From A to Ö

Shares in the same company can carry different voting power, where A-shares weigh more than B-shares. This lets whoever owns the high-voting shares control a company with relatively little capital. The arrangement is common in many large Swedish family-owned listed companies.

A-kassa is short for unemployment insurance fund, associations that pay out compensation to people who have become unemployed. How much is paid and on what terms is governed by national rules, even though the funds are independent. You usually have to have been a member for a while and meet a work requirement to get income-based compensation.

The abortion law (Abortlagen) gives the right to free abortion up to and including week 18 of pregnancy, without any reason needing to be given. After week 18, permission is required, which is assessed by the National Board of Health and Welfare (Socialstyrelsen) and only granted for special reasons. The care itself is provided by the regions, while the rules are decided at the national level.

Agenda 2030 is the UN's seventeen global goals for sustainable development, adopted by the world's countries in 2015. The goals are not binding law, but are used as a shared framework for planning. Many Swedish municipalities and regions weave them into their own governing documents and budgets.

The AI Regulation (AI-förordningen) is the EU's common set of rules for artificial intelligence. It sorts AI systems by risk and sets stricter requirements the greater the risk a system poses to people. Because it is an EU regulation it applies directly in Sweden, and Swedish public agencies carry out supervision.

Active measures (aktiva åtgärder) are the preventive work against discrimination that the law requires. Employers and schools must continuously look into risks, analyse causes and take measures, not just react when something has happened. The work must be documented and can be reviewed by the Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen).

An activity report (aktivitetsrapport) is the monthly account to the Public Employment Service (Arbetsförmedlingen) of what you have done to find a job. In it you fill in which jobs you have applied for and which other activities you have taken part in. If the report is missing, your compensation can be affected, since it is a condition in the system.

Activity support (aktivitetsstöd) is a grant paid out per completed activity, often for children and young people in club and association life. It can come both from the central government and from the municipality (kommun), which adds its own money. The aim is to lower the thresholds so that more people can take part regardless of the family's finances.

The right of public access (allemansrätten) gives everyone the right to move freely in nature, even on someone else's land, as long as you show consideration. It is not a law of its own but a custom framed by several laws, for example on vandalism and the peace of the home. It is a foundation for Swedish outdoor life and nature tourism.

Non-alignment (alliansfrihet) is the line of staying outside fixed military alliances in peacetime in order to be able to stay neutral in war. It was Sweden's official position for a long time. It was abandoned in practice when Sweden applied for NATO membership in 2022.

General preschool (allmän förskola) is free preschool a few hours a week, from the autumn of the year the child turns three. It is for all children, whether or not the parents work. The municipality (kommun) is obliged to offer the place, while the framework is set in national school legislation.

An official document (allmän handling) is a document kept at a public agency that has either arrived there or been drawn up there. Thanks to the principle of public access to official documents (offentlighetsprincipen) you generally have the right to request and read it. Some information can be secret, however, if it is protected by confidentiality.

A public holiday (allmän helgdag) is a day off that is fixed in law by the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament). This includes both church holidays and days such as the first of May and the national day. Which days count affects, among other things, wages, opening hours and public transport.

Public space (allmän plats) is streets, squares, parks and similar areas that, according to the detailed development plan (detaljplan), are for everyone. The municipality (kommun) usually has the responsibility for maintaining them. The fact that an area is public space affects what may be built there and how it may be used.

A public gathering (allmän sammankomst) is for example a demonstration, a meeting or a lecture held for the public. Such gatherings have special protection in the constitution. For larger events in a public place, permission from the Police is usually required.

A commons (allmänning) is a resource that is owned or used jointly rather than by a single individual. Air, water, parks and fishing waters are common examples. Since no one owns them alone, shared rules are needed so that they are not overused.

Public housing (allmännyttan) is municipally owned housing companies whose mission is to contribute to the supply of housing in the municipality (kommun). Since a change in the law they must at the same time be run on business terms, that is, on market conditions. It is the municipality that owns the companies and appoints the board.

The amortisation requirement (amorteringskravet) is the Financial Supervisory Authority's rules for how much of a mortgage you must pay off each year. How much depends on the size of the loan in relation to the home's value and your income. The aim is to reduce households' debts and make the economy less sensitive.

A tender (anbud) is the offer a company submits in a public procurement. It contains the price, the solution and the terms for what the public agency wants to buy. The agency must treat all tenders equally and choose according to the criteria stated in advance.

ANDTS is a collective name for policy on alcohol, narcotics, doping, tobacco and gambling for money. The area spans preventive work, care and supervision. The responsibility is shared between the central government, region and municipality (kommun), each of which has its own tasks.

Notification (anmälan) is here a simpler route to Swedish citizenship than an application. It applies among others to Nordic citizens and certain young people who have grown up in Sweden. The route exists so that those with a strong connection can avoid the more extensive assessment.

An appropriation (anslag) is money that the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) allocates in the central government budget for a specific purpose. Universities, for example, receive appropriations for education and research. How the money may be used is then specified by the Government in the agency's letter of regulation.

The responsibility principle (ansvarsprincipen) means that whoever is responsible for an activity in everyday life is also responsible for it in a crisis. A municipality (kommun) that runs elderly care is thus responsible for it even during a storm or pandemic. The principle is a cornerstone of the whole Swedish crisis preparedness system.

Assignment (anvisning) is the decision on which municipality (kommun) a newly arrived person is to be received in. The central government distributes the reception among the municipalities according to, among other things, size and labour market. The municipality is then obliged to arrange housing during the first period.

The royal apanage (apanage) is the annual appropriation in the central government budget that goes to the royal court. The Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) decides the sum as part of the ordinary budget process. The money is meant to cover the head of state's official duties and the running of the royal palaces.

An API is a technical interface that lets different programs fetch data directly from each other. For a public agency it can mean that information from a database can be read automatically by other systems. Open interfaces make it easier for others to build services on top of public data.

Work-life crime (arbetslivskriminalitet) is crime committed in working life, often several at once. It can involve cheating with taxes, benefits and working conditions in the same setup. Several public agencies cooperate to detect and stop things that are hard to see on their own.

Arm's length distance (armlängds avstånd) is the principle that politics sets the frameworks and allocates money to culture, but does not steer the content. Politicians thus decide on the budget and the mandate, while experts determine what actually receives support. The idea is to protect artistic freedom.

ARN stands for the National Board for Consumer Disputes, a state board that assesses disputes between consumers and companies. The assessment is free and based on written material. The decisions are recommendations, but most serious companies follow them.

Asylum (asyl) is the protection given to a person with grounds for refugee status or other grounds for protection under the law. The Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket) assesses the application, and the decision can be appealed to a court. Whoever is granted asylum receives a residence permit and the right to stay in Sweden.

The waste fee (avfallstaxan) is the charge you pay for the municipality (kommun) to collect your waste. It is decided by the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige) and, under the cost-price principle, may not be higher than what the service costs. How the fee is designed can be used to steer towards more sorting.

The waste hierarchy (avfallstrappan) is the EU's ranking of how waste should preferably be handled. At the top is to prevent and reuse, then recycle, then recover energy and, last, landfill. It steers Swedish legislation and the municipalities' waste plans.

Defector support (avhopparverksamhet) is society's support for people who want to leave a criminal environment. It can involve protected housing, a livelihood and help into a new context. The municipality (kommun) is often the hub and coordinates efforts from the police, social services and others.

Removal (avlägsnande) is the Enforcement Authority's decision that an unauthorised settlement on someone else's land is to be removed. The landowner applies, and the Enforcement Authority (Kronofogden) assesses and carries it out. The rules are meant to weigh the landowner's right against the situation of the people living there.

The balanced-budget requirement (balanskravet) is the rule in the Local Government Act that says municipalities and regions may not plan for a deficit in their budget. This means that revenue must cover costs, and if a deficit nonetheless arises it must be restored within a few years. The rule exists so that municipal finances hold over time and so that costs are not pushed on to future residents.

The best interests of the child (barnets bästa) is the principle that decisions concerning children are to be based on what is best for the child. The principle applies broadly across society, from social services and health care to schools and courts, regardless of whether the decision is made in the municipality, the region or the central government. For a family it means that authorities and decision-makers are to weigh in the child's situation and needs when they decide a matter.

Barnkonventionen (the Convention on the Rights of the Child) is the UN convention on the rights of the child, and it has been Swedish law since 2020. It establishes that children have rights of their own and that the best interests of the child are to be weighed into decisions that concern them. The convention affects how public agencies, municipalities and courts work on matters such as school, care and social services.

An exploitation concession (bearbetningskoncession) is the right to extract a deposit, and it is decided by the Mining Inspectorate (Bergsstaten) under the Minerals Act (minerallagen). Whoever wants to mine ore or other minerals must first apply for such a concession and show that the requirements of the law are met. The assessment exists so that society can weigh the benefit of the extraction against the impact on land, the environment and other interests in the area.

The funeral fee (begravningsavgift) is a fee that everyone registered as a resident pays for funeral services, regardless of faith and membership. It covers, among other things, a grave plot, burial and premises for funerals. The fee exists so that everyone has the right to a dignified funeral, and it is collected via the tax bill so that the cost is shared by all.

Bergsstaten is the public agency that decides on exploration permits and concessions for mines. Anyone who wants to search for or extract minerals must apply to the agency, which assesses whether the requirements are met. Because the decisions sit at central government level, the same rules apply across the whole country, wherever the deposit is found.

A payment default record (betalningsanmärkning) is a note at credit reference companies that payments have been handled poorly, which makes it harder to get loans and sign contracts. The record is registered after an unpaid debt has been handled in a legal step, not at a single late bill. For a private person it can show up when applying for a loan, a rental contract or a subscription, since companies then often take a credit report.

An order to pay (betalningsföreläggande) is the Enforcement Authority's (Kronofogden) quick way of establishing that a debt is to be paid. A creditor who considers it has an unpaid claim can apply to the Enforcement Authority instead of going straight to court. The person who receives the application can contest it, and if the claim is not contested, the Enforcement Authority can decide that the debt is to be paid.

A committee report (betänkande) is the final report from a government inquiry, with proposals that then go out for referral (remiss). The Government often appoints an inquiry to produce a basis for new legislation, and the inquiry's report gathers analysis and proposals in one document. Before anything becomes law, the report is sent out on referral so that agencies and organisations can give their views.

A reconsideration period (betänketid) is the time, as a rule six months, that must pass before a divorce is granted when there are children under 16. During the period the spouses get to think over the decision, and only after that can the court grant the divorce. The person who wants to divorce turns to the district court (tingsrätt), and the reconsideration period applies in order to protect the children during major changes in the family.

The Library Act (bibliotekslagen) is the law that requires every municipality to have a public library where borrowing literature is free of charge. It is the municipality (kommun) that runs the public libraries and is responsible for making them available to residents. The law exists so that everyone, regardless of income, can borrow books and access literature and information.

Assistance (bistånd) is support granted under the Social Services Act after a needs assessment, for example home care. It is the municipality (kommun) that receives the application and examines whether the need gives a right to support. If you think the decision is wrong you can appeal it, which makes assistance something you as an individual meet directly in your contact with your municipality.

An assistance officer (biståndshandläggare) is the municipality's public official who investigates needs and decides on support within elderly care. Whoever needs help applies to the municipality (kommun), and the officer assesses the application based on the rules of the law and makes a decision that can be appealed. At the municipal level the individual meets the assistance officer, often when home help or a place in a care home becomes relevant.

An aid strategy (biståndsstrategi) is the Government's steering document for the aid to a particular country or theme. It sets out the direction and goals for how Swedish aid funds are to be used during a period. The strategies are decided by the Government and then steer the agencies and organizations that carry out the aid in practice.

BNP, bruttonationalprodukten (GDP, gross domestic product), is the value of everything produced in the country during a year. The measure is used to describe how large the economy is and whether it is growing or shrinking. It is tracked by the central government and shapes discussions about the state of the economy and the room for various political investments.

Housing support (boendestöd) is municipal support in the home for those who need help making everyday life work. It is often aimed at people with mental ill health or disability and is about creating structure and routines rather than about cleaning or practical home help. Since it is the municipality (kommun) that decides on and arranges the service, you apply for housing support through the municipality's social services.

Corporate tax (bolagsskatt) is a national tax on companies' profits. It is paid by limited companies and other legal persons on the surplus that remains once costs are deducted. Since it is a national tax, it is the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) that decides the level, and the revenue goes to the central government's shared activities.

The general meeting (bolagsstämman) is the shareholders' meeting, where the board is elected and the biggest decisions are made. The main rule is that one share gives one vote, but different classes of shares can upset that. For municipally owned companies it is the municipality (kommun) that owns and thereby controls the meeting.

Housing supply responsibility (bostadsförsörjningsansvar) is the municipality's statutory duty to plan for housing for its residents. It means that the municipality must create the conditions for everyone to be able to live somewhere, not that it must build every home itself. The responsibility sits at municipal level, and you meet it in the plans and decisions that govern where and how building may take place in the locality.

The Settlement Act (bosättningslagen) makes all municipalities (kommun) obliged to receive newly arrived people who are assigned there. The law exists so that the responsibility for reception is shared between the country's municipalities instead of being gathered in a few. How many people an individual municipality is to receive is decided based on decisions at the national level, and the municipality then arranges the practical reception on the ground.

Lack of accessibility (bristande tillgänglighet) is a form of discrimination under the Discrimination Act and means that reasonable accessibility measures are not taken. It is about a person with a disability being prevented from taking part on equal terms when reasonable adaptations are missing. A citizen can encounter the term in dealings with organisations, and the question can ultimately be tried in court.

A shortage occupation (bristyrke) is an occupation where employers find it hard to find trained staff. The shortage can be due to too few people training for it or to demand for a certain skill growing quickly. Which occupations count as shortage occupations can affect how training places are planned and where measures are directed in the labour market.

The Criminal Code (brottsbalken) is the central law that defines most crimes and their ranges of punishment. It is decided by the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) and applies across the whole country, which means that the same acts are judged equally regardless of where in Sweden they are committed. The courts start from the Code when they decide whether something is a crime and what punishment may follow.

Use value (bruksvärde) is the rent-setting principle which means that the standard and location of the apartment, not demand, should govern the rent. The rent is set through negotiations between property owners and the tenants' organisation, where equivalent apartments are to have similar rents. The principle exists so that rents are not driven up simply because many people want to live in a particular place.

The breakpoint (brytpunkt) is the income threshold where you start paying national income tax of 20 percent on top of the municipal tax. Below the threshold you pay only municipal tax, above it the national part is added on the income above the breakpoint. The threshold is decided at the national level and determines how large a share of a higher salary goes to the state.

Direct heir (bröstarvinge) is the legal term for children and grandchildren, the heirs who always have a right to their statutory share. The statutory share is a part of the inheritance that these heirs are entitled to even if the deceased wrote a will saying otherwise. The rules apply throughout the country and become relevant when an estate is to be divided among the heirs.

Budget and debt counseling (budget- och skuldrådgivning) is free municipal help for those who have become stuck in debt. Every municipality is to offer the counseling, and you turn to your own municipality to book a time. The counselor can help you go through your finances, draw up a plan and, if needed, prepare an application for debt restructuring.

Budgetpropositionen (the budget bill) is the Government's annual proposal for the central government budget, submitted to the Riksdag every autumn. It describes how the central government's income and expenditure are planned for the coming year. The Riksdag considers the proposal and then decides on the budget, which determines how money is allocated between different areas.

BUP stands for child and adolescent psychiatry (barn- och ungdomspsykiatrin), the region's specialist care for young people in poor mental health. Children and young people can come here for assessment and treatment of more serious problems, often after contact with the school, the health centre or by referral. Since health and medical care is a responsibility of the regions, it is also the region that runs and staffs BUP.

A village association (byalag) is a local association that pursues the local area's issues towards the municipality (kommun) and region. The members are often residents of an area who come together to influence things such as roads, services and gathering places. The village association has no decision-making power of its own, but acts as a shared voice when residents want to reach those who govern.

A building permit (bygglov) is the municipality's permission to build, alter or demolish, and it is assessed by the building committee (byggnadsnämnden). Anyone who wants to put up or change a building applies to the municipality, which judges whether the plans match the rules and plans in force. As a citizen you meet the building permit both when you want to build yourself and when you are affected by others' building projects near you.

A listed building (byggnadsminne) is a building with such high cultural-historical value that the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) has given it legal protection. The protection means that the building may not be altered or demolished just any way, and that certain measures require a permit. Since it is the County Administrative Board that decides, the review takes place at the regional state level, and the purpose is to preserve the building for the future.

CAP is the EU's Common Agricultural Policy and governs support and rules for farming across the whole union. It is decided at EU level and is one of the union's oldest and most extensive policy areas. For Swedish farmers it affects which support can be applied for and what conditions apply to crop growing and animal husbandry.

Civil society (civilsamhälle) is associations, religious communities and foundations, that is, everything organised that is neither the state, the municipality nor the market. It is often built on voluntary engagement and membership rather than on profit or public control. Here you meet, for example, sports clubs, religious communities and non-profit organisations, and the public sector often cooperates with them and can give them support.

Civil defence (civilt försvar) is society's ability to protect the civilian population and keep important functions running during crisis and war. The responsibility is shared: municipalities and regions handle local and regional tasks, while the central government holds the whole together. As a citizen you encounter it in the form of preparedness for water, healthcare, warmth, and information when everyday life is thrown out of order.

A cyberattack (cyberangrepp) is an IT attack on systems and data, and it is one of the most common tools used against critical infrastructure. The attacks can be directed at everything from hospitals and power grids to public agencies and companies. They matter because functions vital to society depend heavily on digital systems working and being protected.

The Data Protection Regulation (dataskyddsförordningen) is the EU's rules for how personal data may be collected and used, and is often called GDPR. The rules apply across the whole EU and cover companies, public agencies and associations alike that handle data about people. You meet them when you hand over your data somewhere, and you have the right to know how it is used and to have it corrected.

Delegation means that the council or a committee (nämnd) hands over the right to decide certain matters to someone else, for example a public official. It is done so that decisions that recur often or are more routine can be made faster and closer to the work itself. The body that has delegated keeps the responsibility and can follow up on how the decisions are made.

Disinformation (desinformation) is deliberately false or misleading information, spread in order to cause harm. It differs from inaccuracies that are spread by mistake in that the intent is to mislead. The issue concerns both the individual's source criticism and society's combined ability to withstand influence, and it is handled by several different public agencies.

A destinationsbolag (destination company) is a company, often municipally or regionally owned, that markets and develops a visitor destination. It can work on attracting visitors, coordinating actors within tourism and strengthening the appeal of the place. Since the ownership is often public, the company becomes a way for municipalities and regions to develop the local business community.

Retail monopoly (detaljhandelsmonopol) refers to Systembolaget's statutory sole right to sell strong beer, wine and spirits in shops. It means that no other shop may sell these drinks directly to the consumer, while serving in restaurants is done under other conditions. The monopoly is established by law and is justified by the aim of limiting the harmful effects of alcohol in society.

A detailed development plan (detaljplan) is the municipality's legally binding plan for what may be built in an area. It is produced in a process with public consultation (samråd) where those affected get to submit comments. Once the plan has gained legal force it governs which building permits can be granted.

Detaljplanesamråd is the open stage where anyone can submit views on a draft detailed development plan (detaljplan). It is the municipality (kommun) that draws up the plan and runs the consultation, because it is the municipality that decides how land may be used and built on. For you, if you live near the site or own land close by, the consultation is a chance to make a difference before the plan is finished.

A register of documents (diarium) is a public agency's register of incoming and created documents, and it is often searchable on the web. Cases are entered there so that it is possible to follow what an agency receives and produces. The register is linked to the principle of public access to official documents (offentlighetsprincipen) and makes it possible for anyone to see which documents exist and to request them.

A diaspora is people who live spread out outside their country of origin but who still hold together as a group. The bonds can be kept alive through language, family, religion, associations and contact with the country of origin. For society a diaspora is often visible in cultural life and association life, and it can also matter for relations between countries.

Direct discrimination (direkt diskriminering) means that someone is disadvantaged in a comparable situation because of a protected characteristic. It means a person is treated worse than someone else would have been treated, linked to for example sex, age or origin. A citizen can encounter the term in working life or in dealings with public services, and it is prohibited by law.

Direct support (direktstöd) is a per-hectare payment made to farmers who meet the conditions. The support is part of agricultural policy and is paid to the person who works the land and follows the requirements that have been set. For individual farmers, direct support can be an important part of their income, and it is applied for and handled within the public sector.

Direct procurement (direktupphandling) is a purchase below a certain amount limit that a public agency is allowed to make without advertising it. The method is used by the central government, municipalities, and regions for smaller purchases where a full procurement would take too long. Because the purchase is not advertised, there are still rules about keeping down the risk of arbitrariness and making sure the money is used reasonably.

Discrimination compensation (diskrimineringsersättning) is the sum that a convicted employer or organisation pays to the person affected. The compensation is meant both to make amends to the person subjected to it and to signal that discrimination is not allowed. The matter can be tried in court, and the person who considers themselves discriminated against can get help to pursue their case.

A ground of discrimination (diskrimineringsgrund) is one of the seven characteristics the law protects, for example sex, age or disability. The protection applies in areas such as work, school and trade, so that no one is treated worse because of such a characteristic. The rules are decided at the national level and you can turn to a public agency if you consider yourself discriminated against.

A dispens is an exemption from a ban that is granted only if the special grounds set out in the law are met. The person who wants an exemption applies to the responsible public agency, which examines whether the requirements in the law are met in the individual case. Applying for an exemption is a way for a private individual or a company to be allowed, in exceptional cases, to do something that is otherwise not permitted.

An animal ban (djurförbud) is the County Administrative Board's (Länsstyrelsen) decision that a person may not keep animals. It can be issued if someone has seriously or repeatedly failed in the care of animals. Because the County Administrative Board makes the decision, that is where you turn in matters of animal keeping and supervision in your county.

Djurskyddslagen (the Animal Welfare Act) is the Riksdag's law that animals are to be treated well and protected from unnecessary suffering. It sets requirements for how animals may be kept and cared for, both in animal husbandry and in other contexts. The rules apply across the whole country and are followed up through supervision, so that animals are treated in an acceptable way.

DO stands for the Equality Ombudsman (Diskrimineringsombudsmannen), a government agency with supervision over the Discrimination Act (diskrimineringslagen). The agency works to ensure the law is followed and can investigate reports of discrimination in, for example, working life, schools and public services. As an individual you can turn to DO if you consider yourself to have been discriminated against and want your case examined.

Driftstöd is a central government grant that helps shops in areas with sparse services survive. It is aimed, for example, at rural shops where the customer base is small and distances are long. The grant exists so that people in the countryside too can have access to groceries and other basic services close to home.

E-proposals (e-förslag) are a digital variant where proposals are published openly and other residents can support them. Instead of a proposal being handled on its own, it becomes visible, so that more people can back it. It is used at municipal level as a way for residents to raise ideas, and proposals with enough support can be taken up for political consideration.

An electronic ID (e-legitimation) is your digital identity document and works as the key to nearly all public e-services. With it you can log in and prove who you are when you, for example, contact public agencies, health care or your municipality (kommun) online. It is used at all levels of society and lets matters be handled securely in digital form instead of in person or on paper.

An e-service (e-tjänst) is public service you reach digitally, such as applying for a building permit or a school place on the municipality's website. It lets you handle matters without visiting an office or sending paper. E-services are offered by municipalities, regions and national agencies, and are often the most common way for a citizen to contact the public sector.

Reassessment of tax (efterbeskattning) is a decision by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) to charge, after the fact, tax that was never reported. It can become relevant when income or transactions are discovered that should have been declared but were not. The decision is made by the Tax Agency, and the person affected can usually request a review or appeal.

Leniency (eftergift) means that the company in a cartel that is first to confess and cooperate can avoid the fine. The rule exists to make it worthwhile to expose illegal collaborations from the inside, since cartels are otherwise hard to detect. It is the competition authority that examines the case and decides whether the conditions for leniency are met.

Student health (elevhälsa) is the school's combined team with a nurse, counsellor, psychologist and doctor. It is based at the schools and works both to prevent ill health and to support individual pupils. Pupils meet student health at school, and the work should mainly be focused on supporting pupils' development and learning.

Sweden is divided into four electricity areas (elområden), that is, price areas for electricity, and your electricity price depends on where in the country you live. The division exists because electricity cannot be moved freely between parts of the country, which means supply and demand differ between north and south. For you as a household it shows up in the price on your electricity bill being linked to which area you belong to.

Energy recovery (energiåtervinning) means that waste which cannot be recycled as material is burned and becomes electricity and district heating. In this way the energy in the waste is put to use instead of the resources being lost. The burning takes place in facilities that are part of municipal waste management, and the heat can be used to warm homes and other premises.

An easily remedied obstacle (enkelt avhjälpt hinder) is an obstacle in public environments that by law is to be removed, for example thresholds and heavy doors. It concerns obstacles that can be dealt with without large costs or interventions, so that more people can get around in premises and in places to which the public has access. The responsibility lies with whoever owns or controls the premises or the place.

An enskild väg (private road) is a road that is maintained by property owners or a road association, often with a central government grant. That sets it apart from the public roads and streets that the public sector is responsible for. Many smaller roads in the countryside are private, and those who own or use the road share the responsibility for its upkeep.

The introduction programme (etableringsprogrammet) is the Public Employment Service's (Arbetsförmedlingen) programme for newly arrived people and includes sfi, work placement and job seeking, normally over two years. The aim is for the person to learn Swedish faster, get in contact with working life and be able to support themselves. Since it is run by the Public Employment Service it is a national measure, even though parts such as the language education are done in cooperation with the municipality (kommun).

The EU committee (EU-nämnden) is the body of the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) where the Government anchors its line before meetings of the EU Council of Ministers. So before a minister travels to Brussels to negotiate, the Government has to check its position with the members of the committee. In this way the Riksdag gains insight and influence over what Sweden pursues in the EU, even though the decisions are taken at EU level.

The European Convention (Europakonventionen) is a European convention on human rights that applies as Swedish law. It means that the rights in the convention can be invoked in Sweden and that Swedish decisions may not conflict with it. The convention protects individuals against the state, and it matters for everyone because courts can assess whether the rights have been respected.

Europol is the EU's agency for police cooperation and works as a hub for investigations that stretch across borders. The agency does not carry out its own arrests, but supports the member countries' police with information, analysis and coordination. Since crime often moves between countries, the idea is that the cooperation should make it easier for national police authorities to work together.

Eurostat is the EU's statistical office and collects comparable statistics from all member states. The purpose is that figures on, for example, the economy, population and the environment can be compared between the countries in a reliable way. The statistics are used as a basis when decisions are made at EU level and are public for anyone who wants to access them.

Degree-awarding authorisation (examenstillstånd) is the right to issue a particular degree, something that is examined and can be withdrawn by the central government. An institution must therefore have authorisation to be allowed to award a specific degree, and a national review decides whether the quality requirements are met. For students it means that a degree from an institution with authorisation is formally recognised.

Exclusive competence (exklusiv kompetens) denotes the areas where only the EU may decide, and trade policy is one of them. Within these areas the member countries cannot make their own rules on their own, but the decisions are made jointly at EU level. It means that Sweden takes part in shaping them through the EU's institutions rather than legislating on its own.

F-tax (F-skatt) is an approval from the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) showing that you, as a business owner, pay tax and contributions yourself on what you earn. Whoever hires someone with F-tax therefore does not need to deduct tax or pay employer's contributions on the payment. The approval is therefore a common prerequisite for being able to run a business and invoice customers.

A fibre association (fiberförening) is an association where neighbours join together to build broadband in the countryside. The idea is that residents together arrange the rollout in places where it is otherwise hard to get fast internet. The association is run by the members themselves, and it is an example of how residents can solve infrastructure locally when the market is not enough.

Fiscal policy (finanspolitik) is the steering of the economy by the Riksdag and the Government through taxes and public spending. By raising or lowering taxes and increasing or decreasing spending, the central government can affect demand, employment and how the shared resources are distributed. The decisions are made at the national level, above all in connection with the central government budget, and they affect both household finances and which activities are funded.

The population register (folkbokföring) is the Swedish Tax Agency's (Skatteverket) register of where everyone lives, and it forms the basis for the right to vote, taxation and public services. Where you are registered determines, among other things, which municipality you pay tax to and where you are entitled to services. When you move, you are to report it to the Tax Agency, so that the information is correct.

A folkhögskola (folk high school) is a form of school for adults with its own pedagogy, run by regions or popular movements. It offers, among other things, general and special courses, often with great freedom in how the teaching is arranged. The folk high schools are part of adult education and provide a route to studies or further education.

A local referendum initiative (folkinitiativ) is the option to force a review of a local referendum. If ten percent of those eligible to vote in the municipality (kommun) or region sign, the council must take up the question. The council can, however, vote no to holding the referendum itself.

Folklore records (folkminnen) are stories, customs and expressions that are collected and preserved, among other places in the archives of Isof. They can concern oral traditions, folk beliefs, festivals and everyday life that are documented for the future. The collecting is done so that knowledge of how people have lived and thought is not lost, and the material can be used by researchers and the public.

Formal power is power that follows from laws, elections and offices, and that can be held to account in open ways. Someone who holds a mandate, for example as a minister or a municipal politician, has their authority precisely because it is laid down in rules and decisions. That makes the power open to scrutiny, and means that anyone who abuses it can be held responsible through elections or other checks.

An ancient monument (fornlämning) is a remain from earlier times with automatic protection, and any interference requires the county administrative board's permission. The protection applies without the remain needing a special decision, which means you may not damage it however you like. If someone wants to dig or build where an ancient monument lies, the matter must be assessed by the county administrative board (länsstyrelsen), which is the central government at regional level.

A research bill (forskningsproposition) is the Government's overall proposal on research funding and direction, and it is presented roughly every four years. In it the Government describes how it wants research to be prioritised over the coming years. The proposal is submitted to the Riksdag, which makes the final decisions, and the bill therefore steers the direction of a large part of the centrally funded research.

FRG, the voluntary resource group (frivillig resursgrupp), consists of trained volunteers that the municipality (kommun) can call in during a crisis. The group is a local resource that can help with practical tasks when ordinary operations are not enough. It is activated by the municipality, and the participants are people who have been trained in advance to be able to step in when something serious happens.

An independent group (fri grupp) is a theatre, dance, or music group that is not owned by the public sector but often applies for public support. Unlike institutions run by the central government, a region, or a municipality (kommun), the independent group stands on its own feet but can apply for grants. Such groups are part of cultural life, and decisions about support are made at different levels depending on who provides the funding.

Free pricing (fri prissättning) is the main rule that companies set their own prices, without government approval. The prices are instead governed by what the market is willing to pay and by the competition between companies. You encounter the principle every time you shop, because the seller decides the price themselves rather than an agency setting it.

Free movement (fri rörlighet) is the right of EU citizens to stay in other member states, for three months without conditions. The right is one of the founding ideas of EU cooperation and applies to citizens of all member states. For longer stays, requirements may be imposed, for example regarding work, studies or self-sufficiency.

A free trade agreement (frihandelsavtal) is an agreement that lowers tariffs and other barriers to trade between countries or blocs. The aim is to make it simpler and cheaper to buy and sell goods and services across borders. For Sweden's part, this type of agreement is as a rule negotiated jointly within the EU, since trade policy is handled at EU level.

A friskola is an independent school run by its own responsible authority (huvudman), funded by a school voucher (skolpeng) and open to all. The school voucher is public funding that follows the pupil, which means the teaching is free of charge in the same way as in a municipal school. Independent schools follow the same curriculum and rules as other schools, and a family can choose an independent school instead of the municipal one.

A voluntary defense organization (frivillig försvarsorganisation) is an association that trains volunteers for total defense and is open for anyone to join. The activity is built on the members' own commitment alongside work and studies. Through the training, the associations can contribute skills to both the military and the civil defense if society needs it.

Frivård (probation) is correctional care out in the community: supervision, an electronic tag and conditional sentences instead of, or after, prison. It makes it possible to enforce a sentence without the convicted person being in prison the whole time. Probation is part of the Prison and Probation Service's work and aims, among other things, to reduce the risk of new crimes.

Frontex is the EU's border and coast guard agency, which supports the member states at the external border. The agency helps with surveillance, coordination and joint operations, while responsibility for a country's own border still lies with each country. The reason the cooperation takes place at EU level is that the free movement within the union makes the external border a shared concern.

A disability council (funktionsrättsråd) is a forum in many municipalities and regions where disability associations meet politicians. Here the associations can raise how decisions affect people with disabilities, before the decisions are taken. The council is advisory, but it gives an organised way for those concerned to be heard on matters such as accessibility, care and support.

A merger (fusion) is when two companies join into one, and the deal is assessed by competition authorities if the companies are large. The purpose of the assessment is to make sure the merger does not distort competition on the market. Smaller mergers take place without such assessment, while large ones can require approval before the companies are allowed to combine.

A treaty (fördrag) is a binding agreement between states, and the EU's treaties work as the union's rules of play. They state what the union may do, how decisions are made and which powers lie at EU level and which with the countries. Since a treaty must be approved by all the states concerned, it carries great weight and cannot be changed unilaterally by a single country.

An injunction (föreläggande) is a public agency's demand that something be put right, often with a deadline. It is used when an agency, during a check or inspection, has found a shortcoming that must be corrected. The person who receives an injunction is obliged to comply with it, and different agencies can issue injunctions within their respective areas of responsibility.

A regulation (föreskrift) is a detailed binding rule that a public agency writes with the support of a law. The Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) and the Government (the cabinet) set the overall frameworks, and the agency fills in the details within what the law allows. Regulations are binding, which means they apply in the same way as other rules for those affected.

Business concentration (företagskoncentration) arises when companies merge or are acquired, which above certain sizes must be examined by a competition authority. The examination is meant to make sure that the market is not dominated by too few players in a way that harms competition. Larger deals may therefore need to be approved before they are carried out, so that customers and other companies are not disadvantaged.

A business guide (företagslots) is a municipal function that helps business owners navigate permits and contacts. The guide can coordinate different parts of the municipality so that someone who wants to start or run a business does not have to contact each unit separately. The function exists to make it easier and quicker to get answers in municipal cases.

The first line (första linjen) is health care's first level for mental ill health, most often the health centre or a youth clinic. This is where you turn first, and if needed you can then be referred on to more specialised care. The care is the responsibility of the region, and the first line is meant to be the door that is easy to find your way in through.

A defense decision (försvarsbeslut) is the Riksdag's multi-year decision on the direction, size and finances of the armed forces. Because the decisions apply several years ahead, they create long-term frameworks for how the defense is to be built up and what it may cost. The decision is made at the national level and steers the larger choices, while the agencies are then responsible for carrying it out in practice.

Income support (försörjningsstöd) is the municipality's financial assistance when all other income and assets are exhausted. The social services assess each application individually against a norm for what is reasonable. It is meant as a last safety net, not a lasting income.

Customs clearance (förtullning) is the process when goods are declared, taxed and approved to pass the border. The person who brings goods in or out provides information to the Swedish Customs (Tullverket), which checks and decides whether the goods may pass. Because Sweden is a member of the EU, customs clearance applies primarily to countries outside the EU, while trade within the EU is generally freer.

A förundersökning (preliminary investigation) is the police's and prosecutor's investigation of a suspected crime, before a decision on prosecution. During the investigation, evidence and information are gathered that are meant to show whether a crime has been committed and who may be suspected. The result forms the basis for the prosecutor's decision on whether or not to bring charges.

The Administrative Procedure Act (förvaltningslagen) is the law that gives you the right to help, prompt answers and reasoned decisions from public agencies. It establishes how national and municipal agencies are to handle their cases and treat individuals. As a citizen you encounter the law every time you have contact with a public agency, since it governs how your case is to be handled and how a decision is to be explained.

An administrative area (förvaltningsområde) is municipalities where the right to preschool, elderly care and contact with the authorities in Finnish, Meänkieli or Sami is strengthened. In these municipalities you can, for example, turn to the municipality and get service in the minority language. The arrangement exists to strengthen the national minorities' languages and their right to use them in dealings with the public sector.

The administrative court (förvaltningsrätten) is the court that reviews appealed decisions by public agencies. This is where you appeal, for example, a rejection of a place in an elderly care home or income support. The court can change the decision or send it back to the agency.

Föräldrabalken is the law on custody, parenthood and children's rights within the family. It regulates, among other things, who is a custodian and what responsibility comes with parenthood. The rules are decided at central government level and apply equally across the country, and they come into play in matters concerning children's situation and the relationship between children and parents.

Guarantee pension (garantipension) is a central government basic protection for someone who has had low or no work income during life. It is meant to give a basic level in the finances for the one whose income-based pension turns out small or fails to appear. Since it is a state protection, the rules are decided at the national level, and the pension is paid out by the state to the one who meets the conditions.

GDPR is the EU's data protection regulation and contains the rules for how your personal data may be collected and used. The regulation applies throughout the EU and covers both public agencies and companies that handle data on individuals. It gives you as a citizen rights, for example to learn what data exists about you and in some cases to have it corrected or erased.

The generational goal (generationsmålet) is the Riksdag's (Sweden's parliament) overall objective to hand over a society in which the major environmental problems are solved. It works as a unifying direction for environmental policy and states what the work should lead to in the long run. Because it is decided by the Riksdag, it gives a common direction for efforts at several levels of society.

Geographical area responsibility (geografiskt områdesansvar) is the duty to coordinate all actors within an area, with the municipality (kommun) locally, the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) regionally, and the Government nationally. The idea is that someone always has the responsibility to get agencies, companies, and volunteers to pull in the same direction during a crisis. For you as a resident it means that there is a clear level that holds the work together where you live.

The Gini coefficient (Gini-koefficient) is a statistical measure of how unevenly income is distributed in a country. The measure is expressed as a number: a lower value means more even distribution, a higher value greater differences. It is used by researchers and public agencies to compare countries and to track how income distribution changes over time.

Neighbourhood watch (grannsamverkan) is an organised cooperation between neighbours and the police to prevent crime in the residential area. The idea is that residents keep watch, help each other and share information with one another and with the police. It is voluntary and builds on the residents' own engagement, and is a way to address safety issues at the very most local level.

Granskningsnämnden is a committee (nämnd) at the Swedish Media Authority (Mediemyndigheten) that examines after the fact whether programs have followed the rules, based on complaints that anyone can make. The examination takes place only after a program has been broadcast, and the committee then judges whether the content stayed within the rules that apply. The fact that a private individual can report a program gives the public a way to have broadcasts examined.

Basic research (grundforskning) is research that seeks new knowledge without a requirement of immediate use. It is often carried out at universities and university colleges and aims to understand how things connect, rather than to solve a specific task. The results can in the long run form the basis for new applications, even if the benefit is not given from the start.

Grundlagarna (the fundamental laws) are the four laws that stand above all others and can only be changed through two Riksdag decisions with an election in between. That procedure means changes have to be tested by the voters between the decisions, which gives the fundamental laws strong protection. They regulate how Sweden is governed and set the frames for power and citizens' rights.

A dawn raid (gryningsräd) is the Swedish Competition Authority's (Konkurrensverket) unannounced inspection at a company to secure evidence. It is carried out without warning to prevent documents and information from being removed before the agency arrives. The tool is used when there is suspicion of a breach of the competition rules, and the purpose is to be able to investigate whether companies have cooperated in a way that harms competition.

Gusp is the EU's common foreign and security policy, where decisions most often require that all countries agree. It is about how the union's member states try to act in a coordinated way towards the outside world, for example on sanctions or joint statements. Because foreign policy is sensitive for each state, the countries keep great influence, and a single country can often block a joint decision.

Habilitation (habilitering) is the region's support for developing abilities in someone who has a congenital disability. The support aims to help the person function and take part in everyday life as well as possible. Because the service is run by the regions, you meet it through the region's care and provision, often with several professional groups working together.

A trade barrier (handelshinder) is rules, fees or red tape that make it harder to sell goods and services across borders. It can be customs duties, differing national requirements on products or slow administration. Within the EU an important idea is that such barriers between the member countries should be as few as possible, while trade with countries outside the union is governed by other rules.

An action programme (handlingsprogram) is the municipality's plan for the rescue service and describes risks, capability and response times. It shows how the municipality intends to prevent accidents and what preparedness exists to handle them. The programme is decided by the municipality (kommun) and is a public document that residents can access to see how the rescue service is dimensioned.

Household preparedness (hemberedskap) is what you have at home yourself to manage a week without society's support, according to the advice of MSB (the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap). The idea is that you should be able to manage with, for example, water, food, warmth, and information if everyday life suddenly stops working. Households having their own preparedness relieves the burden on society during a crisis, so that help can first go to those who need it most.

A local heritage society (hembygdsförening) is a non-profit association that cares for local history and local traditions. It is run by the members themselves, often without public steering, and may look after heritage farmsteads, collections, and stories from the area. Anyone in the locality can usually join, and the societies help pass on knowledge about the place between generations.

Secret coercive measures (hemliga tvångsmedel) are wiretapping and surveillance that require legal support and, as a rule, a court decision. They can be used by law enforcement agencies, but only under special conditions and within the limits set by law. The requirement of a court decision exists to weigh the need to investigate crime against the protection of personal privacy.

Home delivery grant (hemsändningsbidrag) is a municipal grant that helps shops deliver goods to residents in the countryside. The grant makes it possible for a rural shop to deliver to customers who have a long way to the store or have difficulty getting there. It is the municipality (kommun) that decides on the support, and the aim is for service and groceries to reach even sparser areas.

Hemvist is the time you have lived permanently in Sweden, and it is one of the requirements for becoming a Swedish citizen. How long you need to have lived in the country is one of several conditions examined in an application for citizenship. The requirement is about a person having a lasting connection to Sweden before citizenship can be granted.

The Home Guard (Hemvärnet) is the Swedish Armed Forces' (Försvarsmakten) local units of volunteers who serve alongside their ordinary jobs. The soldiers are spread across the whole country and can turn out to protect and guard important places. They are part of the Armed Forces and can be called in both during crises and at heightened readiness.

Hindersprövning (examination of impediments to marriage) is the Swedish Tax Agency's check, before the wedding, that there is no legal impediment to the marriage. The check is made at the request of those who are going to marry and has to be completed before the wedding can take place. It is meant to make sure the conditions for entering into marriage are met under the law.

Humanitarian aid (humanitärt bistånd) is emergency help in war and disasters, as opposed to long-term development cooperation. It is about quickly saving lives and relieving distress, for example with food, water, shelter and medical care. Sweden gives such support both directly and through international organisations, and it is governed by principles that the aid is to be impartial and reach those who need it most.

The responsible authority (huvudman) is whoever has the ultimate responsibility for an activity. For the rescue service it is, for example, the municipality (kommun); for an independent school it is its owner. Who the responsible authority is determines where you turn and who can be held to account.

Hybrid threats are hostile acts below the threshold of war, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, influence operations and pressure. They are methods that lie in a grey zone between peace and armed conflict and that can be hard to trace. Countering such threats is a task for several public agencies together, because the attacks can be aimed at anything from essential services to people's trust.

Rent negotiation (hyresförhandling) is a negotiation between a landlord and a tenants' organisation that sets the rent. Instead of each rent being decided on its own, the levels are negotiated collectively for the residents. The result affects what tenants pay, which makes the negotiation important for many who rent their home.

A sustainability report (hållbarhetsredovisning) is companies' reporting of their environmental impact and their social conditions, and it is increasingly governed by requirements from the EU. In it the company is to report how the operation affects the surrounding world, not only how it is doing financially. The purpose is to make the information comparable and accessible, so that the one reviewing a company can see more than just financial figures.

A shelter (härbärge) is emergency overnight accommodation, often run by the municipality (kommun) or a voluntary organisation. It offers a roof over your head for the night to people who otherwise have no home. The accommodation is meant as an emergency solution rather than a permanent home, and it is part of society's support for people in homelessness.

The high-cost ceiling (högkostnadsskydd) is a national cap on what you pay for healthcare, medicine, or care over a period. Once you have paid up to the ceiling, you do not have to pay more for what is covered during the rest of the period. The protection exists so that costs do not become unreasonably high for the individual, and you encounter it when you visit healthcare or collect medicine.

The Higher Education Act (högskolelagen) is the law that governs universities and university colleges and protects the freedom of research. It is decided by the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) and applies to institutions across the whole country, both regarding education and research. The protection of the freedom of research means that researchers themselves may choose questions and methods, which is a foundation for knowledge to be tested freely.

A non-profit association (ideell förening) is a democratically governed body without a profit motive. It is the basic form for sports and cultural life, where the annual meeting is the highest decision-making body. The association can apply for municipal and central government grants for its activities.

The inflation target (inflationsmål) is the Riksbank's goal that prices should rise by around 2 percent per year. The Riksbank tries to reach the target through its monetary policy, among other things by steering the interest rate. A stable and predictable price level is considered to make it easier for households and companies to plan their finances.

Information influence (informationspåverkan) is systematic attempts by foreign actors to mislead with false or skewed information. It is about deliberately spreading content meant to shape opinion or create division in society. For you as a citizen it shows up in the flow of information, and being source-critical is a way to resist this kind of influence.

Informal power is influence exercised through networks, money, knowledge or control over agendas, without any formal mandate. Unlike formal power, which follows from an elected position or an assignment, it does not show up in organizational charts and decision records. It can still affect which issues are raised and how decisions are prepared, both in politics and in society more broadly.

An infrastructure bill (infrastrukturproposition) is the Government's proposal to the Riksdag on the financial frameworks for the transport system. In it, the Government sets out how much money is to be invested and with what direction over a longer period. The Riksdag then takes a position on the proposal, and the frameworks thereafter steer the planning of roads, railways and other infrastructure.

Inkomstutjämning (income equalisation) is the part of the equalisation that lifts municipalities and regions with weak tax capacity towards the national level. The aim is for residents to be able to get equivalent services regardless of how large the tax revenue of their own municipality or region is. It is part of the system that distributes resources between the country's municipalities and regions.

An incubator (inkubator) is an operation that helps young companies with advice, premises and contacts. The idea is for newly started companies to receive support during a sensitive start-up phase and to be able to grow and stand on their own faster. Incubators are run in various forms, often linked to universities or regional development work, and they matter for new ideas being able to become viable companies.

Internal border control (inre gränskontroll) is temporary checks at a border within the Schengen area, which a government can reintroduce in the event of serious threats. Normally you can travel freely between the Schengen countries without passing through border control. The option to check the internal borders temporarily exists as an exception when a country judges that public order or security is under threat.

The internal market (inre marknaden) is the EU's common market with free movement of goods, services, capital and people. The idea is that these should be able to move between the member states without unnecessary obstacles, as if the countries were a single market. It affects everyday life by making trade easier and the possibility of working, studying or running a business in other member states.

Response time (insatstid) is the time from a call coming in until the help is on the scene. It is used as a measure of how quickly society's emergency services can reach the place when something happens. The response time is affected among other things by distance and where the resources are placed, and it is therefore important when those responsible plan where stations and personnel should be.

The deposit guarantee (insättningsgaranti) is a state protection that compensates your savings up to a set amount if the bank goes under. It exists so that ordinary savers do not lose their money if a bank can no longer pay it back. The protection applies automatically to savings accounts at affiliated banks, and a citizen does not have to apply for it.

Internal control (internkontroll) is an organisation's own routines for detecting errors, fraud, and risks in time. It is about how an operation itself follows up that money and decisions are handled correctly, before problems have time to grow. Public agencies, municipalities, and regions all use internal control to prevent mistakes and irregularities in their own operations.

The investment budget (investeringsbudget) is the part of the municipality's budget that goes to buildings and facilities, and it is decided by the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige). It differs from ongoing operating costs by being about things that are used over many years, for example schools, roads, or sports facilities. Because the council is elected, it is ultimately the residents who, through the election, influence how this money is prioritised.

An investment company (investmentbolag) is a company whose business is to own and steer other companies, often a hub in a sphere of ownership. Through its ownership, an investment company can influence how the underlying companies are run and what decisions they make. Such companies can therefore gather significant influence over a large part of the business sector.

An objection (invändning) is a formal protest against a granted patent or trademark, and it is open to anyone. It gives an opportunity to argue that the protection should not have been granted, for example because something similar already existed. The objection is examined by the public agency that handles the registration, and works as a check that exclusive rights are handed out on the right grounds.

IVO stands for Inspektionen för vård och omsorg, the Health and Social Care Inspectorate, and is the central government's supervisory authority over health and social care. The agency checks that activities in the field follow the laws and requirements that apply, and can intervene when shortcomings are found. A private individual can turn to IVO with complaints about health or social care, and the agency supervises both public and private providers.

JO is the Parliamentary Ombudsman (Justitieombudsmannen), who examines whether public agencies treat citizens correctly. The ombudsmen are appointed by the Riksdag and are independent of the Government and the administration. As a private individual you can report a public agency or a public official to JO if you consider that you have been treated incorrectly.

A JO-anmälan (complaint to the Parliamentary Ombudsman) is a cost-free way to get the Parliamentary Ombudsman (Justitieombudsmannen) to review how a public agency has treated you. The Parliamentary Ombudsman is the Riksdag's check that agencies and civil servants follow laws and rules. Anyone can file a complaint, and the review can lead to criticism of the agency, even if it does not change the decision itself.

Unit price (jämförpris) is the price per kilo or litre that shops must display so that you can compare goods. It makes it easier to see what something actually costs, regardless of how large the package is. The requirement is in consumer legislation and aims to strengthen the buyer's position by making prices clear and comparable on the shop shelf.

Gender mainstreaming (jämställdhetsintegrering) means weighing gender equality into every decision in an organisation, instead of handling the issue on a side track. The idea is that the consequences for women and men should be considered continuously in ordinary operations, not only in special projects. The approach is used in public administration so that gender equality has an effect on the decisions that are actually made.

A conflict of interest (jäv) is when a decision-maker has a personal stake in the matter and therefore may not take part in the decision. The rule exists so that decisions are made on the merits and are not influenced by personal ties or private gain. A conflict of interest can arise at every level, in the municipality, the region and the central government, and anyone affected by one must hand the case over to someone else.

Waiting period (karens) is the time or the amount at the start of a sick period that you cover yourself. It means that the compensation does not start from the very first moment, but that a part of the cost or the loss of income is borne by the individual. Waiting periods occur in several parts of the social safety net, and the rules for how it is counted are decided at the national level.

A cartel (kartell) is an illegal cooperation on prices or market sharing between companies that should really be competing. Instead of competing, the companies secretly agree on, for example, what prices are to apply or how the market is to be divided up. Such cooperation is prohibited because it harms competition and can lead to higher prices for consumers.

The Climate Act (klimatlagen) is a Swedish law that requires every government to steer policy towards the Riksdag's (Sweden's parliament) climate goals. It therefore binds the Government regardless of which parties are in power, so that the direction stays fixed over time. In this way the ongoing work of the Government is linked to the long-term goals that the Riksdag has decided.

The Climate Policy Council (klimatpolitiska rådet) is an independent expert council that each year examines whether the Government's policy is enough for the set goals. The council makes no decisions of its own but submits an overall assessment that the Government and the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) can take part of. The examination makes it easier for the public and decision-makers to see whether the measures are in line with the goals.

Clinical research (klinisk forskning) is research carried out in healthcare, with patients, often at the university hospitals. It can involve testing new treatments, medicines or methods under carefully regulated conditions. The research is important because it ties new knowledge together with the care that patients actually receive.

To codify (kodifiera) means to write an already established practice or norm into law. It is thus about turning something that is already applied into a written rule that applies to everyone. The decision to codify is taken at the level that enacts laws, and it makes a previously unwritten order clearer and more predictable.

Kolada is an open database where you can compare all municipalities and regions using thousands of key figures. Because the data is freely available, anyone can follow how different municipalities and regions perform in areas such as finances, schools and care. The database makes it possible for residents, journalists and decision-makers to compare activities and see the development over time.

A collective agreement (kollektivavtal) is an agreement between a trade union and an employer on wages and conditions, and it forms the core of the Swedish model. Instead of the central government deciding the wages, the parties on the labor market agree on them. The agreements regulate things such as pay, working hours and other conditions for the employees who are covered.

Kommunal tillstyrkan (municipal approval) is the requirement that the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige) say yes before onshore wind power can be granted a permit. It gives the municipality a decisive influence over whether such facilities can be built within the municipality's borders. The requirement means the local level is weighed into the review of onshore wind power.

Municipal equalisation (kommunal utjämning) is the system that moves money between municipalities (kommuner) with different tax capacity and needs. The purpose is for residents to be able to receive comparable services regardless of how rich or poor their municipality is. Since municipalities differ in tax base, age structure and costs, the equalisation is meant to even out the conditions so that the differences in welfare do not become too large.

The municipal veto (kommunala vetot) is the right of the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige) to say no to wind power: without the municipality's approval no permit is granted. It means that an expansion of wind power in practice requires the municipality to stand behind it. The veto gives the locally elected representatives influence over whether such installations may be built within the municipality's borders.

A local government association (kommunalförbund) is several municipalities running an operation together, which is common for the rescue services. By cooperating, the municipalities can handle tasks jointly instead of each on its own. The association is governed by the participating municipalities, and it is used when an operation becomes more efficient or robust if several join forces.

Municipal tax (kommunalskatt) is the income tax to the municipality (kommun) and the region, and the rate is stated on the pay slip and decided by the council. It is the main source of income for what the municipality and the region are responsible for, such as school, social care and health care. Since each council decides on its own tax rate, the municipal tax can differ between different municipalities and regions in the country.

Municipal self-government (kommunalt självstyre) is the constitutionally established right of municipalities and regions to manage their own affairs and levy their own tax. It means that locally elected politicians, not the central government, make many decisions about services close to residents. The self-government is framed by laws that the Riksdag decides, but still gives considerable local room to act.

The municipal council (kommunfullmäktige) is the highest decision-making body of the municipality (kommun) and is elected in the municipal election every four years. This is where the big decisions about the municipality are made, for example the budget and overall goals. Because you elect the members directly in the election, the council is your most direct channel for influencing how the municipality is governed.

Komvux is municipal adult education, with courses at compulsory-school and upper-secondary level for adults. The education is arranged by the municipalities and is aimed at those who need to supplement earlier studies or gain eligibility later in life. It gives a second chance to acquire the knowledge required for further studies or to strengthen one's position in the labour market.

A group of companies (koncern) is a group of companies under the same owner, often with subsidiaries in several countries. A parent company then owns and steers the other companies, which are called subsidiaries. The group form makes it possible to coordinate operations and ownership across several companies and sometimes across several countries' borders.

Competition damages fee (konkurrensskadeavgift) is the fee companies have to pay to the state for breaches of the competition rules. It can become relevant when a company has, for example, made an arrangement in advance with competitors or abused a dominant position. The fee is examined in court and works as a sanction meant to deter from putting competition out of play.

A founding meeting (konstituerande möte) is the first meeting, where the statutes are adopted and the first board is elected. At this meeting the association is formally created and is given the rules and the leadership that are to govern its work. The meeting is held within civil society when people come together to start an association, and it decides who is to represent it going forward.

Konsultationsordningen is the law that requires the central government, and now also municipalities and regions, to consult Sami representatives in matters that concern the Sami. The purpose is for the Sami, as an indigenous people, to be able to have their say before decisions are made in cases that affect them. The obligation thus applies to several levels of the public sector, not only the central government.

Konsumentombudsmannen (the Consumer Ombudsman) is the head of the Swedish Consumer Agency (Konsumentverket) and can take consumers' cases against companies to court. The role means representing consumers' interests and watching over whether companies follow the rules in the market. As a representative of the authority, the ombudsman can act on matters that concern many consumers.

A contact family (kontaktfamilj) is a voluntary service in which a child regularly stays with another family as support. It can give the child security, variety and adult role models, and at the same time relieve their own parents. The service is arranged and granted by the municipality's (kommun) social services, and it is based on willingness both from the family that receives the child and from those who apply for the support.

Counter-espionage (kontraspionage) is the work of detecting and stopping other countries' spies in Sweden. It is about protecting sensitive information, operations and people against foreign powers' intelligence gathering. The task is part of security work and is carried out by public agencies responsible for national security.

A convention is an international agreement between states, binding on the countries that ratify it. To ratify means that a country formally undertakes to follow the agreement. Conventions are concluded at the inter-state level and become a way for countries to agree on common rules, for example in areas where cross-border cooperation is needed.

A catering unit (kostenhet) is the municipality's (kommun) organisation for the food in schools, preschools and social care. It plans menus, cooks and delivers meals and is responsible for the food keeping a good standard. Since it is a municipal operation it is governed locally, and for many residents the catering unit is what lies behind the food in the municipal school or elderly care.

Cost equalisation (kostnadsutjämning) is a redistribution based on factors that municipalities cannot influence, such as age structure and geography. The idea is that a municipality with many elderly residents or long distances should not be disadvantaged compared with others. The system is part of how the central government tries to give municipalities more equal conditions to offer services wherever in the country they are located.

Dietary advice (kostråd) is the Swedish Food Agency's (Livsmedelsverket) scientifically based advice on what we should eat. The advice is based on a combined review of research and is intended as guidance, not as binding rules. You often encounter it in information about healthy food, and it can also be used as support when meals are planned within the public sector.

Creative Europe (Kreativa Europa) is the EU's programme for support to culture, film, and the creative sectors. The money is allocated at EU level and can be applied for by actors in the member countries, often for cross-border collaborations. For Swedish cultural creators and organisations, the programme is a route to funding that complements the support available nationally and locally.

A crisis management committee (krisledningsnämnd) is a municipal committee (nämnd) that can take over decisions from other committees during a serious crisis. It makes it possible to make quick decisions when an event is so extensive that the ordinary organisation is not enough. The committee steps in during extraordinary events and then hands back responsibility once the situation has returned to normal.

The culture and leisure committee (kultur- och fritidsnämnd) is the municipal committee that most often is responsible for sports facilities and grants to associations. It handles matters concerning culture, sport and leisure at the local level, within the frames decided by the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige). The members are politically appointed, and the committee is often the part of the municipality that the association sector has the closest contact with.

Cultural heritage (kulturarv) is the traces of history that society has chosen to preserve, such as buildings, traditions and stories. What counts as cultural heritage is the result of choices made over time about what is considered worth passing on to coming generations. It is managed by both public actors and private individuals, and it shapes how society's history and identity are understood.

Kulturmiljölagen, the Historic Environment Act, is a central government law that protects ancient remains, listed buildings and ecclesiastical cultural heritage. It establishes that certain remains and environments have a value that is to be preserved for the future. Supervision and decisions under the law are handled above all by the County Administrative Boards (Länsstyrelserna), where you turn in matters concerning protected cultural environments.

A kulturplan (cultural plan) is the region's multi-year plan for culture, drawn up in consultation and the basis for how the funds are allocated. It describes the region's priorities and becomes a basis when central government and regional culture money is to be allocated. Since the plan is drawn up in consultation, different actors in cultural life get a chance to influence its direction.

The cultural cooperation model (kultursamverkansmodellen) is the system where the central government gives each region a pot of culture money. The region then distributes the money further according to its own regional culture plan, drawn up in dialogue with municipalities and cultural life. The model moves part of the power over culture from the central government to the regions.

A quota refugee (kvotflykting) is a refugee who is selected in cooperation with the UN's refugee agency and who is granted their permit before the journey to Sweden. It means that the person is selected and granted a residence permit before arrival, as opposed to someone who applies for asylum once in the country. How many are received in this way is decided by the central government within the framework of Swedish refugee policy.

Source protection (källskydd) is the right to stay anonymous when you give information to the media, together with the ban on public agencies investigating who the source is. It means that journalists may not reveal who tipped them off, and that the public sector may not find out who the source is. The protection exists so that people dare to give information about wrongdoing without risking consequences.

Laga kraft means that a decision can no longer be appealed and therefore takes effect for real. As long as the time for appeal is running, the decision can still be changed, but after that it stands. The concept is important because it determines when a decision can actually be carried out, and you meet it in decisions from both municipalities and public agencies.

A judicial review of legality (laglighetsprövning) is the right of municipal members to have the legality of a municipal decision reviewed in the administrative court (förvaltningsrätt). The review concerns whether the decision was made in the right way and stays within the municipality's (kommun) powers, not whether it is appropriate. The one who is a member of the municipality can request such a review, which is a way to check that the municipality follows the rules.

Landsting is the old name for the regions, and the change of name was completed in 2020 while the task with healthcare at its centre is the same. The term still appears in older texts and in everyday speech. It refers to the elected level between municipality and central government that is mainly responsible for health and medical care in the county.

LAS is the Employment Protection Act (lagen om anställningsskydd), in other words the rules for employment and dismissal. The law states, among other things, what applies to different forms of employment and how a dismissal may be carried out. It is decided by the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) and affects both employers and employees in the Swedish labour market.

A lay supervisor (lekmannaövervakare) is a private individual who, on behalf of the probation service, supports a convicted person during the supervision period. The assignment is voluntary and means being available as a fellow human being alongside the probation service's own staff. The aim is for the convicted person to get support to live a law-abiding life and find their way back to a functioning life after the sentence.

Food control (livsmedelskontroll) is the municipality's unannounced inspections of kitchens and shops, coordinated by the Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket). The inspectors check, among other things, hygiene, handling and labelling so that the food is safe to eat. The control is carried out locally by the municipality but follows common rules, so that it works in a similar way across the whole country.

Local public order regulations (lokala ordningsföreskrifter) are the municipality's own rules for order in public places, for example about alcohol or dogs. They make it possible to adapt what applies in squares, parks and other public spaces to local conditions. It is the municipality (kommun) that decides on them, and you meet them in everyday life through what is allowed and forbidden in places where people move around.

A local police area (lokalpolisområde) is the smallest geographic unit of the Police (Polismyndigheten) and the one that works closest to residents. The division lets the police adapt their work to the conditions in a particular place and cooperate with those who live and work there. It is often through the local police area that a resident encounters the work of the police in their own municipality or city district.

LOU stands for lagen om offentlig upphandling (the Public Procurement Act) and contains the rules for how the public sector buys goods and services. The law is meant to make sure tax money is used well and that different suppliers can compete on equal terms. It applies when municipalities, regions and central government agencies procure what they need for their operations.

LSS is lagen om stöd och service till vissa funktionshindrade (the Act on Support and Service for Persons with Certain Disabilities) and gives the right to, among other things, personal assistance and guide service. It is aimed at people with certain disabilities and is meant to give them the chance to live like others. The support is decided after review, and the municipality has a central role in providing the services.

LVM stands for the Act on the Care of Substance Abusers (lag om vård av missbrukare) and concerns compulsory care that the social welfare committee (socialnämnden) applies for and that the administrative court (förvaltningsrätten) decides on. It can become relevant when someone, because of substance abuse, exposes their own health or safety to serious danger and cannot be reached by voluntary care. Since it concerns care without consent, the decision is placed with a court as a guarantee of legal certainty.

LVU is the act with special provisions on the care of young people, that is, the compulsory care of children, and decisions on such care are taken by a court. The law can be used when a child is being harmed and the necessary care cannot be given voluntarily. The fact that a court decides is a safeguard for legal certainty, because compulsory care is a major intrusion into the life of the child and the family.

A local crime picture (lägesbild) is the municipality's (kommun) mapping of local crime, and it has been a legal requirement since 2023. By gathering knowledge about the situation, the municipality can see which problems exist and where they arise. The local crime picture is produced at the municipal level and is used as a basis for planning work against crime, often together with the Police (Polismyndigheten).

A county plan (länsplan) is the region's plan for how central government money for regional roads and cycle paths is to be used. In it the region prioritises which investments in the county are to be carried out over the coming years. Since the money comes from the state but is allocated regionally, the county plan is a link between national resources and the local needs that exist in the county's transport system.

The County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) is the central government's regional agency in each county and in practice handles much of environmental protection. It represents the central government at regional level and has tasks in a range of areas, from environment and nature to community planning and preparedness. A citizen can encounter the County Administrative Board, for example, with permits, supervision or appeals within its areas of responsibility.

A curriculum (läroplan) is the national governing document that states the school's goals, fundamental values, and content. It is decided at the national level and applies to the schools in the country, so that education rests on a common foundation. For pupils and parents, the curriculum is what describes what the school should work towards and which values it should be built on.

A higher education institution (lärosäte) is a collective term for universities and university colleges. The term is used to talk about these education and research environments as a group, whether they are called a university or a university college. Higher education institutions are responsible for higher education and research, and this is where you apply for studies after upper secondary school.

Pay survey (lönekartläggning) is the employer's annual review of pay differences between women and men, a requirement in the Discrimination Act. The purpose is to detect, remedy and prevent unjustified differences in pay. The review is carried out at every workplace and must be done whether the employer is private or public.

A seat (mandat) is a place in the Riksdag or a council, and the places are distributed proportionally according to the votes. It means a party gets shares of the places in proportion to how large a part of the votes it received. In this way your vote in an election is turned into representation, and the number of seats determines how much influence each party gets in the elected assembly.

A land and environment court (mark- och miljödomstol) is a court that examines environmental permits, plans and water matters. Cases can reach it both as applications for permits and as appeals against decisions concerning land, the environment and water. The court decides disputes and permit questions in the field, and its rulings can matter for private individuals, companies and municipalities alike.

A markanvisning (land allocation) is the municipality's notice that a developer may negotiate to build on municipal land. It gives the developer an exclusive right, for a period of time, to discuss the terms of a project on the land. Since this concerns land that the municipality owns, it is the municipality that decides who gets a land allocation and on what terms.

A markupplåtelse (land-use permit) is a permit to use the municipality's land, for example for an outdoor seating area or a sign. It is required when someone wants to take public land for a particular purpose. The municipality reviews the application, and the permit regulates how and for what period the land may be used.

A food council (matråd) is a forum at many schools where pupils get to have their say about the school meals. Here pupils and staff can discuss the food, give feedback and take part in influencing the offering. The councils give young people influence over their everyday life at school and create dialogue between the pupils and those who cook and plan the food.

Maxtaxa is the cap on what preschool and after-school care may cost a family, tied to a central government system. It means that the fee may not rise above a certain level, regardless of what a place actually costs to run. The system exists so that childcare is affordable for families, and the municipalities apply the cap within the framework the central government has set.

MBL stands for the Co-determination Act (medbestämmandelagen), which gives the union the right to information and negotiation before important decisions. It means that an employer must inform and negotiate with the union before decisions that concern the operations or the employees. The law applies in working life and matters for how employees, through their union organisation, can take part and have influence at the workplace.

A citizen dialogue (medborgardialog) is the municipality's (kommun) or the region's organised conversation with the residents outside the formal decisions. It can take place through, for example, meetings, consultations or surveys and is used to capture views ahead of an issue. The dialogue does not replace the decisions that elected officials make, but lets residents make their voice heard between the elections.

A citizen's proposal (medborgarförslag) is the right in many municipalities to submit your own proposal directly to the council. There is often no age limit, so young people can use it too. Each municipality (kommun) decides for itself whether it offers the option and how the proposals are handled.

A citizen pledge (medborgarlöfte) is a concrete commitment from the police and the municipality, built on dialogue with residents. It is based on what those who live in a place experience as important for safety, and sets out what the police and municipality promise to do about it. The pledge is local and is followed up, so that residents can see whether what was promised is carried out.

A citizenship ceremony (medborgarskapsceremoni) is a statutory welcome for new citizens that every municipality (kommun) arranges at least once a year. The ceremony marks that a person has become a Swedish citizen and is a symbolic welcome rather than a step in the application itself. That it is statutory means that all municipalities are obliged to arrange it.

Co-financing (medfinansiering) is the requirement that whoever receives EU support or project funding also contributes their own money or working time. The idea is that the recipient should have their own commitment to the project and not rely solely on the grant. The requirement often applies to municipalities, regions, companies and organisations that apply for support, for example for measures within infrastructure or development.

Media support (mediestöd) is state support distributed by the Swedish Agency for the Media (Mediemyndigheten) to secure journalism across the whole country. The support can go to media in places where it would otherwise be hard to make the operation viable. The idea is that people across the whole country should have access to independent news reporting.

Interpersonal trust (mellanmänsklig tillit) is the trust between people who do not know each other, and it is often measured with the question of whether people in general can be trusted. It is thus about how much basic security people feel towards strangers in society. High such trust tends to make it easier to cooperate, do business and solve shared problems, and it is therefore seen as important for how a society works.

A migration court (migrationsdomstol) is an administrative court (förvaltningsrätt) that examines appealed decisions from the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). A person who has received a decision in a migration case and is not satisfied can appeal, and the court then makes a fresh examination of the case. In this way the migration court acts as a check that decisions on matters such as residence permits and citizenship are correct.

Mikrodata (microdata) are individual-level records that are protected by confidentiality but can be made available for research under strict conditions. Unlike compiled statistics, they describe individual people or objects. Researchers can gain access to the records after review, and the data are then handled in a way that protects the individual's privacy.

Miljöbalken (the Environmental Code) is the consolidated Swedish environmental law that governs permits for activities that affect the environment. It brings together rules on how land, water and nature may be used and what is required of anyone who runs an activity. The code is used in the review and supervision of everything from industries to smaller operations with an environmental impact.

The environmental assessment delegation (miljöprövningsdelegationen) is the part of the County Administrative Board (Länsstyrelsen) that decides on environmental permits for larger facilities. It assesses whether an activity can be allowed and what conditions are then to apply to protect people and the environment. The fact that the assessment lies at the regional level with the County Administrative Board allows local conditions to be taken into account while the decisions follow the shared environmental legislation.

An environmental permit (miljötillstånd) is a permit that larger operations must hold, and it is assessed by a county administrative board (länsstyrelse) or a land and environment court. The assessment concerns operations that can affect the environment more significantly, for example certain industry. Through the permit, conditions are set for how the operation may be run, so that the impact on surroundings and nature is kept within acceptable limits.

Environmental supervision (miljötillsyn) is the municipality's (kommun) check that farms follow the environmental rules, for example for manure. Through the supervision it is examined that the operation does not harm the environment more than the rules allow. The check is carried out at the municipal level, and it works as a way to make sure that established rules are actually followed in practice.

A low-emission zone (miljözon) is an area where the municipality (kommun) limits which vehicles may drive, in order to protect the air. By keeping certain vehicles away, the municipality wants to reduce emissions where many people spend time. Since it is the municipality that decides, the rules can look different in different places, and residents meet them above all in larger urban areas.

Ministerial interference (ministerstyre) is when a minister tries to direct an individual decision by a public agency, which is prohibited in Sweden. The agencies are to make decisions in individual cases independently, without a minister getting involved. The Government instead steers the agencies in an overarching way, through laws, the budget and general assignments, not by deciding the individual case.

The Minorities Act (minoritetslagen) is the law on national minorities and minority languages, with rights across the whole country and strengthened rights in administrative areas. It gives the national minorities a basic protection everywhere, while certain municipalities and regions that are part of an administrative area have extended obligations. The law is decided by the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) and concerns, among other things, the right to use your language in dealings with the public sector.

Mother tongue tuition (modersmålsundervisning) is a school subject for pupils who speak another language at home, with a stronger right for the minority languages. The tuition is arranged by the municipality and aims to strengthen the pupil's language alongside Swedish. That the national minority languages have stronger protection means that the right to tuition in them carries more weight.

VAT (moms), or value added tax, is the national tax included in almost every price you pay. The tax is added to goods and services at several stages and paid to the state by the companies. Since VAT is included in the price, you encounter it every time you shop, even though it rarely appears as a separate item.

Monopoly (monopol) is when a single actor controls a whole market, which is sometimes forbidden and sometimes decided by the state. In some cases it is seen as harmful to competition and is counteracted, in others the state has deliberately chosen to give an actor exclusive rights in an area. The difference lies in whether the sole position arises on its own or is a political decision with a set purpose.

A motion is a proposal, either from a member of the Riksdag or from a member inside a party or an association. By submitting a motion, a person who has the right of initiative can bring an issue forward for consideration and decision in the assembly concerned. Motions are therefore one of the most common ways to raise new issues, both in the Riksdag and in association life.

Resilience (motståndskraft) is society's ability to withstand and recover from attacks and crises. It is about both coping with a strain when it hits and being able to come back afterwards. The ability is built up by many actors together, from the central government and the municipalities to companies and individuals.

MUCF, Myndigheten för ungdoms- och civilsamhällesfrågor (the Swedish Agency for Youth and Civil Society), allocates central government grants to organisations. The agency works on matters concerning young people and civil society and produces knowledge in the field. Through the grants, associations and organisations receive financial support for their activities.

Multilateral aid (multilateralt bistånd) is aid that goes through international organisations such as the UN instead of directly between two countries. The money is then channelled through organisations that work globally, which can give breadth and coordination that a single country has difficulty achieving on its own. Sweden chooses how the aid is to be divided between this form and support given directly to a recipient country.

Must is the military intelligence and security service and is part of the Swedish Armed Forces. Its work is about giving the Government and the armed forces a basis on threats and conditions in the outside world, and protecting its own operations. Because Must belongs to the Armed Forces, its focus is mainly tied to the military defence and national security.

A bribe (muta) is an improper benefit that is given or received in order to influence how someone carries out their assignment. It can be money, gifts or other advantages that aim to steer a decision in an impermissible way. The ban on bribes applies broadly in society and exists so that assignments are carried out impartially and trust in the operation is preserved.

A public agency (myndighet) is an independent part of the state that applies laws and makes decisions in individual cases. Agencies handle what the Riksdag and the Government have decided, but settle the individual cases on their own based on the rules in force. The citizen meets an agency when a case is to be examined, for example an application, a permit or a decision that concerns the individual.

A joint agency initiative (myndighetsgemensam satsning) is a cooperation in which the police and a range of control agencies tackle organised crime together. The idea is that several agencies, by coordinating their tools, get further than each one on its own. The cooperation targets criminal schemes that span several areas, where different agencies can contribute their respective powers.

Design protection (mönsterskydd) is protection for the appearance and form of a product, and is also called design rights. It therefore protects how something looks rather than how it works technically. For the person who has created a design, the protection means that others may not freely use the same appearance, and it is part of intellectual property law.

Enlistment assessment (mönstring) is the screening of young people ahead of military service, carried out by the Swedish Defence Conscription and Assessment Agency (Plikt- och prövningsverket). At the assessment, health and ability are evaluated to decide who is suitable for military service. It is part of the system meant to ensure that the defence can be staffed, and the summons comes from the agency.

Freedom of assembly (mötesfrihet) is a constitutionally protected right to gather and demonstrate in public places. It makes it possible to express opinions together with others, for example through meetings and demonstrations. The right is part of the freedoms and rights that protect public discourse, but it can be limited by law under certain conditions.

The Narcotic Drugs Punishments Act (narkotikastrafflagen) is the law that makes all dealing with narcotics punishable, including personal use. It means that not only sale and possession are forbidden, but also using narcotics. The law is decided at the national level and applies throughout the country, and it is the basis for how drug crime is handled in the justice system.

The national minorities (nationella minoriteter) are Jews, Roma, Sami, Sweden Finns and Tornedalers, groups with a long history in Sweden and a special protection in law. The protection exists so that their languages and cultures can be preserved and developed over time. Among other things, it means that the public sector has a responsibility to safeguard the minorities' ability to use their language and pass on their culture.

The national plan (nationell plan) is the central government's twelve-year plan for railways and national roads, and it is decided by the Government. The plan sets out which investments are to be made in the transport system during the period. It is drawn up using input from the responsible agencies and then governs which projects are carried out on the railways and the national roads.

The nationell säkerhetsstrategi (national security strategy) is the Government's consolidated document on the threats to Sweden and how they are to be met. It describes how various risks and threats are connected and sets out the direction for the security work. The strategy becomes a shared basis for how the central government views and handles the country's security.

The national vaccination programmes (nationella vaccinationsprogrammen) are the vaccinations offered to everyone in a certain group and decided by the Government. They include vaccines considered important for public health, for example those given within child healthcare and school. Since the offer applies to whole population groups, the programmes are a tool for protecting many against serious diseases and preventing infection from spreading.

A national minority language is Finnish, Yiddish, Meänkieli, Romani Chib or Sami, that is, languages with statutory protection. The protection means, among other things, that the languages should be able to be preserved and used, and that society has a responsibility to promote them. The status is laid down in law to strengthen the national minorities' ability to keep their language.

NATO is the defence alliance in which Sweden has been a member since 2024, and the basic idea is that an attack on one member counts as an attack on all. The member countries thus commit to standing together if any of them is attacked. It is an intergovernmental cooperation that concerns Sweden's security and defence in relation to other countries.

Natura 2000 is the EU's network of protected nature areas, and it exists in all member countries. The areas are designated to preserve valuable nature and vulnerable species and habitats. Since the protection builds on common EU rules but is managed in each country, it means that activity that may affect such an area often has to be examined separately.

Naturalisation means becoming a citizen by application, which in Sweden is decided by the Swedish Migration Agency (Migrationsverket). It is the route to citizenship for someone who has not acquired it automatically, for example at birth. The applicant must meet certain conditions, and the Migration Agency examines the case and decides whether the application is to be granted.

A nature reserve (naturreservat) is a protected natural area that the central government or a municipality (kommun) establishes with the support of the Environmental Code (miljöbalken). The protection exists to preserve valuable nature and the animals and plants that live there. The decision is made by the public sector, and for you as a visitor the reserve means that the area is preserved but often accessible according to certain rules.

A norm is an unwritten rule about how you should behave, which is followed without anyone formally deciding it. Unlike laws, norms arise in the interaction between people and are upheld through expectations and reactions from those around us. They affect everyday life in everything from how we greet each other to how we behave in public space.

A committee (nämnd) is a politically appointed group that governs an area in the municipality or region, for example education. The members are appointed by the elected representatives in the council after the election. The committees are responsible for different parts of the operations and make decisions within their respective areas.

A lay judge (nämndeman) is a politically appointed lay judge who rules together with legally trained judges in the district court (tingsrätt) and the court of appeal. The lay judge is thus not a lawyer, but takes part so that ordinary citizens are involved in judging. The role means being part of deciding guilt and sentence, and it is seen as a way to anchor the administration of justice in society.

Negligent rape (oaktsam våldtäkt) is a crime in which the perpetrator was grossly negligent as to whether the participation was voluntary. It means that responsibility can arise even when the person did not know for certain, but should have understood, that the other person's participation was not voluntary. The crime is tried in court, which assesses the circumstances in the individual case.

Public procurement (offentlig upphandling) is when municipalities, regions and the central government buy goods and services under rules on open competition. The rules are meant to give suppliers equal opportunities to submit bids and to make sure tax money is used well. For companies it means you can compete to deliver to the public sector, and for citizens that the purchases are made openly.

Offentlighetsprincipen (the principle of public access to official documents) is your right to read the documents of public agencies and municipalities, for example contracts and invoices. It makes it possible for citizens and the media to scrutinise how the public sector works and uses its resources. Some information can, however, be classified, and a document can then be kept secret in whole or in part.

A public counsel (offentligt biträde) is a lawyer that the central government pays for to support the asylum seeker during the assessment. The counsel helps the person present their reasons and safeguard their rights in the case. The fact that the central government covers the cost is a question of legal certainty, since the decisions are often far-reaching and the individual rarely knows the rules on their own.

Official statistics are statistics that public agencies are required by law to produce and keep available to everyone. They must meet certain demands on quality and reliability so that they can be trusted. The fact that they are open to all means that citizens, the media and decision-makers can build their conclusions on the same factual basis.

An agent (ombud) is the one who declares the goods for you, usually the carrier, which charges a fee for the service. Instead of handling the paperwork yourself, the agent can do it in your place. It becomes relevant in connection with customs, and you meet it when goods need to be cleared through customs on the way to you.

Reconsideration (omprövning) is the right to have a public agency's decision reviewed again by the same agency. It often happens before you go further and appeal to a court. The agency can then change its decision if it turned out wrong or if new information has come in.

Duty of care (omsorgsplikt) is the licensed companies' obligation to follow the players' behaviour and intervene at signs of risky gambling. It means that a gambling company may not just sell games, but also has to be attentive to players who show signs of problems. The obligation exists to reduce harm linked to gambling, and it applies to the companies that have a licence to offer games.

Transition study support (omställningsstudiestöd) is a state support through CSN for someone who, in the middle of working life, studies to strengthen their position. It is aimed at people who have already worked for a number of years and want to gain further education or change direction. The support is applied for at CSN and is meant to make it easier to combine studies with making a living later in one's career.

Public order regulations (ordningsföreskrifter) are the municipality's local rules for public places, decided by the municipal council (kommunfullmäktige). They state what applies in squares, streets, and other public places within the municipality (kommun). Because they are decided locally, the rules can look different between municipalities, and you encounter them in everyday life out in public space.

The Public Order Act (ordningslagen) is a national law on order and safety in public places, and it forms the basis for many of the police's conditions. It is decided by the Riksdag and regulates, among other things, public gatherings and public events. You encounter it indirectly when the police set conditions for demonstrations, events or other activities in public places.

A public order guard (ordningsvakt) is a person appointed by the Police (Polismyndigheten) to maintain order in a defined area, often paid by the municipality. The guard works under the direction of the police and has certain powers that an ordinary private person does not have. You can encounter public order guards in places such as squares, events or on public transport.

A security guard area (ordningsvaktsområde) is a defined area where security guards may operate, and it is decided by the Police (Polismyndigheten) after an application. Within the area, security guards may carry out their duties in a public place, which is otherwise not allowed just anywhere. That the boundaries are set by the police means it is a public agency that decides where this kind of guarding may take place.

An orosanmälan is a report to the social services when you suspect that a child is being harmed, and anyone may report. The purpose is for the social services to learn about children who may need protection or support, so that they can investigate the situation. The report is made at the municipal level, and certain professional groups who work with children also have a duty to report.

Papperslös (undocumented) describes a person who is staying in the country without a permit. It can, for example, be someone who has stayed on after a rejection or who entered without a permit. The situation affects what access the person has to different parts of public services, and the question concerns several agencies.

Parliamentarism (parlamentarism) is the principle that the Government must be tolerated by the Riksdag in order to govern. It means a government cannot stay in office if a majority in the Riksdag actively opposes it. The principle ties the Government's power to the people's elected representatives in the Riksdag.

The social partners (parterna) is a collective name for trade unions and employer organisations that negotiate the conditions in the labour market. Through collective agreements they agree on things such as wages and employment terms, often without the central government getting involved. This arrangement, in which the partners themselves take responsibility for large parts of the regulation, is a distinctive feature of how the Swedish labour market works.

Party support (partistöd) is public money for the parties, decided by the Riksdag, regional councils and municipal councils. The support exists at all levels and is meant to help the parties run their activities and take part in democratic work. How large the support is is decided by the elected assembly at each level.

A patent is an exclusive right for up to twenty years to use an invention, in exchange for it being made public. The one who holds a patent can thus prevent others from using the invention during the protection period. In return the invention becomes known to everyone, which both rewards the one who created something new and spreads knowledge that others can build on.

A patients' advisory committee (patientnämnd) is the region's independent body to which you can turn with complaints and views on the care. The committee helps to sort out what happened and convey the patient's views, but does not settle blame or award compensation. Since each region has such a committee, it is a way for patients to get support when something in the contact with the care has not worked.

PBL, the Planning and Building Act (plan- och bygglagen), is the Riksdag's rules for all planning and all building. The act governs how land may be used and what is required to be allowed to build, from overarching planning to individual building permits. Much of the practical work takes place in the municipalities, which plan land use and examine building permits within the framework of the act.

Peer review means that researchers' applications and results are examined by other researchers before decisions and publication. The reviewers assess the quality and whether the conclusions hold up, which is meant to work as a quality check within research. The procedure is used both when research funding is to be allocated and when scientific texts are to be published.

A commuting region (pendlingsregion) is the area you can work in without moving, shaped by how transport is routed. It grows or shrinks depending on how quickly and easily you can get to and from work. Investments in roads and public transport, decided at different levels, therefore affect how large your commuting region becomes.

Monetary policy (penningpolitik) is the Riksbank's steering of the economy through the interest rate, independent of the Government. By raising or lowering the interest rate, the Riksbank can influence how much is borrowed, saved and consumed. That the Riksbank is independent means that the decisions are made independently of the sitting Government.

Money laundering (penningtvätt) is making criminal money look legal, often via companies and cash-heavy sectors. It is about hiding where the money comes from so that it can be used without arousing suspicion. Because it enables other crime, it is a central target in the work against organised crime, and banks and certain companies are obliged to be alert to it.

A senior citizens' council (pensionärsråd) is a forum found in many municipalities, where pensioners' organizations meet the politicians. It gives older people a channel to put forward views and influence issues that affect their everyday life before decisions are made. The council is advisory and lets the municipality draw on older people's experience in local politics.

A personalliggare (staff register) is a list of who works at a workplace, and it is required in sectors with a high risk of undeclared work. The register has to show who is present and working, and it can be checked during unannounced visits. The requirement exists to counter undeclared work and make it easier to see that employers follow the rules.

A personröst (preference vote) is the cross on the ballot that can lift a candidate past the party's list order. By marking a cross, the voter can influence which people within a party get elected, not just which party gets the vote. The preference votes are counted at the election and can change the order between a party's candidates.

The planning monopoly (planmonopol) is the municipality's (kommun) sole right to decide how land may be used, through comprehensive plans and detailed development plans (detaljplaner). It means that it is the municipality that controls where housing, businesses and infrastructure may be built. The monopoly gives the municipality a strong tool in spatial planning, and as a resident you encounter it when new areas are planned or when plans are put on display for feedback.

A place brand (platsvarumärke) is the deliberate story about a place, aimed at visitors, new residents and investors. It is about how a municipality, region or country wants to be perceived and what it highlights from its history, environment and business life. The aim is often to attract tourism, talent and investment by giving a clear and appealing picture of the place.

Preliminary tax (preliminärskatt) is the tax the employer deducts each month, an advance payment that is reconciled in the tax return. Instead of the whole tax being paid afterwards, it is deducted continuously from the salary. At the tax return, what has been deducted is compared with the final tax, and the difference is either money back or tax to pay.

Producer responsibility (producentansvar) means that the one who sells a product is responsible for it being collected and recycled. The idea is that the cost and the responsibility for the waste should lie with the one who put the product on the market, not only with the households. For the consumer it is noticeable in that certain products and packaging can be handed in for collection, which is arranged thanks to this responsibility.

A government bill (proposition) is the Government's firm proposal to the Riksdag, for example to send a force abroad. It is how the Government formally puts forward what it wants the Riksdag to decide on. The Riksdag then deals with the proposal and votes on it, which makes the government bill a central part of how laws and major decisions come about.

Public service is radio and television in the service of the public, funded through a fee and with a mandate from the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament) but editorially independent. The mandate states what the operation should offer, while the editorial content is decided freely and is not steered by the central government. The idea is that everyone should have access to independent news and programmes, regardless of where in the country they live.

An excise duty (punktskatt) is an extra tax on selected goods such as petrol, alcohol and tobacco, often intended to steer behaviour. It is decided by the Riksdag and added on top of the ordinary price, which makes the goods concerned more expensive. The idea is partly to give the state revenue, partly to reduce consumption of things considered harmful or burdensome.

Sanction (påföljd) is the court's collective word for punishment: fines, a conditional sentence, probation or imprisonment. It is the court that decides on the sanction when someone is convicted of a crime. Which sanction is chosen depends, among other things, on the seriousness of the crime and the circumstances of the individual case.

An influence campaign (påverkanskampanj) is a coordinated attempt by a foreign power to change opinion or decisions, often covertly. The aim can be to affect how people think, how they vote or how decision-makers act. That the campaigns are often hidden makes them hard to detect, and they count as part of the threats to society's security.

A framework agreement (ramavtal) is an agreement that lets the public sector order on an ongoing basis from selected suppliers. Instead of running a new procurement for every purchase, the terms and suppliers are set in advance, so that call-offs can then be made more simply during the agreement period. Framework agreements are used by municipalities, regions and central government agencies for goods and services that are needed repeatedly.

Rambeslut (the frame decision) is the Riksdag's two-step model, where it first takes a position on the whole and the frames, and then on the details. In the first step the overall levels are set, and in the second the money is allocated within those frames. The model is used in the budget work so that the whole is fixed before the individual parts are decided.

Ramprogrammet (the framework programme) is the EU's multi-year programme for research and innovation money, currently Horizon Europe. It allocates funds to research and development in the member states and to cross-border collaborations. Researchers, higher education institutions and companies can apply for money from the programme for their projects.

To ratify (ratificera) is the formal approval that makes an international agreement binding on Sweden, usually through the Riksdag (Sweden's parliament). Only after this step has the country committed to following the agreement fully. The fact that the decision is usually made by the Riksdag is a way of anchoring the commitment democratically, since the agreement can have significance for laws and conditions within the country.

Regeringsformen is the constitutional law that describes how Sweden is governed and lists your freedoms and rights. It sets out, among other things, how public power is distributed and how it is to be exercised under the laws. As constitutional law it is harder to change than ordinary laws, which gives extra protection for the basic rules of the game and for rights.

The Government Offices (Regeringskansliet) is the Government's own agency, where the ministries prepare policy and steer the administration. Here, supporting material and proposals are produced that the Government can then decide on. The Offices belong to the national level and work as the apparatus that helps the Government lead the work and carry out its policy.

A regional development strategy (regional utvecklingsstrategi) is the region's long-term plan for the county's development, where among other things the visitor industry often is included. In it the region describes which direction it wants the county to take over time and which areas are to be prioritised. The strategy is guiding for the region's own work and works as a common framework that other actors in the county can relate to.

A regional service programme (regionalt serviceprogram) is the region's plan for keeping basic services across the whole county. It is about people and companies having access to important services even outside the larger towns. The programme is decided at regional level and serves as a basis for measures meant to counter services disappearing from sparser parts of the county.

Regional development responsibility (regionalt utvecklingsansvar) is the region's statutory mandate to lead the development of the county and allocate certain development funds. It means that the region coordinates the work on matters concerning the county's long-term development and prioritises how a portion of the funds is used. The responsibility lies at the regional level, between the individual municipality (kommun) and the central government.

Register data (registerdata) is information that already exists at public agencies and is reused for statistics instead of collecting new surveys. By starting from existing registers, you avoid asking people again, while the handling is surrounded by rules for the protection of personal data. Such statistics are used as a basis when decisions are to be made and followed up.

A registrar (registrator) is the function at a public agency that receives, registers and discloses documents. Through the registrar, order is kept among the agency's documents so that they can be found afterwards. This is often where you turn if you want to request an official document.

The letter of regulation (regleringsbrevet) is the Government's annual governing document to each public agency. It states the goals and tasks the agency has and how much money it may use. It is one of the Government's most important tools for steering the administration.

To make a complaint (reklamera) means to complain about a fault in a product or service and demand that the fault is put right. It is something you as a consumer do directly against the seller or the company you bought from. A complaint (reklamation) is a concrete way to assert your rights when what you bought is not as it should be, and it builds on rules that protect buyers.

Freedom of religion (religionsfrihet) is the constitutionally protected freedom to practice your religion alone or together with others, or to abstain entirely. The fact that the protection is in constitutional law (grundlag) means that it carries great weight and cannot be limited in just any way. The freedom applies to everyone in Sweden and covers both the right to believe and practice and the right not to belong to any religion.

A formal referral (remiss) is when a proposal is sent out so that public agencies, organisations and individuals get to give their views before a decision is made. The responses, the referral responses (remissvaren), become part of the basis and can change the proposal. The referral round is one of the clearest opportunities for outsiders to make a difference.

A renhållningsordning (waste management plan) is the municipality's waste plan and regulations, which are put on public display for review before a decision. It describes how waste is to be handled in the municipality and which rules apply to households and businesses. Putting it on display means residents can read the proposal and submit their views before the municipality decides.

Reserverade dagar (reserved days) are parental benefit days that cannot be transferred to the other parent. It means that a portion of the days can only be used by one of the parents and are otherwise lost. The design is meant to affect how parents share the time at home with the child.

A resource allocation model (resursfördelningsmodell) is the municipality's (kommun) own formula for how the money is weighted between schools and operations. The model determines how the budget is divided, often based on factors such as the number of pupils and different needs. Since each municipality decides its own model, the allocation can look different in different places, and in practice it affects what conditions the individual operations are given.

Riksbanksfullmäktige is the elected body of the Riksdag that appoints the executive board of the Riksbank (the central bank) and scrutinises its work. The body is thus a link between the Riksdag and the Riksbank's leadership. In this way there is elected oversight of the bank, while the executive board handles the day to day monetary policy.