independence of the judiciary has remained high. Overall, 71% of 
both  the  general  public  and  companies  consider  that  the  independence  of  the  courts  and 
judges  in  Sweden  is  either  ‘very  good’  or  ‘fairly  good’  in  20218.  The  level  of  perceived 
judicial independence was consistently very high between 2016 and 2020 and remains high in 
2021 though it has declined to some degree compared to 2020 for both the general public and 
companies.  

The  work  of  the  Committee  of  Inquiry  aimed  at  further  strengthening  safeguards  for 
judicial independence is progressing. The committee, which was set up in February 2020 
and  will  deliver  its  results  in  2023,  is  in  particular  examining  the  legal  framework  for  the 
retirement age and number of Supreme Court judges and the status and independence of the 

1   There are also two special courts: the Labour Court and the Defence Intelligence Court. Input from Sweden 
for the 2021 Rule of Law Report. For a description of the judicial structure, see CEPEJ (2021), Study on the 
functioning of judicial systems in the EU Member States. 

2   The Judges’ Proposal Board is composed of nine  members: five current or former judges proposed by the 
courts, two law  graduates  working outside the court system (one lawyer proposed by the Bar Association, 
the other proposed by the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions and the Swedish Agency 
for Government Employers) and two representatives of the public. The members of the public are appointed 
by Parliament (and are usually members of Parliament), while the seven other members are appointed by the 
Government.  

3   The Judges’ Proposal Board, following an assessment of the applicants’ qualifications, submits a motivated 
proposal  (ranked  list,  in  general  three  candidates)  to  the  Government,  which  appoints  the  judge.  If  the 
Government  intends  to  select  a  candidate  not  included  in  the  proposal  of  the  Judges’  Proposal  Board,  the 
Board  is  to  have  an  opportunity  to  submit  an  opinion  on  the  candidate.  In  practice,  since  2011,  when  the 
current system came into force, the Government has always followed the proposal. 

4   Act on the Appointment of Permanent Judges (2010:1390). (Lag om utnämning av ordinarie domare). 
5   Instrument of Government, Chapter 12, Section 2. 
6   Swedish Government (2020), A European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Sweden and Input from Sweden for 

the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 7. 
7   Code of Judicial Procedure, Chapter 8. 
8   Figures 48 and 50, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard. The level of perceived judicial independence is categorised 
as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents  perceive  judicial  independence  as  fairly  good  and  very 
good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%).   

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National  Courts  Administration.  It  will  also  examine  whether  it  is  necessary  to  change  the 
Constitution9. The all-party committee has met regularly since its creation and is carrying out 
comparative research on regulatory frameworks for judicial independence and constitutional 
amendments in other EU Member States. The work is taking into account relevant European 
standards10.  The  committee  has  explained  that  it  also  intends  to  set  up  one  or  two  external 
expert groups to  support it in  carrying out  its tasks11. Stakeholders have broadly  welcomed 
this  work  to  pre-emptively  strengthen  potential  vulnerabilities  within  the  existing  legal 
framework12. The Judges’ Association has in particular highlighted the current system for the 
appointment  of  the  Director  General  of  the  National  Courts  Administration  by  the 
Government13  as  a  potential  shortcoming,  and  has  advocated  for  the  creation  of  an 
independent  Council  for  the Judiciary,  which  is  an  option  to  be  explored  by  the  committee 
according  to  its  mandate14.  The  Judges’  Association  also  considers  that  the  system  for 
determining judges’ salaries deserves attention, even if it is not included within the mandate 
of the committee15. Salaries are set, within the framework of a collective agreement, between 
the  judges  and  the  National  Courts  Administration  for  newly  appointed  judges  and 
subsequently  revised  on  an  annual  basis  between  the  judge  and  the  responsible  Court 
President16.  The  Judges  Association  considers  that,  while  this  system  has  been  in  place  for 
over 10 years and has overall not created major problems, it is not sufficiently transparent and 
lacks clear criteria. According to Council of Europe recommendations, the principal rules of 
the system of remuneration for professional judges should be laid down in law17. 

Changes  to  the  security  clearance  regime  for  judges  entered  into  force.  In  order  to 
strengthen judicial independence, amendments to the Security Protection Act which entered 
into force in April 2021 specify that security clearances for court presidents are to be carried 

9   See 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, pp. 2-3 for a detailed 
overview of the Committee’s mandate as well as p. 11 on the modalities for amending the Constitution. To 
be noted that regarding the possible restrictions to the freedom of association for terrorist associations also 
included in its mandate the Committee has already delivered its findings in March 2021. 

10   In  particular,  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the  Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe 

and relevant Venice Commission opinions. 

11   Information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 
12   Board  of  the  Swedish  Judges’  Association  (2021),  Independence  of  judges  should  be  strengthened  with  a 
Judicial  Council.  Contribution  by  the  Swedish  Section  of  the  International  Committee  of  Jurists  and  Civil 
Rights Defenders for the 2021 Rule of Law Report. 

13   In line with the Government Agency Ordinance and the Ordinance on the National Courts Administration. 
14   Board  of  the  Swedish  Judges’  Association  (2021),  Independence  of  judges  should  be  strengthened  with  a 
Judicial  Council.  The  moderate  party  has  echoed  this  request,  asking  that  the  creation  of  an  independent 
Council for the Judiciary be explicitly included in the mandate of the Committee. Svenska Dagbladet (2021), 
M wants to replace the Swedish National Courts Administration with a council of judges. 

15   There  are  no  rules  laid  down  in  law  regarding  judges’  salaries;  they  are  based  on  a  collective  agreement 
between the National Courts Administration and the Trade Union representing judges which states inter alia 
that remuneration may never be based on grounds contradictory to the interest of independence regarding the 
application of the law. The agreement also sets minimum levels of pay. When a new judge is appointed, the 
National  Courts  Administration  and  the  judge  agree  on  a  salary.  Every  year  salaries  are  revised,  set  in 
agreement between the judge and the responsible court president. See the input from Sweden for the 2020 
Rule of Law Report, pp. 7-8 for further details regarding the system. 

16   The  Judges’  Association  highlights  the  role  of  the  National  Courts  Administration  for  setting  salaries  for 
newly  appointed  judges,  in  the  context  of  its  overall  concerns  over  the  status  of  the  National  Courts 
Administration.  Board  of  the  Swedish  Judges’  Association  (2021),  Independence  of  judges  should  be 
strengthened with a Judicial Council.  

17   Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)12 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, para. 53.  

3 

 
 
 
                                                           
out by the Judges’ Proposal Board and for ordinary court judges by their respective court18. 
These amendments were triggered by a change to the general system of  security clearances 
for  public  officials  adopted  in  2019,  under  which  the  Government  had  also  become 
responsible for security clearances of court presidents, previously under responsibility of the 
National Courts Administration. To address this situation, the Government had appointed an 
inquiry chair in May 2019 to ensure an appropriate system protecting the status of courts and 
judges19. Based on the inquiry report and a consultation procedure, the Government presented 
the proposal to amend the Security Protection Act, adopted by Parliament in January 2021.  

Quality  

Concerns regarding the long-term situation of the resources for the judiciary have been 
reiterated. Following a request by the National Courts Administration for an increase of the 
2021-2023 budget of the justice system20, the 2021 budget was slightly increased21. Sweden 
spends around 0.27% of its GDP on law courts  at  a stable level  since 201222. Stakeholders 
and the National Courts Administration23 have stressed the need for increasing the resources 
on a longer-term instead of a year-by-year basis, to ensure predictability and allow courts to 
handle the increasing number of incoming criminal cases24. 

Digitalisation  of  justice  is  progressing  and  a  council  on  digitalisation  of  the  justice 
system has been set up. Following the entry into force of the new legislation on electronic 
communication in court proceedings in January 202125, procedural rules for allowing digital 
technology in courts are fully in place26. However, there is still no possibility to access first 
instance court judgments online and arrangements for their machine readability are limited27. 
Remaining  gaps  in  civil  and  administrative  proceedings  concern  the  possibility  to  access 
ongoing  and  closed  files28,  whereas  in  criminal  proceedings  only  limited  digital  tools  are 
available29. To improve efficiency and use of digital tools along the entire judicial chain, in 
particular for criminal proceedings, in September 2020 a new council for the digitalisation of 
the judiciary30 was set up within the structure of the National Council for Crime Prevention, 
consisting of the heads of eleven different authorities31. It aims at improving the exchange of 

18   Security Protection Act (2018: 585), Chapter 3, §4a. (Säkerhetsskyddslagen). 
19   Swedish Government (2019), Security screening of judges.  
20   2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, p. 3.  
21   From  approx.  EUR  585  Million  (SEK  6  billion)  in  2020  to  EUR  625  Million  (SEK  6,4  billion)  in  2021. 

Inputs from Sweden for the 2020 and the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

22   Figure 30, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
23   National Courts Administration (2021), Courts under pressure: almost half a million new cases in 2020 and 

information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 

24   As regards the increase in criminal cases, see the 2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of 

law situation in Sweden, p. 3 and Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 12.  

25   2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, p. 4.  
26   Figure 40, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
27   Figures 46-47, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
28   Figure 44, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
29   Figure 45, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
30   Swedish  Government  (2020),  Stronger  coordination  for  increased  digitalisation  of  the  judiciary.  This  is 
based on the Ordinance on the digitalisation of the judiciary (Förordning om rättsväsendets digitalisering).  
31   National  Council  for  Crime  Prevention,  Crime  Victim  Compensation  and  Support  Authority,  National 
Courts  Administration,  Economic  Crime  Authority,  Prison  and  Probation  Service,  Coast  Guard,  Police, 
National Board of Forensic Medicine, Tax Agency, Customs Authority and Prosecution Authority. 

4 

 
 
 
                                                           
information  in  the  criminal  justice  process  and  is  responsible  for  identifying  and  planning 
joint  development  efforts,  monitoring  the  implementation  of  ongoing  development  efforts 
and developing the information  management system32. The undertaking is  set  up in  several 
stages,  starting  with  setting  up  the  electronic  information  flow  between  the  authorities 
handling the largest  volume of criminal  cases,  with  a full link between all  authorities to  be 
established by 2022. The council will also prepare the new strategic plan for digitalisation of 
the judiciary for 2023 onwards, as the current strategy is set to expire in 202233.   

Efficiency 

The efficiency of the justice system has remained stable, with more cases being closed in 
2020  than  in  previous  years.  The  clearance  rate  has  remained  stable  for  civil  and 
commercial litigious cases (at 97.5%) and improved for administrative cases (from 96.8% in 
2018  to  101.7%  in  2019).  The  estimated  time  to  resolve  a  case  has  remained  low  for  both 
civil  and  commercial  litigious  and  administrative  cases  in  2019,  although  incoming 
administrative cases have continued to rise34. National data shows that while incoming cases 
increased  in  2020,  decided  cases  increased  to  an  even  larger  degree,  with  around  8%  more 
cases being decided than in 201935. According to the National Courts Administration, this is 
inter  alia  due  to  the  fact  that  it  has  often  been  possible  to  conclude  less-complex  cases  in 
written proceedings, while more complex cases have been postponed36. Since the courts have 
in general remained open throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and concrete measures were 
left to the courts to decide, the rate of postponed hearings has only been slightly affected (at 
21.9% in 2020 compared to an average of 20.3% in 2017-2019)37.   

II. 

ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

Sweden  has  the  legislative  and  institutional  framework  to  combat  and  prevent  corruption 
broadly in place. The Government has adopted a National Action Plan for 2021-2023, its first 
ever, to prevent corruption in the central government agencies. The National Anti-Corruption 
Unit  is  the  specialised  prosecution  agency  within  the  Swedish  Prosecution  Authority 
responsible for all criminal investigations related to corruption and bribery, including foreign 
bribery. The National Anti-Corruption Police Unit, as part of the Swedish Police Authority, is 
tasked both to investigate corruption crimes and to prevent corruption by supporting different 
public  authorities  in  the  drafting  of  anti-corruption  policies.  The  Swedish  Economic  Crime 
Authority  organised  under  the  Ministry  of  Justice  has  the  mandate  to  investigate  and 
prosecute  serious  financial  crimes,  including  the  recovery  of  proceeds  of  crime.  Other 
agencies, such as the National Audit Office, the National Competition Authority, the National 
Council for Crime Prevention and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Swedish Police, are 
in charge of the prevention and investigation of corruption, and of forensics and auditing.  

32   Input  from  Sweden  for  the  2021  Rule  of  Law  Report,  pp.  5-6  and  written  contribution  received  by  the 

Ministry of Justice in the context of the country visit to Sweden.  

33   National Council for Crime Prevention (2021), Bra’s regulation letter for 2021.  
34   Figures 3-16, 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard.  
35   National Courts Administration (2021), Received, settled and balances cases up to and including week 7.  
36   National Council on Crime Prevention (2021), Report on the impact of the pandemic on the flow of justice, 

p. 43 and information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden.  

37   National Courts Administration (2021), Cancelled hearings.   

5 

 
 
 
                                                           
The perception among experts and business executives is that Sweden is one of the least 
corrupt countries in the world. In the 2020 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency 
International, Sweden scores 85/100 and ranks 2nd in the European Union and 3rd globally38. 
This perception has been relatively stable39 over the past five years40. 

Sweden  is  currently  reviewing  the  statute  of  limitation  for  all  crimes,  including 
corruption crimes. A wide range of corruption offences are criminalised in Sweden41. The 
Swedish labour law continues to provide for disciplinary sanctions for neglect of duty in the 
form of warnings or salary reductions and prohibits employees’ involvement in activities that 
may adversely affect confidence in their impartiality or harm the authority’s reputation42. 

Sweden  adopted  a  National  Anti-corruption  Plan  for  its  public  administration  in 
December  2020.  The  action  plan  focuses  on  corruption  prevention  in  central  government 
agencies, including  government offices43. It does not include state-owned enterprises44. The 
aim of the action plan is to provide agencies with tools and best practices on the prevention of 
corruption.  This  includes  the  systematic  use  of  risk  analysis  to  strengthen  corruption  risk 
awareness and risk management practices. The plan was met with criticism due to the lack of 
clarity,  ambition  and  a  broad  stakeholder  consultation45.  The  plan  does  not  define  specific 
priorities  or  targets  to  be  achieved  by  a  certain  date.  The  Swedish  Agency  for  Public 
Management  will  facilitate  the  preventive  work  under  the  plan46,  but  has  no  supervisory 
role47.  The  Agency  for  Public  Management  will  issue  an  interim  report  with  a  baseline 

38   Transparency  International,  Corruption  Perceptions  Index  2020  (2021),  pp.  2-3.  The  level  of  perceived 
corruption is categorised as  follows: low (the perception among experts and business executives  of public 
sector  corruption scores  above  79);  relatively  low  (scores  between  79-60),  relatively  high  (scores  between 
59-50), high (scores below 50). 

39   In 2015 the score was 89, while, in 2020, the score is 85. The score significantly increases/decreases when it 
changes more five points; improves/deteriorates (changes between 4-5 points); is relatively stable (changes 
from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

40   The Eurobarometer data on corruption perception and experience of citizens and businesses as  reported last 
year is updated every second year. The latest data set is the Special Eurobarometer 502 (2020) and the Flash 
Eurobarometer 482 (2019). 

41   Provisions  on  active  and  passive  bribery,  negligent  financing  of  bribery,  trading  in  influence,  official 
misconduct or breach of duty of confidentiality are  included in  the Swedish Criminal  Code. Sanctions  for 
accepting  or  offering  a  bribe  can  be  applied  in  the  form  of  fines  or  a  maximum  sanction  of  two  years 
imprisonment (which prescribe after two years) and, in grave cases, of up to six years imprisonment (which 
prescribe after ten years). Due to the extended scope of application, corporate fines can now also be applied 
to  public  sector  activities  that  can  be  equated  to  business  activities,  if  the  act  was  intended  to  provide 
financial  benefits  to  the  legal  person.  Criminal  fines  of  up  to  SEK  500  million  (approximately  EUR  49 
million) can be applied for bribery committed by private sector companies. 

42   Cf. Swedish Public Employment Act. 
43   Swedish Government (2021), Anti-corruption Action Plan 2021-2023.  
44   Although the scope of the action plan is public administration, the working methods and recommendations 
of the plan are expected to be relevant for corruption prevention work conducted by state-owned enterprises. 
45   A stakeholder seminar was held at the outset but the draft was not subject to consultation among all relevant 

stakeholders. Information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden.  

46   For  these  purposes,  six  or  seven  key  agencies  will  be  selected,  and  a  new  collaborative  forum  of  state 
agencies with special expertise in corruption prevention will be coordinated by the  Statskontoret, including 
the National Council for Crime Prevention, the National Financial Management Authority, the Competition 
Authority, Police Authority and the National Agency for Public Procurement.  

47   The responsibility to prevent corruption rests ultimately with the director general of each agency. 

6 

 
 
 
                                                           
assessment in 2021 and present a summary result report to the Ministry of Finance by the end 
of 202348. 

Cooperation  between  the  police  and  the  prosecution  services  is  overall  effective. 
Resources, the level of specialisation of investigators and prosecutors, and access to relevant 
information  is  sufficient  for  the  authorities  to  carry  out  their  tasks  in  the  fight  against 
corruption, according to the police and the prosecution service49. Sweden has started creating 
an  electronic  system  to  enhance  the  information-exchange  in  the  management  of  criminal 
cases50.  The  judicial  chain  is  expected  to  be  completely  digitally  interconnected  in  202251. 
Preliminary  data  of  the  National  Council  for  Crime  Prevention  indicates  a  decrease  in 
reported  bribery  cases  compared  to  2019,  yet  a  significant  increase  is  reported  in  cases  of 
official  misconduct52.  In  2020,  bribery-related  prosecutions  were  launched  against  38 
individuals  and  26  convictions  were  obtained,  of  which  four  included  sentences  of 
imprisonment53. 

Foreign  bribery  has  been  highlighted  as  a  corruption  risk  area.  Despite  being  a  global 
export country with one of the highest numbers of multinational corporations per inhabitants, 
Sweden’s enforcement to combat foreign bribery has been characterised as moderate54. The 
law on corporate fines was revised in 201955. Apart from the requirements of dual criminality 
and  of  corporate  liability,  also  the  statute  of  limitations  poses  an  obstacle  to  the  effective 
prosecution in Sweden of bribery committed abroad56. This can be particularly challenging if 
investigations  of  foreign  bribery  committed  abroad  depend  on  the  evidence-gathering  in 
another  country  and  mutual  legal  assistance  through  international  cooperation57.  The  non-

48   The final report may include recommendations for the Government for possible new measures. 
49   Information  received  by  the  Swedish  Prosecution  Authority  in  the  context  of  the  country  visit  to  Sweden. 
Human  resources  allocated  to  the  National  Anti-Corruption  Unit  within  the  Prosecution  Authority 
responsible  for  the  criminal  investigations  related  to  corruption  and  foreign  bribery  consist  of  ten 
prosecutors,  two  accountants,  one  analyst  and  three  prosecution  administrators,  while  approximately  100 
police officers are in place to investigate corruption and corruption-related crimes. 

50   The  electronic  system  connects  the  Swedish  Police,  the  Swedish  Prosecution  Authority,  the  Swedish  Tax 
Agency, the Swedish Economic Crime Authority, the Swedish courts and the Swedish Prison and Probation 
Service. 

51   The feedback received emphasises the still existing need for trainings and harmonisation of the different IT 
systems, working concepts and routines used in the different authorities involved. Next steps will encompass 
also measures to enhance the digital management of confiscation and other coercive measures and of digital 
evidence. 

52   Data submitted on bribery includes 57 reported cases of accepting a bribe, 79 reported cases of offering a 
bribe, and 10 reported cases of trading in influence and negligent financing of bribery (in total, 146 reported 
cases).  

53   Swedish Anti-Corruption Institute (2020), Bribery Convictions in Sweden 2020. 
54   OECD  (2019),  Sweden  must  urgently  implement  reforms  to  boost  the  fight  against  bribery  (2019), 
Transparency  International,  Exporting  Corruption  (2020),  pp.  13  and  110  reporting  that  in  the  period 
between  2016-2019,  eleven  investigations  were  opened,  two  cases  were  commenced,  and  one  case  was 
concluded with sanctions. 

55   Under  Swedish  law,  criminal  acts  can  be  committed  and  punishment  be  imposed  upon  individuals 
committing  foreign  bribery,  while  companies  cannot  face  criminal  liability.  Nevertheless,  a  corporate  fine 
can  be  levied  on  companies  as  a  legal  effect  of  a  crime  (rather  than  being  an  administrative  or  criminal 
penalty).  A  corporate  fine  can  be  issued  for  foreign  bribery  committed  by  an  individual  company 
representative or employee in the exercise of that company’s business activity. See also above. 
56   Information received by the Prosecution Service in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 
57   Information received by the Prosecution Service in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 

7 

 
 
 
                                                           
profit Swedish Anti-Corruption Institute updated its non-binding Code of Business Conduct, 
a self-regulatory initiative to combat bribes and corruption, in 202058. The Code addresses the 
private sector, including its relationship with the public sector59. 

Lobbying  remains  unregulated  in  Sweden.  There  is  no  specific  obligation  for  decision-
makers  to  proactively  disclose  contacts  with  interest  representatives  in  a  ‘legislative 
footprint’ to publish information on who sought to influence which legislative proposals and 
with  what  resources.  Lobbyists  and  interest  representatives  are  not  required  to  register  in  a 
lobby  register  nor  to  disclose  their  clients  or  financial  information  related  to  their lobbying 
activities60.  Overall,  however,  the  disclosure  of  information  to  the  public,  transparency  and 
access to information remain the cornerstone in Sweden’s corruption prevention approach61. 

A  new  act  on  revolving  doors  was  adopted  for  the  National  Audit  Office.  The  post-
employment rules adopted in 2020 set out restrictions for high-level officials of the financial 
supervisory  authority,  including  the  Auditor  General,  the  Deputy  Auditor  General  and  the 
acting Auditor General. The personal scope of the applicable revolving doors regulations was 
thereby  extended  from  top  executive  functions  in  the  Government  (including  ministers, 
cabinet  members  and  state  secretaries  that  move  to  employment  and  assignments  in 
organisations  other  than  the  Government  or  public  sector)  to  top  executives  in  Sweden’s 
financial  oversight  body62.  Nevertheless,  Sweden’s  post-employment  rules  remain  overall 
limited in scope and in impact, with only one case having been reported under the applicable 
revolving doors rules adopted in 201863.  

The  guidelines  on  asset  declarations  were  amended  to  add  supporting  evidence  to  the 
information  declared.  Pursuant  to  the  current  legislation  on  asset  declarations64,  ministers 
and  certain  public  officials  in  public  authorities,  municipalities  and  regions  are  to  report 
holdings of financial instruments. According to the guidelines, the declarations submitted by 
ministers and certain officials of the Government Offices need to be supported by evidence, 
such as official statements from a bank or stockbroker65. This measure aims to facilitate the 
review  of  the  accuracy  of  the  information  declared.  The  Government  Offices  review  and 
compare  the  declarations  with  the  evidence  received  but  do  not  further  verify  the 
completeness of the information nor undertake follow-ups66. 

58   Swedish Anti-Corruption Institute (2020), Code on Gifts, Rewards and other Benefits in Business. 
59   The  Code  supplements  the  legislation,  complementing  and  clarifying  criminal  provisions.  It  provides 
concrete examples of ethically justifiable ways of dealing with concrete day-to-day situations. Information 
received in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 

60   Cf. GRECO Fifth evaluation round -, Evaluation Report, p. 14.  
61   See also section III; 2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, p. 10.  
62   Act (2020: 537) on restrictions on the transition of an auditor and a chief audit officer to other activities (Lag 
(2020:537)  om  restriktioner  vid  en  riksrevisors  och  en  riksrevisionsdirektörs  övergång  till  annan 
verksamhet).  

63   Information received by the Agency for Public Management in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 
64   Act (2018: 1625) on the obligation for certain public officials to report holdings of financial instruments and 
Ordinance  (2018:2014)  on  the  obligation  for  certain  public  officials  to  report  holdings  of  financial 
instruments. This legislation does not apply to Parliament. 
65   Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 10. 
66   Cf. also GRECO, Fifth Evaluation Round– Evaluation Report, Sweden, p. 21.  

8 

 
 
 
                                                           
Sweden has reviewed its rules on the protection of whistleblowers and a stand-alone law 
is  under consideration. The independent  governmental  inquiry delivered its final  report in 
June 2020 proposing the adoption of a new act67 replacing the existing 2016 ‘Act on special 
protection 
serious 
irregularities’68.  New  rules  set  to  enter  into  force  on  1  December  2021  would  change  the 
current requirements on  the protection of  whistleblowers, and would  cover both  public and 
private  sector  organisations  and  businesses.  All  larger  private  sector  companies  would  be 
required to establish safe internal reporting channels for whistleblower disclosures69.  

for  whistleblowing  concerning 

for  workers  against 

reprisals 

Transparency  in  political  party  financing  is  largely  ensured.  Pursuant  to  the  Act  on 
Transparency in Political Party Financing70, national, municipal and local political parties are 
obliged  to  disclose  the  origins  of  their  revenues  but  not  their  expenditure  to  the  Legal, 
Financial and Administrative Services Agency. The agency publishes the finance reports in a 
timely manner each July for the previous year71. Failure to disclose the income is sanctioned 
with fines of up to approximately EUR 9 800 (SEK 100 000). The Parliament has adopted a 
ceiling for anonymous donations per donor at approximately EUR 230 (SEK 2 325)72. Private 
individuals’  contributions  need  to  be  disclosed  but  are  not  published.  However,  political 
parties’  revenues  in  Sweden  stem  largely  from  the  state  grant  that  parties  receive  based  on 
their result in the two previous elections.  

The  Government  published  a  report  on  crime,  including  corruption-related  crime, 
linked to the COVID-19 pandemic in December 2020. The analysis highlights areas where 
there  is  a  risk  of  abuse  of,  or  actual  abuse  of,  COVID-19  support  measures  and  schemes 
adopted  by  the  Government  and  the  Parliament73.  The  report  does  not  specifically  address 
any perceived corruption risks. It highlights challenges in the fight against corruption-related 
crimes,  including  the  lack  of  investigations  and  prosecutions  of  fraud  towards  the  welfare 
system  due  to  limited  resources  and  other  priorities.  Furthermore,  the  National  Agency  for 
Public Procurement launched a guidance paper on public procurement rules applicable during 
the  COVID-19  pandemic,  including  changes  to  the  contract  terms74.  Moreover,  since  1 
January 2021, all public procurements must be registered and published in dedicated national 
databases,  which  report  entries  to  a  central  authority  to  improve  the  gathering  of  public 

67   Swedish  Government  (2020),  Improving  the  safety  of  whistleblowers.  Report  on  Investigation  into  the 
implementation  of  the  whistleblowers  directive.  The  Swedish  Government  has  not  taken  a  decision  on 
whether a new act will be proposed. 

68   Act (2016: 749) on special protection against retaliation for employees who sound the alarm about serious 

misconduct. 

69   For companies with 50 to 249 employees, the requirement to set up internal reporting channels will apply as 
of 1 December 2023. All other companies  with more than 250 employees will be obliged to do so as of 1 
July 2022.  

70   Law (2018: 90) on transparency in the financing of parties. 
71   Legal, 

Administrative 

Financial 

and 

Services 

Agency, 

Revenue 

Reports 

https://www.kammarkollegiet.se/vara-tjanster/partiinsyn/redovisa-intakter. 

72   Any amount exceeding this amount must be returned to the donor or the Swedish state.  
73   The  Government  Offices  (Minister  for  Justice)  appointed  an  Inquiry  Chair  to  conduct  an  analysis  of 
society’s ability to resist crime, particularly organised and systematic crime that may be linked to the new 
rules and measures with consequences for public finances and the economy adopted by the Government and 
the Riksdag as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 
12. 
74   National 

Procurement, 

Procurement 

emergency 

situations, 

Agency 

Public 

for 

in 

https://www.upphandlingsmyndigheten.se/regler-och-lagstiftning/akuta-situationer. 

9 

 
 
 
                                                           
procurement  statistics  in  Sweden75.  The  new  law  supports  the  monitoring  and  detection  of 
bid-rigging  cartels  in  public  procurement  and  other  serious  irregularities  in  times  of  the 
COVID-19 pandemic and beyond76. 

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

legal  framework  concerning  media  pluralism 

The  Swedish 
the 
Constitution77  and  secondary  law78.  In  particular,  the  Fundamental  Law  on  Freedom  of 
Expression and the Freedom of the Press Act guarantees freedom of expression. The Swedish 
media regulator, the Press and Broadcasting Authority (Myndigheten för press, radio och tv), 
functions  according  to  the  Constitution79  and  the  Radio  and  Television  Act,  which  was 
recently amended to transpose the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD)80. 

is  established  by 

Sweden  has  further  strengthened  regulatory  safeguards  for  the  independence  of  the 
media  regulator  and  increased  its  resources81.  Amendments  to  the  Radio  and  Television 
Act to transpose the AVMSD entered into force on 1 December 2020 and introduced some 
novelties for the Press and Broadcasting Authority. They include provisions specifying that a 
member  of  the  Parliament,  the  Government  or  an  employee  of  the  Government  Offices 
cannot be appointed as a member of the Broadcasting Commission82. Furthermore, the reform 
introduces  provisions  strengthening  the  independence  of  the  Broadcasting  Commission  by 
clarifying  that  members  of  the  Broadcasting  Commission  are  appointed  for  a  term  of  four 
years83, ensuring turnover of staff, and that the head of the Authority is appointed for a fixed 
term  of  six  years84.  The  2021  edition  of  the  Media  Pluralism  Monitor  (MPM  2021)85  
confirms a low risk with regard to the independence and effectiveness of the Swedish media 
regulatory authority. The 2021 budget of the Press and Broadcasting Authority was increased 
by approximately EUR 341 000 (SEK 3.5 million), an increase of approximately 8%86. The 

75   Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 10. 
76   Public procurement in Sweden covers both public and private entities as purchasers and is regulated under 
the Swedish Public Procurement Act applicable to the public sector, the Utilities Procurement Act applicable 
to the utilities sectors of water, transport, energy and postal services, and the Concessions Procurement Act 
applicable to works and services concessions. Oversight of public procurement is carried out by the National 
Audit  Office,  as  the  highest  authority  supervising  public  spending  in  Sweden.  The  National  Audit  Office 
performs  external  controls  of  regulatory  compliance  and  provides  Parliament  with  information  and 
recommendations on the use of public funds.  

77   The  Swedish  Constitution  consists  of  four  fundamental  laws:  the  Instrument  of  Government,  the  Act  of 
Succession,  the  Freedom  of  the  Press  Act  and,  especially  with  regard  to  the  Swedish  Broadcasting 
Commission, the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression. 

78   Radio and Television Act. 
79   Relevant parts of the Constitution: the Instrument of Government and the Fundamental Law on Freedom of 

Expression. 

80   Sweden ranks on the 3rd position in the 2021 Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index (2nd 

among the EU Member States), compared to the 4th position of last year. https://rsf.org/en/ranking#  

81   2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, p. 8.  
82   The  Broadcasting  Commission  is  a  decision-making  body  within  the  Swedish  Press  and  Broadcasting 

Authority. Chapter 16, section 14 of the Radio and Television Act. 

83   Section 30 of the Radio and Television Act. 
84   The appointment may be extended. Section 29 of the Radio and Television Act. 
85   2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Sweden, p. 9. 
86   Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 19.  

10 

 
 
 
                                                           
Authority estimated such budget sufficient to cover the new tasks stemming from the revised 
AVMSD.  

The Swedish legal system does not provide for specific rules on transparency of media 
ownership. The framework is based on the general rules of the so-called Transparency Act 
and the Competition Act. The MPM 2021 assesses a medium risk for transparency of media 
ownership  due  to  the  lack  of  specific  legislation87.  The  current  system  allows  Swedish 
authorities  to  receive  information  on  media  ownership,  but  such  information  is  not  easily 
accessible  to  the  public88.  In  the  context  of  the  transposition  of  AVMSD,  the  Government 
assessed  that  specific  requirements  for  transparency  of  media  ownership  should  be  further 
analysed89.  A  possible  proposal  tackling  this  issue  is  being  discussed  within  the 
Government90.  

The  problems  for  journalists  linked  to  the  COVID-19  pandemic  are  mainly  seen  as 
economic,  affecting  particularly  freelance  journalists  and  local  media.  The  advertising 
turnover  of  the  media  sector  declined  by  5%  compared  to  2019,  the  largest  drop  since  the 
financial crisis in 200891. The MPM 2021 reported that the main cuts have been made among 
freelance  journalists  and  journalists  without  permanent  employment.  The  Government  has 
provided funding to the media sector to compensate for a fall of advertising revenues related 
to the COVID-19 pandemic and the following restrictions. In the first phase of the pandemic, 
April-June  2020,  EUR  9.81  million  (SEK  100  million)  was  allocated  to  support  continued 
distribution of printed newspapers92. The Government has also released advance payments of 
production  subsidies  to  the  press.  In  the  autumn  2020  a  further  EUR  49  million  (SEK  500 
million) was allocated to support editorial costs in the broader news media sector93.  

Sweden  has  a  robust  framework  for  access  to  information94.  Deadlines  for  obtaining 
information are short, there are few refusals for information and there is a high compliance of 
public authorities. However, the law on access to information95 does not provide for access to 
information  in  digital  format,  and  such  access  has  proven  sometimes  difficult  in  practice, 
according  to  stakeholders96.  In  the  context  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  as  reported  by  the 

87   2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Sweden, p. 11. 
88   Information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 
89   Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 24.  
90   Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 24. 
91   In the wake of the pandemic, IRM (Institute for Advertising and Media Statistic) records the largest decline 
in  Nordic  ad  sales  since  the  financial  crisis,  https://www.irm-media.se/se/aktuellt/nyheter/in-the-wake-of-
the-pandemic-irm-records-the-largest-decline-in-nordic-ad-sales-since-the-financial-crisis/.   

92   European  Audiovisual  Observatory,  tracking  Covid-19  measures  in  the  audiovisual  sector  (part  2), 

https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/covid-19-d#anchorSweden. 

93   Ministry of Culture (2021), Increased media and democracy support in the government budget. 
94   According to the MPM 2020, the legal provisions concerning access to information and the restrictions on 
grounds  of  protection  of  privacy  and  confidentiality  are  clearly  defined  and  stakeholders,  such  as  the 
Swedish Media Ombudsman, consider that this right is fully respected and well implemented in practice. 

95   Swedish Government (2016), The principle of public access to official documents.  
96   Information provided in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 

11 

 
 
 
                                                           
MPM  2021,  there  were  some  examples  of  local  governments  discouraging  health  and  care 
workers from elderly facilities providing information to journalists97. 

Lack of permanent employment, threats and harassment are a challenge for journalists. 
In general, the conditions the Swedish journalists operate in are considered one of the best of 
the  world98.  However,  as  reported  by  the  MPM  2021,  there  are  some  challenges  to  the 
protection  of  journalists:  one-third  of  journalists  are  without  permanent  employment,  and 
recent  survey  results  show  that  30  percent  of  the  Swedish  journalists  who  answered  have 
received  threats  in  the  past  year.  The  most  common  are  threats  of  physical  violence.  The 
journalists’ association and the media ombudsman report that many journalists, in particular 
investigative  journalists,  face  threats  and  harassment,  sometimes  by  organised,  targeted 
campaigns.  As  suggested  by  a  study,  harassment  often  result  in  some  journalist’s  self-
censorship  or  avoiding  reporting  on  certain  topics99.  Since  October  2020,  three  new  alerts 
were created on the Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and 
safety  of  journalists100.  They  concerned  the  harassment  and  intimidation  of  journalists, 
including  the  case  of  two  journalists  prosecuted  for  an  investigative  documentary101,  and 
attacks on physical safety and integrity of journalists. In all cases, the authorities reacted and 
investigations  are  ongoing.  The  media  ombudsman  also  reports  a  rise  in  complaints  from 
politicians and businessmen against journalists, and an increasing trend to bring legal actions 
against  journalists.  Threats  and  hatred  from  the  public  directed  at  journalists  seem  to  have 
increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, especially on social media102. 

Sweden  is  taking  steps  to  further  improve  its  framework  for  the  protection  and 
activities  of  journalists.  An  Inquiry  Chair,  appointed  by  the  Government  in  May  2020,  is 
currently  reviewing  the  criminal  law  protection  for  certain  vital  functions  in  society, 
including  journalists103.  This  process  is  expected  to  examine  if  any  further  legislative 
safeguards concerning freedom of speech should be considered. The final report is expected 
in  January  2022104.  The  National  Police  Authority  has  also  put  in  place  some  awareness 
raising  campaigns  aiming  at  helping  journalists  who  face  harassment  and  the  Government 
assignment  to  the  “Fojo  Media  Institute”  to  develop  support  for  journalists  and  editors 
subjected  to  threats  and  hatred,  where  freelance  journalists  and  local  media  company  are 
target groups, have been extended for 2021105. 

97   2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Sweden, p. 9 and information received by the Ministry of 

Culture in the context of the country visit to Sweden.  

98   2021 Media Pluralism Monitor, country report for Sweden, p. 9. 
99   Lunds University (2020), About the project.  
100  Council of Europe, Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists – Sweden. 
101  According  to  the  alert,  journalist  Henrik  Evertsson  and  camera  operator  Linus  Andersson  are  being 
prosecuted  by  Swedish  authorities  for  violating  the  burial  site  of  the  MS  Estonia.  They  produced  a 
documentary series ("Estonia: the discovery that changes everything"), which investigates the sinking of the 
cruise ferry 'MS Estonia'.  

102  Information in the context of the country visit to Sweden and Sveriges Radio (2021), Pressure and anger has 

been directed at science journalists for their Corona reporting. 

103  2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, p. 9. 
104  The  Inquiry  chair  has  been  given  additional  terms  of  reference  extending  the  deadline  for  submitting  the 

report. 

105  Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report, p. 21. 

12 

 
 
 
                                                           
IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Sweden is a unicameral, parliamentary democracy, in which a Council of Legislation ensures 
ex-ante constitutional review, while courts can carry out an ex-post constitutional review in 
concrete  cases.  The  Parliament’s  Constitution  Committee  prepares  matters  relating  to 
Sweden’s  fundamental  laws  and  other  constitutional  issues  and  reviews  the  Government’s 
conduct. Legislative proposals can be submitted by members of Parliament (Riksdag) or the 
Government,  with  the  latter  submitting  the  vast  majority  of  proposals  in  practice.  The 
Chancellor  of  Justice,  the  Parliamentary  Ombudspersons  and  the  Equality  Ombudsperson 
(Diskrimineringsombudsmannen)  play  an  important  role  in  the  system  of  checks  and 
balances.  

To enable the Government to take more restrictive measures in response to the COVID-
19 pandemic, new legislation has been adopted. The Swedish Constitution does not foresee 
a state of emergency for peacetime crisis106 and measures taken in the context of the COVID-
19 pandemic have therefore mostly taken the form of recommendations by the Public Health 
Agency107.  While  in  April  2020,  temporary  legislation  enabling  the  Government  to  take 
measures  by  ordinance  was  adopted,  no  measures  were  taken  under  this  framework  and  it 
expired  in  June  2020108.  To  enable  the  Government  to  adopt  ordinances  introducing  more 
restrictive measures, on 10 January 2021 new legislative provisions109 entered into force. For 
particularly restrictive measures, such ordinances must be submitted to Parliament within one 
week of their adoption for ratification110. This legislation will expire on 30 September 2021. 
While  the  proposal  underwent  a  stakeholder  consultation  and  scrutiny  by  the  Council  on 
Legislation and the Constitution Committee, the short timeframes for this process have been 
criticised111.  The  Constitution  Committee  highlighted  in  particular  the  lack  of  advance 
planning112. In the context of the broader discussions regarding the constitutional limitations 
on  the  ability  of  the  Government  to  take  restrictive  measures113,  the  Prime  Minister  has 
announced that a committee of inquiry will be set up to examine the need for a revision of 

106  It only provides for a state of emergency in situations of war. 
107  In  addition,  there  are  also  constitutional  limitations  to  measures  restricting  fundamental  freedoms,  such  as 
freedom of assembly and association. Fundamental Rights Agency (2021) Coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak 
in the EU - Fundamental Rights Implications – Sweden (bulletins 1, 2 and 3).   

108  Input from Sweden for the 2020 Rule of Law Report, p. 26 and information received in the context of the 

country visit to Sweden.  

109  Act  (2021:  4)  on  special  restrictions  to  prevent  the  spread  of  the  disease  covid-19  (lagen  [2021:4]  om 

särskilda begränsningar för att förhindra spridning av sjukdomen covid-19).  

110  This includes e.g. closing public transport or other venues. In the initial proposal for this deadline had been 
one month. This has been reduced following the stakeholder consultation and comments from the Council on 
Legislation,  which  suggested  that  one  week  would  be  more  appropriate.  Council  on  Legislation  (2020), 
Extract from minutes of meeting of 2020/12/30. The Constitution Committee has also stressed in its opinion 
that one week should be a maximum deadline and ordinances should be submitted as soon as possible in any 
case. Constitution Committee (2021), A temporary COVID law – opinion 2020/21 KU6y. 

111  See  e.g.  comments  in  the  opinions  of  the  Constitution  Committee  and  the  Council  on  Legislation.  The 
proposal was submitted to the Council on Legislation on 28 December 2020 and subsequently to Parliament 
on 4 January 2021, which adopted it on 8 January.  

112  It also stressed that,  since delegations of powers to  municipal authorities to take  measures limiting certain 
fundamental  freedoms  are  foreseen,  it  is  important  that  the  Government  ensures  an  overview  of  such 
restrictions.  Constitution  Committee  (2021),  A  temporary  COVID  law  –  opinion  2020/21  KU6y.  See  also 
Constitution Committee (2021), The Committee’s review of the Government is complete.  
113  See e.g. Contribution from the Swedish Supreme Court for the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

13 

 
 
 
                                                           
chapter fifteen of the Constitution with a view to introducing state of emergency provisions to 
tackle crisis situations during peacetime, including public health crises114.  

The Government’s measures taken in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic have been 
subject  to  specific  scrutiny.  The  Constitution  Committee  is  reviewing  the  handling  of  the 
COVID-19  pandemic  by  the  Government  from  a  broader  constitutional  perspective115,  and 
presented  a  report  on  this  on  3  June  2021116.  In  six  of  the  cases  related  to  the  COVID-19 
pandemic examined by the committee, it found shortcomings in the Government’s handling, 
reiterating also criticism related to the preparatory process for the new legislative framework 
for  COVID-19  related  measures  (see  above).  In  addition,  the  independent  commission 
appointed to examine the Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in June 2020 
has delivered a first interim report on 15 December 2020117 and will present its final results 
by  February  2022118.  Measures  taken  in  the  context  of  the  COVID-19  pandemic  have  also 
been reviewed by the Parliamentary Ombudspersons based on complaints received119, while 
so far the Supreme Administrative Court reports that it has not reviewed any such cases120.  

Parliament’s  internal  rules  have  been  adapted  to  the  context  of  the  COVID-19 
pandemic, and it has handled legislation in an expedited manner. To ensure Parliament’s 
continued  functioning  during  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  a  number  of  procedural  rules  have 
been adapted, including an agreement between the political parties allowing for votes to take 
place  with  a  reduced  number  of  members  participating  decided  in  March  2020121  and  new 
legislation  on  remote  participation  to  committee  meetings  which  entered  into  force  in  June 
2020122.  While  there  is  no  formal  expedited  procedure,  at  the  Government’s  request, 
flexibility within the legislative process allows for a speedy adoption of laws, for example by 
shortening  deliberation time in committees and the time allowed for members of Parliament 
to  table  amendments123.  According  to  the  Constitution  Committee,  the  Government  has 
requested  an  expedited  handling  by  Parliament  for  around  20  bills  in  2020124.  While 
stakeholders generally welcome the process for enacting legislation as being inclusive, short 
timeframes for consultation on different pieces of legislation proposed in the context of the 

114  Swedish Government (2020), Digital press conference with the Prime Minister 22 December 2020.  
115  The  Constitution  Committee  annually  carries  out  a  general  review  on  the  Government’s  compliance  with 
laws and practices in the handling of government matters, exercising Parliament’s control function based in 
Chapter 13 of the Instrument of Government.  

116  Constitution Committee (2021), Report 2020/21:KU20.  
117  The  Report  focusses  on  the  handling  of  the  elderly  care  during  the  pandemic  and  highlights  a  number  of 
shortcomings  in  the  Government’s  response.  Swedish  Government  (2020),  Interim  Report  of  the  Corona 
Commission – Elderly care during the pandemic.  

118  Swedish  Government  (2020),  Evaluation  of  measures  to  deal  with  the  outbreak  of  the  virus  that  causes 

covid-19 disease.  

119  See  e.g.  Parliamentary  Ombudsman  (2020),  Opinion  on  the  memorandum  on  the  COVID-19  law 
(S2020/09214), highlighting similar points as the Council on Legislation and the Constitution Committee. 
120  Information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden and ACA-Europe (2021), Survey on the 

Supreme Administrative Courts in times of COVID-19 crisis – a lesson learned (forthcoming). 

121  This allows that only 55 members of Parliament (distributed among the parties in proportion to the overall 
allocation  of  seats)  are  physically  present  for  votes.  Agreement  on  the  work  of  the  Chamber  and  the 
committees in connection with the dissemination of COVID-19.  

122  Riksdag (2020), Remote participation at committee meetings and the EU committee.  
123  Riksdag, This is how the Riksdag works: decides on laws.  
124  Information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden.  

14 

 
 
 
                                                           
COVID-19  pandemic  has  been  highlighted125.  This  matter  will  also  be  part  of  the 
examination of the Government’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic by the Constitution 
Committee.  In addition,  a parliamentary inquiry into  how Parliament  has functioned during 
the COVID-19 pandemic has been set up, with its findings expected in autumn 2021126. 

A proposal for the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution in line with the 
UN  Paris  Principles  has  been  adopted  by  Parliament.  Sweden  has  received  repeated 
recommendations under the United Nations Universal Peer Review, most recently in 2020, to 
establish  a  National  Human  Rights  Institution  (NHRI)  in  compliance  with  the  Paris 
Principles127. Currently, the Equality Ombudsperson functions as the NHRI, accredited with 
B-Status128.  On  9  June  2021,  Parliament  adopted  a  proposal  by  the  Government  for  the 
creation of a NHRI in compliance with the Paris Principles to Parliament, which will start its 
operation in January 2022129. The institute will have a broad mandate regarding human rights 
and will be independent in determining its tasks and organisation within the mandate set out 
in  law. The institutional set-up has  been welcomed by stakeholders130. The institute will  be 
led  by  a  board  composed  of  seven  members,  which  will  appoint  a  director  as  head  of  the 
Institute.  Stakeholders,  including  the  European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights 
Institutions131,  had  raised  some  concerns  regarding  the  non-binding  nature  of  the  proposals 
from designated institutions for the candidates for the board members to be appointed by the 
Government132.  The  Government  considers  that  the  qualification  criteria  set  out  in  law 
provide  sufficient  safeguards133.  In  addition  to  this  process,  the  inquiry  by  Parliament 
regarding the functioning and mandate of the Parliamentary Ombudspersons is ongoing and 
will deliver its results in May 2022134.  

The  review  of  requirements  for  civil  society  organisations  to  comply  with  democratic 
principles to access state funding is ongoing. Currently, “democracy requirements” are laid 
down  in  a  number  of  state  grant  regulations  for  civil  society  organisations,  requiring 

125  Contribution by Civil Rights Defenders for the 2021 Rule of Law Report (as part of the contribution by the 
Civil Liberties Union for Europe) and information received in the context of the country visit to Sweden. 
126  Riksdag  (2020),  Constitution  Committee  proposes  follow-up  of  the  Riksdag’s  work  during  the  corona 

pandemic. 

127  In  addition,  Sweden  received  a  recommendation  to  consider  expanding  the  mandate  of  the  Equality 
Ombudsman and allocate sufficient resources. UN General Assembly (2020), Report of the Working Group 
on the Universal Peer Review – Sweden. See also the contribution by the UN Human Rights Regional Office 
for Europe for the 2021 Rule of Law Report. 

128  See 2020 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, pp. 11-12, also as 

regards previous steps in this process.  

129  Swedish Government (2021), Institute for Human Rights.  
130  Joint  contribution  from  civil  society  organisations  in  Altinget  (2021),  Do  not  make  party  politics  out  of 
human  rights;  Contribution  by  the  Swedish  Section  of  the  International  Committee  of  Jurists  and  Civil 
Rights Defenders for the 2021 Rule of Law Report. 

131  European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions,  Regarding  the  consultation  on  the  proposal  for 

the establishment of a National Human Rights Institution in Sweden (Ds 2019:4). 

132  The  Government  has  to  request  (non-binding)  proposals  for  candidates  from  the  Bar  Association, 

universities and colleges, and the Institute’s Board of Governors.  

133  According to the proposal, the members of the board shall have expertise in the field of human rights and at 
least two each shall have experience of qualified work in the three areas i) of civil society, ii) judiciary and 
the profession of lawyer and iii) research and academia. See also Swedish Government (2021), Government 
bill 202/21:143 - Institute for Human Rights, p. 39. 

134  2020 Rule of Law Report, country chapter on the rule of law situation in Sweden, p. 12.  

15 

 
 
 
                                                           
beneficiaries of state funding to comply with conditions on democratic principles similar to 
those  set  out  in  the  Instrument  of  Government135.  However,  these  criteria  and  their 
application are not always transparent or coherent136. In 2018, an inquiry was set-up to review 
the  existing  democracy  requirements,  the  challenges  for  civil  society  and  authorities  in 
applying  them  and  tasked  to  propose  uniform  democracy  requirements.  While  the  inquiry 
report was presented in 2019 and a stakeholder consultation was carried out subsequently137, 
so far the Government has not presented any draft legislation. In November 2020, it set up a 
special  inquiry  to  review  practical  questions  related  to  handling  of  personal  data  in  this 
context and to identify the need and conditions for setting up a function to support authorities 
granting state funding in assessing organisations applying for funding138. The results of this 
inquiry  are  expected  by  the  end  of  December  2021.  While  civil  society  organisations 
generally agree on the objective of clarifying the “democracy requirements”, they have also 
stressed  the  need  to  carefully  consider  the  impact  on  civil  society’s  access  to  funding139. 
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government  has made additional funding140 available 
to civil society organisations working with socially vulnerable persons especially affected by 
the pandemic141.  

135  Chapter  1,  Section  2  of  the  Instrument  of  Government  states  that  the  public  must  work  to  ensure  that  the 
ideas of democracy are guided in all areas of society. Furthermore, Chapter 2, Section 1 sets out fundamental 
rights and freedoms which everyone is insured against the public. 

136  The  mandate  of  the  inquiry  outlines  that  it  should  be  ensured  that  government  funds  are  only  directed  to 
organisations  complying  with  fundamental  values  of  the  Constitution.  At  the  same  time  it  notes  that 
organisations criticise the current system for lacking transparency and legal certainty. Swedish Government 
(2018) Committee terms of reference – democratic conditionality in government grants.  

137  Swedish Government (2018), The democracy conditions in state subsidies.  
138  Swedish Government (2020), The Government is taking a new step towards stricter democratic conditions 

for state subsidies to civil society.  

139  See e.g. the responses to the Referral SOU 2019: 35 Democratic conditions for contributions to civil society 

by Civil Right Defenders and the National Forum for Voluntary Organisations.  

140  In  April  and  May  2020  each,  around  EUR  9.9  million  (SEK  100  million)  were  allocated  to  such 
organisations and in December 2020, additional grants of EUR 5.9 million (SEK 60 million) were proposed. 
Swedish Government (2020), Support for civil society's social and humanitarian efforts.  

141  Sweden’s  civic  space  remains  ‘open’  -  Ratings  given  by  Civicus,  Sweden.  Ratings  are  on  a  five-category 

scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed and closed.   

16 

 
 
 
                                                           
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order*  

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2021 Rule of Law report 
can  be  found  at  https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/upholding-rule-
law/rule-law/rule-law-mechanism/2021-rule-law-report-targeted-stakeholder-consultation. 

Altinget (2021), Do not make party politics out of human rights (Gör inte partipolitik av mänskliga 
rättigheter) (https://www.altinget.se/artikel/gor-inte-partipolitik-av-manskliga-rattigheter).  

Board  of  the  Swedish  Judges’  Association  (2021),  Independence  of  judges  should  be  strengthened 
with  a 
stärkas  med  ett  domarråd), 
(https://www.dn.se/debatt/domarnas-oavhangighet-bor-starkas-med-ett-domarrad/).  

(Domarnas  oavhängighet  bör 

Judicial  Council 

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2021), Media pluralism monitor 2021. 

CEPEJ (2021), Study on the functioning of judicial systems in the EU Member States. 

Civil Liberties Union for Europe (2021), Contribution from Civil Liberties Union for the 2021 Rule of 
Law Report – contribution by Civil Rights Defenders.  

Constitution  Committee  (2021),  A  temporary  COVID  law  -  opinion  2020/21  KU6y.  (En  tillfällig 
covid-19-lag) (https://data.riksdagen.se/fil/20BFF67F-6080-422A-9546-DBF3F425CB80) .  

Constitution 
(https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/aktuellt/2021/jun/3/kus-granskning-av-regeringen-ar-klar/).   

Committee 

(2021), 

Report 

2020/21:KU20 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the 
Committee of Ministers to member states on judges: independence, efficiency and responsibilities. 

Council  of  Europe,  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists  – 
Sweden (https://www.coe.int/en/web/media-freedom/sweden). 

Council on Legislation (2020), Extract from minutes of meeting of 2020/12/30  (Utdrag ur protokoll 
(https://www.lagradet.se/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Covid-19-
vid 
lag.pdf).  

sammanträde  2020-12-30) 

European Audiovisual Observatory, tracking COVID-19 measures in the audiovisual sector (part 2) – 
Sweden (https://www.obs.coe.int/en/web/observatoire/covid-19-d#anchorSweden). 

European Commission (2020),  Rule of Law report. Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in 
Sweden 

European Commission (2021), 2021 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
GRECO  (2019),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round  –  Evaluation  Report  on  Sweden,  5th  Evaluation  Round  on 
Preventing corruption and promoting integrity in central governments (top executive functions) and 
law 
(https://rm.coe.int/fifth-evaluation-round-preventing-corruption-and-
enforcement  agencies 
promoting-integrity-i/1680943be3). 

IRM (Institute for Advertising and Media Statistic), In the wake of the pandemic, IRM (Institute for 
Advertising  and  Media  Statistic)  records  the  largest  decline  in  Nordic  ad  sales  since  the  financial 
crisis, 
(https://www.irm-media.se/se/aktuellt/nyheter/in-the-wake-of-the-pandemic-irm-records-the-
largest-decline-in-nordic-ad-sales-since-the-financial-crisis/).   

Legal,  Financial  and  Administrative  Services  Agency,  Revenue  Reports  (Redovisa  intäkter), 
(https://www.kammarkollegiet.se/vara-tjanster/partiinsyn/redovisa-intakter).  

Lunds University (2020), About the project (Om projektet) (https://www.soclaw.lu.se/om-projektet).  

Ministry of Culture (2021), Increased media and democracy support in the government budget (Ökat 
medie-  och  demokratistöd  i  regeringens  budget)  (https://www.regeringen.se/artiklar/2021/04/okat-
medie--och-demokratistod-i-regeringens-budget/).  

17 

 
 
 
National Council for Crime Prevention (2021), Bra’s regulation letter for 2021 (Brås regleringsbrev 
för 
(https://bra.se/om-bra/nytt-fran-bra/arkiv/nyheter/2021-01-01-bras-regleringsbrev-for-
2021) 
2021.html). 

National Council on Crime Prevention (2021), Report on the impact of the pandemic on the flow of 
rättskedjan) 
justice, 
(https://www.bra.se/download/18.1f8c9903175f8b2aa706ea0/1617187816217/2021_4_Pandemins_in
verkan_pa_flodet_i_rattskedjan.pdf). 

(Pandemins 

inverkan 

flödet 

på 

i 

National  Courts  Administration 
(https://www.domstol.se/globalassets/filer/gemensamt-innehall/styrning-och-
riktlinjer/statistik/2021/200301-installda-forhandlingar.pdf).   

(2021),  Cancelled  hearings 

(Inställda 

förhandlingar) 

National  Courts  Administration  (2021),  Courts  under  pressure:  almost  half  a  million  new  cases  in 
2020) 
nästan 
2020 
(https://www.domstol.se/domstolsverket/nyheter/2021/02/domstolarna-under-press-nastan-en-halv-
miljon-nya-mal-2020/).  

halv  miljon 

(Domstolarna 

nya  mål 

press: 

under 

en 

(Inkomna, 

National Courts Administration (2021), Received, settled and balances cases up to and including week 
7 
7) 
och 
(https://www.domstol.se/globalassets/filer/gemensamt-innehall/styrning-och-
riktlinjer/statistik/2021/210301-inkomna-avgjorda-och-balanserade-mal.pdf).   

balanserade 

avgjorda 

vecka 

meda 

mål 

och 

till 

National Agency for Public Procurement, Procurement in emergency situations. (Upphandling i akuta 
situationer) (https://www.upphandlingsmyndigheten.se/regler-och-lagstiftning/akuta-situationer).  

OECD  (2012),  OECD  says  Swedish  progress  combatting  foreign  bribery  insufficient  to  warrant 
(https://www.oecd.org/corruption/oecd-says-swedish-progress-combatting-
Phase 
foreign-bribery-insufficient-to-warrant-phase-4-evaluation.htm). 

evaluation 

4 

OECD  (2019),  Sweden  must  urgently  implement  reforms  to  boost  the  fight  against  bribery 
(https://www.oecd.org/corruption/sweden-must-urgently-implement-reforms-to-boost-fight-against-
foreign-bribery.htm). 

Parliamentary  Ombudsman  (2020),  Opinion  on  the  memorandum  on 
(S2020/09214) 
(https://www.jo.se/Global/Remissyttranden/Remissyttrande%20R_144-2020.pdf).  

promemorian 

(Yttrande 

över 

the  COVID-19 

law 
Covid-19-lag) 

Reporters without Borders – Sweden (https://rsf.org/en/sweden). 

Riksdag (2020), Agreement on the work of the Chamber and the committees in connection with the 
dissemination of COVID-19 (Överenskommelse om kammarens och utskottens arbete med anledning 
av  spridningen  av  covid-19)  (https://riksdagen.se/globalassets/01.-aktuellt/201920/overenkommelse-
mellan-gruppledarna-maa-covid-19.pdf).   

Riksdag (2020), Constitution Committee proposes follow-up of the Riksdag’s work during the corona 
pandemic 
coronapandemin) 
av 
(https://riksdagen.se/sv/aktuellt/2020/nov/12/ku-foreslar-uppfoljning-av-riksdagens-arbete-under-
coronapandemin/).  

uppföljning 

riksdagens 

föreslår 

arbete 

under 

(KU 

Riksdag (2020), Remote participation at committee meetings and the EU committee (Deltagande på 
distans  vid  sammanträden 
i  utskotten  och  EU-nämnden)  (https://riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-
lagar/arende/betankande/deltagande-pa-distans-vid-sammantraden-i_H701KU16).  

Riksdag, This is how the Riksdag works: decides on laws (Sa funkar riksdagen – beslutar om lagar), 
(https://riksdagen.se/sv/sa-funkar-riksdagen/riksdagens-uppgifter/beslutar-om-lagar/).   

Supreme Court of Sweden (2021), Contribution from the Supreme Court of Sweden for the 2021 Rule 
of Law Report.  

18 

 
 
 
Swedish  Anti-Corruption  Institute  (Institutet  Mot  Mutor)  (2020),  Code  of  Business  Conduct 
(https://www.institutetmotmutor.se/en/). 

Swedish  Anti-Corruption  Institute  (2020),  Bribery  Convictions  in  Sweden  2020  (Mutbrottsdomar  i 
Sverige 
(http://3afvm642sqoq9muh73hsqhtz-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-
content/uploads/2021/02/Mutbrottsdomar-i-Sverige-2020.pdf). 

2020) 

Swedish Government (2016), The principle of public access to official documents (The principle of 
public access to official documents - Government.se). 

Swedish  Government  (2018),  The  democracy  conditions  in  state  subsidies  (Demokrativillkoren  i 
statlig bidragsgivning) (https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/kommittedirektiv/2018/03/dir.-
201819/). 

Swedish Government (2019), Referral SOU 2019: 35 Democratic conditions for contributions to civil 
society  (https://www.regeringskansliet.se/remisser/2019/07/remiss-sou-201935-demokrativillkor-for-
bidrag-till-civilsamhallet/).  

Swedish  Government  (2019),  Security  screening  of  judges  (Säkerhetsprövning  av  domare). 
(https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/departementsserien-och-promemorior/2019/11/ds-
201926).  

Swedish  Government  (2020),  A  European  Public  Prosecutor’s  Office  in  Sweden,  (En  europeisk 
(https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/statens-offentliga-
åklagarmyndighet 
utredningar/2020/12/sou-202074/).  

Sverige) 

i 

Swedish  Government  (2020),  Digital  press  conference  with  the  Prime  Minister 22  December  2020. 
(https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2020/12/digital-presstraff-med-statsministern-22-
december-2020/).  

Swedish  Government  (2020),  Evaluation  of  measures  to  deal  with  the  outbreak  of  the  virus  that 
causes covid-19 disease. Utvärdering av åtgärderna för att hantera utbrottet av det virus som orsakar 
sjukdomen  covid-19  (https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/kommittedirektiv/2020/06/dir.-
202074/). 

Swedish  Government  (2020),  Evaluation  of  measures  to  deal  with  the  outbreak  of  the  virus  that 
causes covid-19 disease (Utvärdering av åtgärderna för att hantera utbrottet av det virus som orsakar 
sjukdomen  covid-19)  (https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/kommittedirektiv/2020/06/dir.-
202074/).  

Swedish  Government  (2020),  Improving  the  safety  of  whistle-blowers.  Report on  Investigation into 
the implementation of the whistle-blowers directive (Ökad trygghet för visselblåsare. Betänkande av 
Utredningen 
visselblåsardirektivet) 
genomförande 
(https://www.regeringen.se/49f2d1/contentassets/8da2073fda1645ec946ca4eca8bd6b6a/okad-
trygghet-for-visselblasare-sou-2020-38.pdf ).   

om 

av 

Swedish Government (2020), Input from Sweden for the 2020 Rule of Law Report. 

Swedish  Government  (2020),  Stronger  coordination  for  increased  digitalisation  of  the  judiciary 
(Starkare 
rättsväsendet) 
(https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2020/09/starkare-samordning-for-okad-digitalisering-
av-rattsvasendet/). 

digitalisering 

samordning 

ökad 

för 

av 

Swedish  Government  (2020),  Support  for  civil  society's  social  and  humanitarian  efforts  (Stöd  till 
insatser) 
civila 
(https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2020/12/stod-till-civila-samhallets-sociala-och-
humanitara-insatser/). 

humanitära 

samhällets 

sociala 

och 

Swedish  Government  (2020),  The  government  is  taking  a  new  step  towards  stricter  democratic 
conditions for state subsidies to civil society (Regeringen tar nytt steg för skärpt demokrativillkor vid 

19 

 
 
 
statsbidrag till  civilsamhället)  (https://www.regeringen.se/pressmeddelanden/2020/11/regeringen-tar-
nytt-steg-for-skarpt-demokrativillkor-vid-statsbidrag-till-civilsamhallet/).  

Swedish  Government  (2021),  Anti-corruption  Action  Plan  2021-2023  (Ett  utvecklat  arbete  mot 
korruption 
korruption  2021–2023) 
(https://www.regeringen.se/4affa7/globalassets/regeringen/dokument/finansdepartementet/handlingspl
an-mot-korruption/handlingsplan-mot-korruption-20212023.pdf). 

förvaltningen  Handlingsplan  mot 

i  den  offentliga 

Swedish Government (2021), Government bill 202/21:143 - Institute for Human Rights (Regeringens 
rättigheter) 
proposition 
(https://www.regeringen.se/495aa6/contentassets/95a2941f3c074cbcafebcd6746631989/institutet-for-
manskliga-rattigheter.pdf). 

2020/21:143 

mänskliga 

Institutet 

för 

Swedish  Government  (2021),  Increased  media  and  democracy  support  in  the  government  budget 
budget) 
demokratistöd 
(Ökat 
(https://www.regeringen.se/artiklar/2021/04/okat-medie--och-demokratistod-i-regeringens-budget/). 

regeringens 

medie- 

och 

i 

Swedish Government (2021), Input from Sweden for the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

Swedish  Government  (2021),  Institute  for  Human  Rights  (Institutet  för  mänskliga  rättigheter) 
(https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/proposition/2021/03/prop.-202021143/).   

Swedish  Section  of  the  International  Committee  of  Jurists  and  Civil  Rights  Defenders  (2021), 
Contribution  from  the  Swedish  Section  of  the  International  Committee  of  Jurists  and  Civil  Rights 
Defenders for the 2021 Rule of Law Report.  

Svenska  Dagbladet  (2021),  M  wants  to  replace  the  Swedish  National  Courts  Administration  with  a 
council  of  judges  (M  vill  ersatta  domstolsverket  med  domarrad)  (https://www.svd.se/m-vill-ersatta-
domstolsverket-med-domarrad).  

Sveriges Radio (2021), Pressure and anger has been directed at science journalists for their Corona 
reporting. (Hat mot vetenskapsjournalister har ökat under pandemin) (Hat mot vetenskapsjournalister 
har ökat under pandemin - P4 Uppland | Sveriges Radio).  

Transparency 
(https://www.transparency.org/en/publications/exporting-corruption-2020).  

International 

(2020), 

Exporting 

Corruption 

Transparency 
(https://www.transparency.org/en/cp/2020/index/nzl). 

International 

(2021), 

Corruption 

Perception 

Index 

(2020), 

UN General Assembly (2020), Report of the Working Group on the Universal Peer Review – Sweden 
(https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G20/069/40/PDF/G2006940.pdf?OpenElement).  

UN Human Rights Regional Office for Europe (2021), Contribution from OCHCHR for the 2021 Rule 
of Law Report.  

20 

 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Sweden 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in March 2021 with: 

  Anti-Corruption Institute  
  Agency for Public Management 
  Civil Rights Defenders 
  Committee of Inquiry on Independence of Courts 
  Council on Legislation 
  Economic Crime Authority 
  Ministry of Culture 
  Ministry of Finance 
  Ministry of Justice 
  Ministry of Labour 
  National Courts Administration 
  Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman 
  Office of the Prime Minister 
  Press and Broadcasting Authority 
  Press Ombudsman 
  Prosecution Service 
  Secretariat of the Constitution Committee  
  Supreme Administrative Court 
  Supreme Court 
  Swedish Association of Judges 
  Swedish Bar Association 
  Swedish Journalists’ Association 
  Transparency International Sweden 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings: 

  Amnesty International 
  Center for Reproductive Rights 
  CIVICUS 
  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
  Civil Society Europe 
  Conference of European Churches 
  EuroCommerce 
  European Center for Not-for-Profit Law 
  European Centre for Press and Media Freedom 
  European Civic Forum 
  European Federation of Journalists 
  European Partnership for Democracy  
  European Youth Forum 
  Front Line Defenders 
  Human Rights House Foundation  
  Human Rights Watch  
 
 
 
 

ILGA-Europe 
International Commission of Jurists 
International Federation for Human Rights 
International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network (IPPF EN) 

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 
International Press Institute 
  Netherlands Helsinki Committee  
  Open Society European Policy Institute 
  Philanthropy Advocacy 
  Protection International  
  Reporters without Borders 
  Transparency International EU 

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