The National Audit Office's report on environmental rescue during major maritime accidents
Translated from Swedish by AI; the translation may contain errors. The Swedish text is the original.
Summary AI, written in advance
The debate concerns the National Audit Office's report on deficiencies in environmental rescue during major maritime accidents. S argues that the government fails in political governance and has not ensured necessary structures, despite the Coast Guard delivering quality 1. M emphasizes that the government takes the report seriously and that resources are managed rationally through cooperation. M criticizes S for demanding improvements without proposing funding, while the government has increased the appropriations 2. V emphasizes the importance of total defense and argues that there is a staff shortage and insufficient funding of the Coast Guard, which prevents the ships from being out at sea 3.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Hanna Westerén (S)
Madam Speaker! Today we are debating the Swedish National Audit Office's report on environmental rescue during major maritime accidents together with the government's communication 2025/26:121. It is a subject that concerns both our environment, our security, and our ability to manage crises. It requires political leadership that takes responsibility, not pushes it forward.
Madam Speaker! I shall begin at the right end, namely by speaking about the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard's employees perform invaluable work for us all every day. They stand on the front line when our seas must be protected, when accidents must be prevented, and when crises must be managed. Whether it concerns navigation interference, increased risks linked to the shadow fleet's oil transports, or incidents surrounding cable sabotage, they are there, in all weather, around the clock. A telling example is the operation at Gotska Sandön, where KBV 003 towed a stranded cargo ship in harsh weather and thereby prevented a potentially extensive environmental disaster. It requires competence and courage, and it shows the quality that the Coast Guard delivers.
The National Audit Office notes that the environmental rescue during major accidents at sea is not fully effective. There is a lack of both practical conditions and sufficient planning to handle the rare events that can have enormous consequences. Not least, I want to draw attention to the fragility in the case of potential parallel events, that is, that one is forced to handle a vessel from the shadow fleet in parallel with another environmental catastrophe.
Madam Speaker! This is not a new problem. Therefore, it is particularly noteworthy that the government has still not ensured that the operation has the structures and the management capacity required. The Coast Guard is doing its job; the deficiencies lie in the political governance.
The Coast Guard's own annual report for 2025 points out that the environmental preparedness is unsatisfactory. It is one of the heaviest statements an agency can make about its own capacity. For us Social Democrats, the conclusion is obvious: When an agency with such a central mission lacks sufficient conditions, it is the government's responsibility, not the agency's.
The government's communication unfortunately gives the impression that one is quite satisfied with the situation, despite the National Audit Office clearly pointing out major deficiencies. That certain measures have been taken is not enough when it concerns environmental catastrophes that can have long-lasting consequences for the entire Baltic Sea region.
The National Audit Office points out significant deficiencies in how the authorities cooperate and in management structures, exercises, planning, and routines. The Government is responsible for ensuring that this cooperation functions and for providing the actors with clear governance and clear prerequisites. We Social Democrats have pushed for clearer governance and priorities from the Government, more and better agency-wide exercises, long-term planning, clear management lines, and functioning crisis structures.
Madam Speaker! Despite the fact that risks have increased in our immediate vicinity – we all take part via the news in the Coast Guard's handling of incidents every week – the government has not been able to take a holistic approach. The Coast Guard is a central part of our total defense. At the same time, the annual reports show that the capability is still unsatisfactory in parts of the total defense, and that there is a gray zone issue. In today's security policy situation, it should be unthinkable to let this remain. But the government's communication places more emphasis on reporting the current situation than on taking responsibility for change.
Madam Speaker! This is about what kind of society we want to build. We Social Democrats believe in a strong, responsible state that prepares Sweden for both everyday events and the absolute worst. The Coast Guard delivers every day, in all weather and with every effort. To be able to continue, they need a government that also delivers. The National Audit Office's report is a serious signal that is not the case today. It is not sufficient. The planning, cooperation, and the collective capability must be strengthened, and it must happen now.
I want to conclude by being crystal clear: No part of this criticism is directed at the Coast Guard. On the contrary, it is precisely their professionalism, courage, and perseverance that make the deficiencies in the government's governance so clear. It is not the Coast Guard that is failing. It is the government's responsibility to provide them with the tools they need.
Helena Bouveng (M)
Madam Speaker! I cannot emphasize enough the praises for the Coast Guard. Both I and Hanna Westerén sit on the Coast Guard's oversight council. During the three years I have sat there, I have been impressed by how quickly they have been able to transition from solely dealing with the environment to becoming part of the total defense. I am impressed by the speed of that work.
Madam Speaker! It is not the tributes to the Coast Guard that are to be discussed today, but rather that the National Audit Office has audited the environmental rescue at sea and concluded that there are deficiencies. It is an important report, and the government takes it most seriously. But the debate ultimately concerns three things: priorities, responsibility, and resources. Right here, the parties differ in a way that perhaps deserves to be highlighted, which I will return to.
The National Audit Office reminds us of something important, namely that strength is not about having everything yourself but about knowing how to use what you have. It is about being clear about what you can solve independently and what requires cooperation.
We cannot monitor every bay with our own dedicated resources around the clock. It would be neither possible nor economically justifiable. It is not a weakness. It is a rational way to manage resources in a serious security situation. What we can do, however, is to ensure that cooperation works.
The Swedish Defence Readiness Authority has been tasked with reporting on measures for joint cooperation exercises within maritime rescue services. The Coast Guard and the Swedish Maritime Administration are collaborating for a more efficient utilization of the state's maritime resources. The Swedish Armed Forces and the Coast Guard are developing a new agreement to manage trade-offs between civil and military defense. It is a task that will be finalized in September 2026. Contrary to what Member Hanna Westerén claimed from the rostrum, it is a forward-looking task; it is not about here and now.
Madam Speaker! The security policy situation in the Baltic Sea region is serious. The hybrid threats are real, and the risk of accidents with older oil tankers in our vicinity is increasing. This has been shown with all clarity during the past week.
The Moderates have long advocated for the Coast Guard to be given a strengthened role in maritime surveillance in the Baltic Sea and that cooperation with the Armed Forces should be deepened. The Coast Guard, together with other authorities and also other countries, should be able to act and intervene to increase maritime safety and protect our environment. It is possible to do two things at the same time, as the Director General for the Coast Guard expressed during our last council.
Madam Speaker! I am somewhat confounded. The Social Democrats highlight in their specific statement staffing problems, endurance issues, and uncertainties in the Coast Guard's mission during high alert. Yes, Madam Speaker, those are relevant issues. At the same time, it is remarkable that those who set these demands are the same party that, in their budget motion for 2026, does not add a single extra krona to the Coast Guard or the civil defense.
Madam Speaker! One cannot speak in all seriousness about staffing problems and endurance if one is not prepared to pay for it. The Government has done the opposite. The Coast Guard's appropriations have been increased, and the civil defense is being provided with additional funds for the years 2026–2028. It is a decision that the Riksdag has also approved. These are not empty words; they are actually real investments.
I can sign off on much in the Social Democrats' special statement. Much is good, but clarity without funding becomes once again just words. We are prepared to pay for what we demand. The question is whether the Social Democrats are. My hope and belief is that is the case.
Hanna Gunnarsson (V)
Madam Speaker! Hello to all of you who are listening and watching and, of course, also to my honored colleagues in the chamber!
Today we are debating a report from the Swedish National Audit Office concerning the Coast Guard and its capabilities to handle major environmental accidents at sea, for example, oil spills. The Coast Guard has an immensely important role as an authority to keep our seas safe. In recent years, we have seen how they have worked hard regarding the Russian shadow fleet to handle various cable breaks on the seabed.
The Coast Guard is always quickly on site, and the personnel are always ready to handle different types of threats against Sweden, whether it is threats against the borders or threats against the environment. This means that the personnel are out at sea for long periods. They have an uncertain and dangerous working environment and do not know what happens next.
The Coast Guard is also one of our most important environmental authorities. Perhaps not many know that. The ships are specially equipped, and the personnel are specially trained to be able to handle oil spills. They have large tanks where oil can be collected, and they have special brushes and other equipment to get the oil off the water surface.
Oil spills obviously have devastating consequences for all our coasts, primarily for animals and nature but also of course for people's opportunity to visit the coastal areas, and this applies to both residents and tourists. It took over two years before the last stay ban was lifted after the large oil spill off Sölvesborg in the autumn of 2023. For the municipality alone, the costs for remediation amounted to over 60 million kronor.
Given the enormous consequences of oil spills, it is very good that the Swedish National Audit Office has conducted a review, not only of the Coast Guard but also of the Swedish Maritime Administration and the Transport Agency.
In the security policy situation we find ourselves in, it is very important to see the total defense as a whole. The defense of Sweden is not just about defending our borders but also about keeping society running during major crises and, in the worst case, war.
To this should be added the fact that war leads to very large environmental damages. We see this with all desirable clarity in Ukraine today. Protecting the environment and nature is an important task, not only for nature and the animals themselves but also for our opportunity to have clean drinking water and safe cultivation land even in the future. Therefore, environmental protection can never be set aside but must be a part of the great total defense.
In recent years, we have seen several major crises in society. We have therefore intensified the work of rebuilding the total defense again in terms of both personnel and resources. On all these occasions, we talk very much about how important it is that there is cooperation between different parts of society. In major crises and accidents, it is important that all resources can be used jointly, across agency boundaries and between agencies, to resolve the crisis.
Madam Speaker! There is a very great commitment among all residents in Sweden to help during crises. Many streams arrive and sign up when something very serious happens. It is therefore important that the voluntary resources are channeled and gathered to the large organizations, such as the Red Cross and the voluntary defense organizations.
In recent times, interest and membership have increased among the voluntary defense organizations, and more and more agreements have been signed with civil authorities. The Sjövärnskåren, for example, assisted with transports during the large oil spill in Sölvesborg.
For the cooperation between authorities and the voluntary defense organizations to work, agreements, exercises, and expanded cooperation are required so that it is smooth to activate the members during crises. Expanded resources are also required for the voluntary organizations for exercises and training.
In the audit, the Swedish National Audit Office notes several deficiencies. There is not enough staff, and there is great competition between different parties for the staff who are trained. This means that the Coast Guard's ships cannot be out at sea as much as they and we would like, and the time limits for reaching accident sites therefore cannot be met.
A deficiency that the National Audit Office points out feels extra difficult, namely the difficulty of finding a port of refuge for ships that, for example, have been involved in accidents or large oil spills. It feels extra worrying. Ships must, of course, be able to be taken into port.
The trade union Tull-Kust has long pointed out the insufficient funding of the Coast Guard and the need for more staff. The Coast Guard has taken a great deal of own responsibility for staffing with various types of training, but much more staff is still needed so that all ships can be manned and go out when needed.
The Coast Guard is allocated far less than the budget they request in their budget proposal. Readiness cannot be engineered into existence. It must be staffed and financed, writes Tull-Kust in a debate article in connection with the release of the National Audit Office report in the autumn.
The government has, in recent years, made major investments in civil defense and the connection between civil and military defense. They should be given credit for that. But as we see in the National Audit Office's report, it is not sufficient to meet the major crises that can arise in both normal conditions and peacetime. But this applies especially in the strained security situation we have now, when we see the great risks out on the Baltic Sea. It is therefore necessary to have continued improvements and reinforcements of both the crisis preparedness and the civil defense.
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.