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Government agencies in Sweden

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The Government Agencies in Sweden are state controlled organizations who act independently to carry out the policies of the Swedish Government. The Government Ministries are relatively small and merely policy-making organizations, allowed to control agencies by policy decisions but not by direct orders. A Minister is explicitly prohibited from interfering with the day-to-day operation in an agency or the outcome in individual cases.

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Justice

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry for Foreign Affairs

The Legations and Embassies in foreign countries, are under the direct authority and control of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Defence

  • Swedish Armed Forces, or Försvarsmakten (FM). (Official site) The fundamental task of the Swedish Armed Forces is to prepare in peacetime to defend the country in war against armed attack that threatens its liberty and independence. It must be possible to counter attack from any quarter and to defend the whole country.
  • Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, or Försvarets materielverk (FMV). (Official site)
  • Swedish National Service Administration, or Pliktverket. Located in Karlstad. (Official site) The National Service Administration is responsible for enrolment, enlisting and administering those eligible for national service and supporting training organizers during national service. Each year this involves enrolment of around 50,000 young men and testing a smaller number of women for enlistment.
  • Swedish National Defence College, or Försvarshögskolan (FHS). (Official site) The Swedish National Defence College offers university-level training for career and reserve officers of the Armed Forces in senior wartime and peacetime positions.
  • Swedish National Defence Radio Establishment, or Försvarets radioanstalt (FRA). Located in Bromma.
  • Swedish Defence Research Agency, or Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut (FOI). (Official site) The core activities of the Swedish Defence Research Agency are research, method and technology development and studies on behalf of the National Total Defence.
  • Swedish Coast Guard, or Kustbevakningen (KBV). Located in Karlskrona. (Official site) The Swedish Coast Guard performs surveillance and other monitoring and control operations, as well as environmental emergency services at sea. Its tasks are wide-ranging. They include several policy areas for which different authorities are responsible.
  • Swedish Emergency Management Agency, or Krisberedskapsmyndigheten (KBM). (Official site) The Swedish Emergency Management Agency was established on 1 July 2002, with the purpose of coordinating work on the preparedness of society to manage serious crises. When it was formed, SEMA took over some of the tasks of the Swedish Agency for Civil Emergency Planning and the National Board of Psychological Defence.
  • Swedish Rescue Services Agency, or Räddningsverket (SRV). Located in Karlstad. (Official site) The Swedish Rescue Services Agency promotes practice that improves accident prevention and response, and in the event of an accident limits injury and damage. This is achieved by imparting information, by running training courses and exercises, and through supervision etc.
  • Swedish National Board of Psychological Defence, Styrelsen för psykologiskt försvar (SPF). (Official site) National Board of Psychological Defence is a central authority whose task is to provide advice and guidance regarding mass media's contingency planning and their capacity for dealing with critical strains on society in peacetime. SPF also disseminates information about security policies and total defence, and follows trends in opinion that are important to psychological defence.
  • Swedish National Accident Investigation Board, or Statens haverikommission (SHK). (Official site)

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs

National Monopolies reporting to the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs


Government Agencies reporting to Departments and Divisions of the Ministry of Finance

Economic Affairs Department of the Ministry of Finance

Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance

Fiscal Affairs Department of the Ministry of Finance

Financial Institutions and Markets Department of the Ministry of Finance

Housing Division of the Ministry of Finance

County Administrative Division of the Ministry of Finance


Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Education and Science

Schools, Children and Youth

  • Sami School Board of Sweden, or Sameskolstyrelsen. (Official site) Field of operation: administrative authority for the National Sami schools and other activities belonging to and regulated by the Sami School ordinance. Designed to offer the children of the Samis an education with a Sami focus.
  • Swedish National Agency for Special Schools for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, or Specialskolemyndigheten. (Official site) Field of operation: to give the pupils individually adapted education that corresponds as far as possible to a normal compulsory school education.
  • Specialpedagogiska institutet. (Official site) Field of operation: the Institute supports the municipalities to offer special needs education to disabled children and youth.
  • Swedish National Agency for Education, or Statens skolverk. (Official site) Field of operation: work actively to ensure that national objectives for childcare and the school system are achieved. In order to gain insight into the various activities and to contribute to development, the National Agency for Education carries out follow-ups, evaluation, development, research and supervisory work.
  • Swedish Institute for Children's Books, Stiftelsen Svenska barnboksinstitutet. (Official site) Field of operation: a special library open to the public and an information centre for children's and young people's literature. The aim is to promote Swedish children's and young people's literature in Sweden as well as abroad.

Adult Education

  • Swedish National Agency for Education, or Statens skolverk. (Official site) Field of operation: Work actively to ensure that national objectives for adult education are achieved. In order to gain insight into the various activities and to contribute to development, the National Agency for Education carries out follow-ups, evaluation, development, research and supervisory work.
  • Swedish Agency for Flexible Learning, or Nationellt centrum för flexibelt lärande. (Official site) Field of operation: The Swedish Agency for Flexible Learning will promote the development and utilisation of flexible learning in municipal upper secondary education and adult education, liberal adult education and working life.
  • Swedish Agency for Advanced Vocational Education, or Myndigheten för Kvalificerad yrkesutbildning (Official site) Field of operation: The Swedish Agency for Advanced Vocational Education has been directed by the Parliament to administrate and supervise this educational form on the national level. It is the Agency that approves applications and makes grants.
  • Swedish National Council of Adult Education, or Folkbildningsrådet. (Official site) Field of operation: The Council distributes state grants to Study Associations and Folk High Schools, and also follows up and evaluates the activities within popular education organisations.

Higher Education

  • Swedish National Agency for Higher Education, or Högskoleverket (HSV). (Official site) Field of operation: the Agency is in charge of inspecting and promoting higher education sector activities, through follow-up and evalutation of higher education, quality assessment, initiatives for updating teaching methods and assessment of right to award degrees.
  • The Universities in Sweden. (List with contact information) Field of operation: main duty is to organise higher education based on a scientific or artistic orientation and on proven experience and research, artistic and other development work.
  • National board of Appeal for Higher Education, or Överklagandenämnden för högskolan. (Official site) Field of operation: Administration of matters of appeal on some decisions made by intsitutions of higher education (i.e universities).
  • Swedish Net University, or Nätuniversitetet. (Official site) Field of operation: The Swedish Net University mainly aims at widening the distance education market in Sweden.

Admission and Financial Study Support

Research

International Co-operation

  • International Programme Office for Education and Training of Sweden, or Internationella programkontoret för utbildningsområdet. (Official site) Field of operation: is responsible for the Swedish participation in the EU education programmes Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci, as well as a number of other international programmes and activities. The Programme Office provides advice on what opportunities are available, processes applications and disseminates best examples of transnational co-operation.
  • Swedish National Commission for UNESCO, or Svenska Unescorådet. (Official site) Field of operation: co-ordinates Swedish participation in UNESCO's work and is not a division of the UN agency UNESCO

The Ministry of Education and Science is also principal to a number of smaller agencies, academies and associations that are not listed above.

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry for Agriculture, Food and Fisheries

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Culture

General cultural activities

Archives

Visual arts, design and applied arts

Libraries, literature and language

Film, Artists & Heritage

Media

Museums and Exhibitions

Theatre, Dance och Music

Religious Communities

Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications

Enterprises

Courts

Remaining ministries

  • Government Agencies reporting to the Ministry of the Environment

See also: List of Swedish government enterprises, Government of Sweden