LOBBYING LANDSCAPE IN SWEDEN

The Swedish public administration is generally regarded as efficient, providing comprehensive services of a high quality to both citizens and enterprises. The low levels of perceived and experienced corruption in Sweden are linked to the long tradition of openness and transparency of Swedish society and institutions and strong respect for the rule of law.

Sweden's relatively small size means that politicians and lobbyists are often socially acquainted. Sweden is quite a small country, where people know each other and will get together for a business lunch which is on paper informal but is actually lobbying. Sweden's population of lobbyists has gone from around 100 some 20 years ago, to somewhere between 700 and 800 today. As many as 37 percent of former lawmakers, top aides and appointed senior public servants have gone on to work as lobbyists after the end of their political tenure.

The main task of Swedish lobbyists are to influence 1,500 full-time politicians' decisions in the states, counties and municipalities. Large companies and organizations have long been the employers of lobbyists where they are tasked to influence or prevent political decisions at the government level. Public affairs jobs are growing in number and many companies have realized that big money can be earned when the right decision is also taken out in local governments not only at central government level. Deals with the public sector represent an annual turnover of € 84 billion and are directly or indirectly dependent on political decisions. PR companies employ between 400 and 500 employees and they are tasked to monitor and influence policy. In PR firms there are 200 to 300 professional lobbyists with good political contacts who are hired as consultants by those who want to influence decisions.

Most powerful lobbyists in Sweden are linked to political parties. Lobbying firms are made up of past, failed or fallen off politicians. Some employ other professionals with experience as politician or who have worked in the party organizations.

Lobbying is not regulated in Sweden. There is no specific obligation for registration of lobbyists or reporting of contacts between public officials and lobbyists. The provision on trading in influence is applicable to illegal lobbying. [Effective July 1st, 2012, the new revised Swedish legislation on bribery entered into force. A person shall be convicted of trading in influence and sentenced to a fine or imprisonment for a maximum of two years if the person receives, accepts a promise of or demands an improper reward in order to influence the decision or action of another person related to the exercise of public authority or to public procurement, or gives, promises or offers someone an improper reward in order for that person to influence the decision or action of another person related to the exercise of public authority or to public procurement. Trading in influence constitutes a new offence, targeting situations that do not fall within the scope of the provisions on taking and giving a bribe. The applicability is limited to the public sector and the provision specifically targets decisions and acts in connection with the exercise of public authority and public procurement. The provision covers both the active and passive side of the criminalized act. The improper reward is given to the recipient in order for that person to influence another person in his or her performance of duties. In other words, the recipient is trading in his or her influence. The person meant to be influenced does not have to benefit from the reward. Since this provision specifically targets the trading of influence, the relation between the reward and the execution of an employment or an assignment is not needed, i.e. one of the key elements of the provisions on taking and giving a bribe is missing. A typical case of trading in influence is when the

recipient works for the same employer as the person who is meant to be influenced, but is not able to affect the decision-making process that the bribe giver is interested in. Instead, the recipient accepts the improper reward in order to influence the person who is able to affect the process. Another typical case of trading in influence mentioned in the pre-legislative work is when a person receives an improper reward in order to influence a family member or a relative].

Consultants in Sweden often set up meetings rather than take part in them, but if they do they always play with open cards about who they are representing. Lobbyists in Sweden spend more time on swaying public opinion and trying to exert influence over the parties as a whole.

Swedish politicians haven't made any specific decisions about how to regulate lobbying, like setting up rules about who gets access to parliament, who can ask to see which documents, or who can call themselves a lobbyist.

Public Access to Information (Best Practice) 

The principle of public access to information is a very important and cross-cutting element in Sweden’s political culture, constitution, and legal order. It means that the public and the media – newspapers, radio and television are entitled to receive information about state and municipal activities. It plays a key role in ensuring high level of transparency and therefore is crucial for effective prevention of corruption. The principle of public access to information is expressed in various ways. Everyone is entitled to read the documents of public authorities (access to official documents); officials and others who work for the state or municipalities are entitled to say what they know to outsiders (freedom of expression for officials and others); officials and others in the service of the state or municipalities are normally entitled to disclose information to newspapers, radio and television for publication or to personally publish information (right to communicate and publish information); the public and the mass media are entitled to attend trials: (access to court hearings); the public and the mass media may attend when the chamber of the Riksdag (the Swedish Parliament), the municipal assembly, county council assembly and other such bodies meet (access to meetings of decision-making assemblies). Restrictions to this principle are clearly set out in law and the conditions for document secrecy and the duty of confidentiality are laid down in the Public Access to Information and Secrecy Act, in the Freedom of the Press Act, and in the Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression to safeguard a limited number of important public and private interests.