The Swedish Government’s
overall EU priorities for 2017
15 March 2017
Introduction
The EU is currently in a period of difficult challenges. Millions of people in
Europe are out of work and do not feel they are participating in the society
in which they live. In many parts, the citizens’ confidence in the EU is low.
This is reflected in the United Kingdom’s vote to leave the EU. We are
living in an increasingly unpredictable world. War and conflicts continue to
propel people towards Europe in the hope of finding a safe haven. In
addition, the threat of climate change is greater than ever. Last year, 2016,
was the warmest on earth since records began.
For the Swedish Government it is clear that cross-border challenges require
cross-border cooperation. The EU enables the Member States to find
common solutions and must be a strong voice for peace and fundamental
values, such as human rights, democracy, the rule of law and gender equality.
Despite the challenges, new and important decisions are being taken. In
2016, the EU adopted the Paris climate agreement, ushered in the UN
Global Goals for sustainable development (the 2030 Agenda), signed a trade
agreement with Canada (CETA), took steps towards a new common asylum
policy and created a European Border and Coast Guard Agency. The EU
has worked intensively to make people’s everyday lives easier by improving
the digital internal market, for example by facilitating cross-border
eCommerce, reducing roaming charges and making it possible to use digital
music and film services when travelling in Europe.
This shows that cooperation at EU level is needed. It is important for both
addressing global challenges and making life easier for individuals. But
cooperation must continue to be developed and improved. Not through
major new projects that require treaty change, but by focusing on areas
where there is added value in cooperating at European level. The decisions
taken must be implemented. The Government also sees a need to gain
traction for EU policy among citizens and has therefore started work to
improve information and knowledge about the EU. The government has
also started a new form of dialogue with the business sector and civil society
in order to increase participation in matters decided within the EU.
Over the past year, Sweden has been particularly proactive on issues
concerning jobs, climate and migration. The same three policy areas are
priorities for 2017. In addition to these three areas, the Government’s EU
work in 2017 will be characterised by a strong commitment to protecting the
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interests of the EU and Sweden in negotiations over the United Kingdom’s
withdrawal from the EU.
A Europe for jobs and inclusive growth: there must be fair working
conditions in both the Swedish and the European labour markets. The
Government is pursuing efforts for a more social Europe with
determination, and on 17 November 2017 the Prime Minister will co-host a
summit in Sweden on fair jobs and growth, with European Commission
President Jean-Claude Juncker.
A more ambitious climate, energy and environment policy: the EU
must show leadership in the battle against climate change and implement the
Paris Agreement. Important steps have already been taken and legislation,
primarily in the area of environment, climate and energy, is being negotiated
to transition to a more sustainable society.
A solidarity-based refugee and migration policy and a secure world:
progress has been made to deal with the migration situation, particularly in
terms of cooperation to combat human smuggling and the root causes of
people fleeing. What remains is to put in place a new, functioning and
efficient asylum system, in which all EU countries take responsibility for
receiving refugees and which should be efficient, legally certain, sustainable
in the long term and humane, and enable high-quality decisions that protect
the right of asylum.
The United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the EU is a loss for both the EU
and Sweden. In the coming exit negotiations, the Government will primarily
stand up for an EU that remains united and can take decisive action, as well
as continuing close relations between the EU and the United Kingdom. At
the same time, the Government will protect both Swedish citizens resident
in the United Kingdom and Swedish economic interests. The Government
will defend Sweden’s contribution to the EU and actively work to have the
European Medicines Agency (EMA) relocated to Sweden.
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A Europe for jobs and inclusive growth
Europe needs more and better jobs. Well-managed public finances and high
employment for both women and men, and an efficient internal market, are
necessary for sustainable growth and prosperity for all. The Government is
working for a more social Europe, where growth and social fairness go hand
in hand. One important element of this work is the summit that the Prime
Minister and the European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker will
jointly host in Gothenburg on 17 November 2017. Bringing together
Member States, the social partners and other key actors at the highest level
will enable dialogue and increased understanding of what can be done to
promote fair jobs and growth.
Jobs and inclusive growth in a competitive Europe
To meet future needs and to maintain the EU’s competitiveness, joint
initiatives are needed in research, innovation and entrepreneurship, as well as
improved conditions for industry transition. Trade barriers in the internal
market must be combated and discriminatory regulatory requirements
abolished, while high levels of protection for workers, public health and the
environment are maintained. The EU needs to adapt the internal market’s
regulatory framework and instruments to the digital economy so that it is
open to the world and meets the need for free, cross-border data flows. In
this way, consumers and European companies gain access to more markets
and the best technologies, services and IT solutions.
The Government will work to ensure that:
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the initiatives within the framework of the Single Market Strategy for
goods and services help to remove unnecessary obstacles to free
movement within the goods and services sector, such as differences in
national regulations, discrimination or bans;
the EU Digital Single Market Strategy results in European companies
being able to create jobs and sustainable growth and supporting new
business models;
the negotiations on free trade agreements with third countries that have
begun continue, the free trade agreement with Japan is concluded and
the free trade agreement with Canada is implemented; and
the investments in the EU’s next Framework Programme for Research
and Innovation make a greater contribution to solving societal
challenges, providing increased competitiveness, more jobs and better
conditions to adapt to the business solutions of the future.
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Decent and fair conditions in the labour market
Conditions in the European labour market must be fair and decent. People
moving to other countries for work is positive; it contributes to greater
prosperity and better living standards. But this must not lead to companies
competing on lower wages, poor working conditions or lapses in safety in
the workplace. To protect workers’ conditions, companies’ competitiveness
and the legitimacy of free movement, cross-border work must be combined
with the fundamental principle of equal pay for equal work and conducted in
line with good working conditions and a good working environment. This
creates conditions for sustainable growth that will benefit everyone.
The Government has worked to ensure a greater role in EU cooperation for
fair working conditions and a more social Europe. For example, the
Commission has announced a European Pillar of Social Rights and proposed
a review of the Posting of Workers Directive. The Government’s starting
point remains that the competence of the Member States, the national labour
market models, the autonomy of the social partners and the status of
collective agreements must be respected.
The people of Europe must be safe in the knowledge that their social
benefits and rights are protected when they are looking for work or study
places within the EU. Social security schemes are ultimately a national
concern, but they should be coordinated within the EU in a way that
promotes the movement of EU citizens, workers and self-employed people.
The Government will work to ensure that:
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the principle of equal pay for equal work is confirmed in line with
applicable laws and collective agreements in the country of employment;
foreign workers must, as far as possible, be treated in the same way as
domestic workers, particularly with regard to fundamental work and
employment conditions within the framework of areas covered by the
Posting of Workers Directive, while respecting free movement;
the European Pillar of Social Rights contributes to a more prosperous
and inclusive EU; growth, raised productivity and increased
employment go hand in hand with social progress such as social
security, more women in the labour market and the opportunity to
develop in working life; and
coordination of the social security schemes is developed and promotes
dialogue between the Member States, and the movement of people
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within the EU, particularly of workers; although the provisions on
coordination do not involve common EU schemes, they should be
designed to strike a reasonable balance between the individual’s social
security on the one hand and the division of responsibility and costs
between Member States on the other.
Strengthened gender equality and transition opportunities for the jobs
of today and tomorrow
Strengthened gender equality is both a matter of rights and a prerequisite for
increasing Europe’s economic growth and global competitiveness. When
women are outside of the labour market, growth potential is wasted. We
need to create better opportunities for both women and men to combine
work and family life, and better opportunities for a higher level of labour
market participation, primarily among women.
Access to lifelong learning creates good conditions for a flexible labour
market, which is a prerequisite for the EU’s global competitiveness. The
need for continuing education and training throughout people’s entire lives
is increasing, not least as a result of society’s digitalisation and automation.
People need to develop at the same pace as technological developments and
be matched to new types of jobs.
The Government will work:
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for gender-equal and modern parenting that takes account of different
family forms and ensures high labour force participation, among women
in particular, by promoting gender equality; efforts in this area should be
pursued within the framework of the European Pillar of Social Rights
and the New Start for Working Parents initiative; and
to ensure that individuals’ development, lifelong learning, civic
engagement and critical thinking, and the important role of vocational
education and training, are emphasised in coming proposals within the
New Skills Agenda for Europe and the European Pillar of Social Rights;
the initiatives should highlight measures to enhance skills among
workers and job-seekers with a low level of education, and measures to
best include newly arrived immigrants in the Member States’ education
systems.
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An ambitious climate, energy and environment policy
Climate change is threatening our habitat. It causes natural disasters and
forces people to flee. We are facing almost existential challenges as a result
of the human impact on ecosystems and the spread of hazardous toxins.
These are challenges that can only be solved through cross-border
cooperation. The EU needs an ambitious and cohesive climate, energy and
environment policy to achieve the agreed climate and environmental
objectives, and for the EU to be a strong and proactive force globally.
Sweden will lead the way and the Government is therefore taking a leading
role to speed up the transition to a bio-based and circular economy, with a
higher percentage of renewable energy.
An ambitious climate and energy policy
The Paris Agreement represents progress for both the EU’s and Sweden’s
efforts. But the challenges do not stop here. The agreement now has to be
implemented to reach the climate goal of keeping the rise in temperature
well below 2 degrees Celsius and striving to limit it to 1.5 degrees Celsius.
For the EU to reduce its emissions and implement the Paris Agreement, the
EU acquis has to lead to a transition and stricter legislation in the
environment, climate and energy area.
The Government will work to ensure that:
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the EU promotes the implementation of the Paris Agreement and
reduces its greenhouse gas emissions; there should be a strengthened
system for emissions trading and regulated emissions levels for the nontrading sector, as well as the forest and land use sector;
EU legislation ensures that the targets for renewable energy and energy
efficiency are achieved and creates good conditions for sustainable
bioenergy, not least in the transport and heating sectors; and
the regulations in the areas of energy, environmental tax and state aid
are reviewed to enable effective economic policy instruments to reduce
emissions and meet the challenge of climate change.
An ambitious environment policy
To achieve a sustainable society, the Government is prioritising a toxin-free
environment where hazardous chemicals are phased out or replaced by
better alternatives, and where the Government protects biodiversity. We
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must change our view of how we consume and value our resources.
Resource-efficiency, recycling, toxin-free material cycles and using waste as a
resource are key factors for reducing environmental and climate impact. The
circular and bio-based economy contributes to a sustainable society that
meets the needs of coming generations and benefits business sector
development and new jobs.
The Government will work to ensure that:
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the initiatives in the Commission’s action plan for a circular economy
result in waste being used as a resource, products that are increasingly
sustainable, high and equivalent requirements being set for recycled raw
materials and non-renewable materials being replaced over time by
renewable materials; making the transition to new production and
consumption patterns will benefit consumers; and
that the negotiations on waste directives lead to particularly hazardous
substances being phased out, high and equivalent requirements on
recycled raw products and new raw products, toxin-free material cycles,
markets for secondary materials, a prohibition on landfilling of
recyclable waste, and the sustainable handling of biological waste.
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Solidarity-based refugee and migration policy and a secure world
Several important decisions were taken in 2015–2016 to manage the
emergency refugee situation and strengthen existing asylum systems. This
applies above all to strengthened border controls and coastguard activities
and increased cooperation with countries outside the EU on returns.
Important steps were also taken in cooperation with these countries to
combat the root causes of people having to flee. However, it is not
acceptable for certain Member States to refuse to implement the decisions
taken.
Although the refugee flows have declined, over the past year many people
risked their lives to come to Europe. The EU must therefore continue to
work for a functioning and sustainable common migration policy.
Sweden is one of the Member States that has contributed most in the area of
migration, both through the generous reception of people in need of
protection and through operational support to other Member States in
serious need of help, such as Greece. What is more, Sweden is one of the
largest donors of humanitarian support to countries near the centres of
conflict, where most refugees are located. It is not tenable for just a few
countries to shoulder such a major responsibility. More Member States must
take greater responsibility than they have done so far.
An effective common asylum system
There is still a great deal of disagreement among the Member States over the
design of a new asylum system. But the common asylum and migration
policy must work and the Government therefore welcomes the European
Council’s ambition to swiftly reach an agreement.
The Government will work to ensure that:
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a new common asylum system is introduced in the EU that is more
uniform and distributes people seeking protection in the EU more
evenly; this system needs to include proposals for how to achieve more
legal routes to the EU for protection; all Member States must take
responsibility;
people who do not have the right to stay are returned efficiently and
with legal certainty; each asylum application must be examined
individually; and
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control of the external borders is strengthened; this is a prerequisite if
freedom of movement within the Schengen area is to work.
Migration cooperation with countries outside the EU
One priority for Sweden is to broaden the global division of responsibility
for people in need of protection. This is a prerequisite if the large migration
and refugee flows are to be handled better.
The Government will work to ensure that:
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cooperation continues with priority countries outside the EU to combat
the root causes of people fleeing;
the EU increases support to the countries in the immediate region that
are taking a large responsibility for the refugee situation; the
Government would like to highlight in particular cooperation with
Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and the Western Balkans; and
policy develops the partnerships with countries outside the EU
concerning returns, and combats the root causes of involuntary
migration.
A secure world
EU cooperation plays an important role in protecting our common security.
A neighbourhood characterised by democracy, stability and economic
development is important for the EU’s long-term development and security.
The EU will preserve and protect the European security order, which is still
challenged by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The EU should continue
to develop the Eastern Partnership.
A common security and defence policy that includes effective crisis
management capacity and is able to deal with both external and internal
security is crucial for maintaining the security order in Europe. Several
terrorist attacks over the past year show the need for more resolute and
cohesive EU action. Close cooperation between the EU and the United
States is necessary to tackle the regional and global challenges of our time.
The EU needs to take concerted action for the implementation of the
Global Goals for sustainable development, the 2030 Agenda. Gender
equality and everyone’s right to enjoy their human rights must be an integral
part of the EU’s external action.
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The Government will work to ensure that:
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the EU’s dialogue with Russia is clear and principled, and that support
to Ukraine is strong; the EU’s sanctions against Russia must be upheld
for as long as the reasons for their introduction remain;
the EU maintains the process of creating closer ties with the Western
Balkans and Turkey;
the EU develops conflict prevention and crisis management in the
Middle East and Africa, in cooperation with the UN and regional actors;
and
the implementation of the EU’s global strategy leads to a more proactive
EU that develops civilian and military crisis management capacity and
takes greater global responsibility.
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