Explosives - a national permit register and criminalization of preliminary stages to crimes against the permit requirement
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns a national permit register for explosive goods and the criminalization of attempts to bypass the permit requirement in order to increase internal security. M advocates for the introduction of a register where the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency is responsible for permits for handling, transfer, import, and export of explosives, with certain tasks under secrecy 1. S calls for approval of the reservation and emphasizes the need to curb crime and sabotage 2. S also proposes licensing of explosives to ensure personal responsibility and traceability 2, as well as the appointment of a special group to coordinate efforts following explosions in densely populated areas 2.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Gustaf Göthberg (M)
Madam Speaker! The time is approaching 22:00 this summer Tuesday. I will therefore spare the Chamber the great rhetorical excursions and the grand words as we are now to have a chamber debate on the Committee on Defence's report 12 Explosive goods - a national permit register and criminalization of preliminary stages to crimes against the permit requirement.
The government, under the leadership of the Moderaterna and in cooperation with the liberaler and kristdemokrater and within the framework of the Tidösamarbetet with the Sverigedemokraterna, is working consistently and relentlessly to get Sweden on the right track. We have been able to see this during recent years, when we have had a system-threatening crime that has taken root in parts of the country.
A number of things are being done, including those we are discussing today which have connections to this. Stay-away orders, measures enabling police working against organized crime to be anonymous, and security zones are three reforms that this chamber has decided on this spring. And later this year, an inquiry will be appointed, among others, on working with new approaches against economic violence. All of this is being done, and all of this is extremely important.
Madam Speaker! I will willingly admit that I was astonished when I first came into contact with the bill that we are dealing with within the framework of the committee report. It has, therefore, been possible in the Kingdom of Sweden to store almost unlimited quantities of explosives and explosive goods without oversight, control, or follow-up from the public. It is astounding. But now we are doing something about it.
The proposal, which is suggested to enter into force in just a few weeks, primarily means that we are introducing a national permit register in Sweden for explosive goods. The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency will become the responsible authority for maintaining registers of a number of permits. It concerns permits to handle, transfer, import, and export these explosive goods.
In order for this register to be able to fulfill its purpose and to ensure that the information in the register is not in turn used by gang criminals or subversive forces in society to gain access to explosives or explosive goods, it is proposed that certain pieces of information be covered by secrecy.
Finally: All attempts to intentionally evade this condition obligation shall be criminalized.
It is an important report for Swedish internal security. I move for approval of the committee's proposal for a decision.
Johan Andersson (S)
Madam Speaker! I begin by moving for approval of reservation 2 in the report.
363 shootings in 2023, 109 shootings this year - that is far too many. Therefore, it feels like we must do everything we can to curb crime and the possibility of accessing goods in different ways and forms to be used in acts of sabotage.
When the government nevertheless presents a bill, we think that one could also take part in and take to heart what we propose regarding the licensing of explosives. It is about personal responsibility, about background checks, about the control of regular use of explosives, about a deterrent effect, and not least about traceability. That could have been achieved by introducing a licensing.
Unfortunately, the government does not take that opportunity with the bill that is now being presented. But we still want to highlight it in our reservation.
The second point in our reservation concerns a task force. The explosions affect entire houses and blocks and strike fear into the residents. There are many examples all over Sweden. In almost every municipality we come from, this has been experienced, more or less. Everyone knows that in connection with an explosion in a densely built-up area, those who live in that environment are severely affected.
We think there is a great reason for the government to really look at the possibility of appointing a special group that can quickly help in areas where such things have been experienced and coordinate the actors that exist today, for example the municipality, the region, the insurance companies and the rescue services. The group should, however, not take over the responsibility but use the resources that exist. It is of course also very important to be able to coordinate the interventions so that they are prioritized correctly.
Madam Speaker! I vote for the reservation in the report.
The deliberation was hereby concluded.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.