Response to interpellation 2024/25:721 on the management of A1 certificates
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 management of A1 certificates to combat crime in the labor market. M argues that the government has taken important measures by providing Försäkringskassan with more funds, removing confidentiality barriers, and using knowledge bases from ISF 1. M emphasizes that the government takes the issue very seriously through extensive agency cooperation and new confidentiality legislation 2. M believes it is crucial to control A1 certificates to protect honest actors and the welfare system 3. M argues that the previous Social Democratic government was characterized by passivity 3 and that the current government has achieved more during its time 4. M is proud of the developed work with controls and more measures against criminal actors 4. S argues that crime in the labor market is a poison that harms companies and workers 5. S believes that the control of A1 forms is crucial to stop fraud and dumped prices 5. S argues that the government does not give the work sufficient weight or targeted funds 5. S argues that continuity is important in the measures that the S-government previously appointed 6. S argues that it is terrible when posted labor is exploited outrageously 6. S argues that the government has said no to proposals to strengthen the control 6. S argues that the government avoids answering questions about EU initiatives, dedicated funds, and Skatteverket's role 7.
Written by AI in advance and may contain errors. The numbers lead to the speech a statement builds on; check against the text below.
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! Ola Möller has asked me what measures I intend to take to address the issue of A1 certificates and their consequences for the Swedish labor market.
The Inspectorate of Social Insurance, ISF, has audited the handling of A1 certificates. This constitutes an important knowledge base for the government, among other things in the work against labor market crime. The often cross-border labor market crime poses a threat to Swedish companies, employees, vulnerable workers, and society as a whole.
Madam Speaker! Just as the interpellor mentions in their question, the government has previously tasked Försäkringskassan with developing the work of carrying out controls on whether employees have correct A1 certificates or whether employees are incorrectly receiving compensation from the social insurance.
According to the government's proposal in the budget bill for 2025, Försäkringskassan has been allocated 820 million kronor during 2025 and approximately the same amount for both 2026 and 2027. The funds are to go to core operations and, among other things, to reinforced service through, for example, shortened processing times.
Furthermore, it is important that the authorities have the possibility to share information among themselves. The Government has taken several measures to remove the confidentiality barriers between the authorities. Most recently in May, we presented a bill that gives all authorities a clear legal basis to share information with one another.
The Government analyzes the ISF's conclusions and recommendations. Försäkringskassan shall, at the latest eight weeks after the ISF has submitted a report that particularly concerns the agency, comment on the report's conclusions to the Government and report the possible measures that the agency intends to take in light of the report.
Ola Möller (S)
Madam Speaker! Thank you for the answer, Minister!
Crime in the workplace is a poison spreading through our social body. It plagues our labor market, harms our companies, and takes the lives of workers. It is also intimately linked with organized crime. To combat crime in the workplace is therefore to combat and counter the gangs, to create healthy competition between Swedish and foreign companies, and to protect workers. Therefore, we Social Democrats have always fought against crime in the workplace.
This is being done in close cooperation with our trade union comrades, and that I am submitting this interpellation is a direct consequence of trade union-political cooperation. In trade unions such as Byggnads, Elektrikerna, and formerly Målarna, the issue of the A1 forms is very much alive. Unfortunately, the A1 forms are part of the web that enables fraud and crime. By employing people in one country and having them insured in another in several stages, often in the Baltic countries, one can dump the social security contributions and thereby also dump the prices here in Sweden. Therefore, the control is of crucial importance.
As I write in the interpellation, it is positive that the government has written that the A1 certificates shall be reviewed by Försäkringskassan. It is not a very strong wording, and no specific funds are dedicated to this work. But it is a small, welcome step that I do not intend to belittle but consider positive. What I do not quite understand, however, is why the work is not given more weight. Why are targeted funds not allocated to this work? Furthermore, I do not understand why Skatteverket has not received a similar wording in its regulatory letter, since the links between Försäkringskassan, Skatteverket, and the A1 certificates are completely obvious, which the investigation we Social Democrats commissioned, SOU 2023:47, has demonstrated with all desirable clarity.
Therefore, I want to ask the Minister if she is prepared to allocate targeted funds to the A1 work at Försäkringskassan and if she can influence her colleague the Finance Minister to also include this work in Skatteverket's regulation letter.
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! I share the member's description of how problematic crime in the workplace is. It is a serious social problem that extends across many different areas, from the work environment and social insurance to organized crime and human trafficking. It is complex and often cross-border, and it constitutes a direct threat to welfare and people's safety, just as the member described in their contribution.
The government's work in this area is precisely why it is extensive. Among other things, the Delegation against labor crime has, over four years, gathered extensive knowledge on this phenomenon. The government has now referred the delegation's final report to 123 bodies, and the response time runs until September 22 this year. This shows that we take the issue most seriously and that we also want a broad basis for continued reform work.
We also take a broad approach to the operational agency cooperation which is the very core of this work. From akrim centers in seven regions, efforts were coordinated by Arbetsmiljöverket, with active participation from cooperating agencies, including Försäkringskassan. The Government has extended this assignment until 31 December 2026.
The annual report for agency cooperation for 2024 shows that the work is yielding results. During that year, 3,766 joint inspections were carried out, which was an increase of over 20 percent compared to 2023. Arbetsmiljöverket has imposed more sanction fees and more than doubled the total amount compared to the previous year.
To further strengthen the work, the government in the autumn budget for 2025 has allocated 100 million kronor to the nine agencies that work with the operational coordination.
Madam Speaker! Another important reform is the new secrecy legislation, the law often called the "luffalagen". It means that certain authorities are obliged to exchange information needed for joint controls against crime in the working life. The reporting shows that the law has already improved the conditions for cooperation, even though practical and digital solutions also need to be further developed. The Government has also presented the bill Increased information exchange between authorities – a new secrecy-breaking provision aimed at breaking down further secrecy barriers between authorities.
We know that certain groups are particularly vulnerable. People who are exploited work under insecure employment and in dangerous work environments. Labor crime is not just a labor market problem, but it is part of a shadow economy that both threatens welfare and finances other crime. Therefore, I and the government believe that it is absolutely crucial that we continue to work in a coordinated manner and that the legislators give the authorities the right tools. The government stands firm on this, and this work is prioritized by me, the Minister for Finance, and many other ministers. It is about achieving a secure working life and a strong society.
Ola Möller (S)
Madam Speaker! I thank the Minister for the commitment. It is good that the Minister highlights, for example, the Delegation against crime in the working life, which was appointed by the S government, and that this work is being carried forward. The same applies to the measures regarding the breach of confidentiality. It is very good that we see a continuity across the mandates. I appreciate that it is being maintained. Regarding the work on the work environment, I can however interject that it is a bit strange that the research on the work environment is being discontinued. This was also done the last time there was a bourgeois government, that is to say, during Reinfeldt's time.
The issue of crime in the working life is, as said, much larger than it may appear at first glance. A1 certificates are one part. But cheating occurs on many levels, and just as the Minister mentioned, we therefore established regional akrim centers during the previous parliamentary term. During the summer of 2022, two of them were opened. This is the basis for the strongly developed agency cooperation that the Minister also mentions, and one can now coordinate already in the planning stage in a completely different way than was previously possible.
The Swedish Payments Authority is also an initiative that the Social Democrats took to gain control over payments.
There is, however, more to be done, because even when there are collective agreements, cheating occurs. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial for regional safety representatives to enter workplaces where one does not have members. But the Sweden Democrats and the Moderates said no to that.
Cheating is occurring with occupational pension contributions. One pays in and shows it on paper to the union representatives, but afterwards, a correction is requested and the money is taken out. That is why the audit obligation for all companies is so important. But the Sweden Democrats and the Moderates have said no to it.
When problems arise, companies are declared bankrupt, and the wage guarantee is utilized. New companies are then started for a pittance. Therefore, the Social Democrats want to increase the cost of starting a limited company. But the Sweden Democrats and the Moderates have said no to that.
Labor from third countries is being exploited outrageously on Swedish construction sites. We hear about construction workers sleeping in containers and so on. It is appalling. Therefore, we wanted a needs-based labor immigration. But the Sweden Democrats and the Moderates have said no to that.
Many of those who start and run companies cheat and should not be allowed to continue running companies, but because the rules for the business ban stop at the national border, they bypass them through foreign companies. Therefore, we have wanted there to be a business ban at the EU level. We also want to severely limit the number of subcontractors. It is an incredibly important issue. We want increased sanction fees and, in addition, regional labor crime centers at the European level.
I actually do not know how Sverigedemokraterna and Moderaterna have positioned themselves regarding these proposals, so I will not say too much. But based on the experiences I have from the previously mentioned issues where they have said no, I can guess where it will head.
The Council of State is right at the cross-border nature of the issue, and my question to the Minister is what initiatives she is prepared to take at the EU level to give Swedish authorities greater opportunity to deny posted workers upon suspicion of fraud with A1 certificates.
I would also very much like to hear the answers to the previous questions. Is the Minister prepared to speak with the Minister for Finance about giving Skatteverket an expanded mandate regarding A1 as well as dedicating funds to this work? I am, in fact, convinced that that steering report would have been very important for Försäkringskassan to have because Försäkringskassan has a gigantic mandate and works with very many things.
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! One can still state that in my previous speech, with quite broad and clear ability, at least according to myself, I accounted for the areas in which we are active and how many ministers are actually active when it comes to precisely these issues, as well as how highly prioritized the issues are in the government.
It is the case that both criminal employers and self-employed individuals have incentives to misuse A1 certificates and thereby obtain unfair competitive advantages in relation to other, diligent actors. This is a hostage, not least from a competition perspective, and therefore it is so important that the issuance and also that the controls are carried out.
What can be read in ISF's review is serious. This includes, among other things, what was demonstrated regarding that Försäkringskassan until recently did not investigate impulses regarding errors or misuse of A1 certificates that other member countries have issued. It is something that Försäkringskassan has actually started with now.
The member of the board writes in his interpellation that the Social Democrats have pushed the issue of improved handling of A1 certificates for a long time. One can, however, observe that the appointment of the inquiry in June 2022, i.e., after eight years of uninterrupted government tenure, shows that there was not directly any urgency in the Government Offices during the Social Democratic government tenure.
One can also observe that the member, if he genuinely cares about the A1 certificates and their consequences for the Swedish labor market, should be very happy that eight years of Social Democratic passivity has now been replaced by Moderate action. We are acting together with our coalition parties, and very much has happened in half the time that the member's own party sat and held government power.
Ola Möller (S)
Madam Speaker! I have nevertheless stood here and said that the government is doing good things and that continuity is important. I have pointed out that we have done things that the government can carry forward. I am surprised that it is still being babbled about. I actually do not understand it. I think the question is more important than that, Minister.
We agree that crime in the labor market creates unfair competition in Sweden. It causes markets to deteriorate and the quality of goods and services to fall. It undermines trust in entire industries, and it feeds the gangs.
Furthermore, it is a disproportionately large share of the workers who die at Swedish workplaces who are posted or come from third countries. The ultimate consequence of this was seen when five construction workers died in an elevator at a workplace where control systems such as ID06 were in place. It is the ultimate consequence. No living human being should have to go to work and risk coming home dead, regardless of whether it is a Swedish or a foreign worker.
I do not intend to argue with the Minister regarding this. I say that I think it is an important task, and I have asked three questions. I have asked what initiatives the Minister intends to take at the EU level. I have asked if the Minister for Finance could consider including similar wording in the Swedish Tax Agency's regulatory letter. I have also asked if the government could consider dedicating funds to this work.
I have not received answers to those questions, but instead have received the usual harangue that everything is the Social Democrats' fault, even though what the government has implemented is based on what we commissioned investigations on. When it comes to the crime centers, it is thanks to us that the inter-agency work is now in place and functioning. I have also accounted for a lot of measures that could strengthen that work but which the government has said no to.
Instead of going into polemics, Minister – take note that I am actually standing and praising the work! Also, provide the answer to the questions!
Statsrådet Anna Tenje (M)
Madam Speaker! I would, of course, like to thank the member for the question and for this debate. Combating crime in the working life deserves great attention, and so does the debate. I definitely want to thank for that.
Above all, it is important to have a proactive government, and I can once again only state that during the eight years that the Social Democratic government had, – more than twice as long as we have had – not even half as much happened as we have achieved during our time in government. Interest or lack of interest? It seems that we have a consensus on this issue, so it may be that the member did not have the same success in raising it with his previous government as he had with this government.
These are definitely important issues. It is a part of society, and it threatens society in many different ways. I definitely share the member's description that no one should have to feel insecure in their workplace, whether Swedish or foreign. Here we definitely need to do more, and we are also doing so. I am proud of many of the measures that have now been implemented or are underway. It is about a developed work with controls at Försäkringskassan, more resources for processing, greater exchange between authorities, more measures against criminal actors, and so on. The recommendations that are available to read in ISF's review are also being followed up.
The work never ends. I can only state that we are, step by step, nevertheless creating better conditions for cooperation, for the sharing of information, and for more controls, and also to ensure that work-related crime is countered on all levels, both in Sweden and in the EU. I look forward very much to this continued work.
Source: The Swedish Parliament. The speeches come from the open data of the Riksdag, translated into English by AI, which may contain errors.