Mikael Damberg

The Swedish Government considers that the European Commission broke the rules when it authorised the continued use of lead chromates in the EU. The decision is bad for people’s health and distorts competition for responsible businesses that have stopped using these hazardous substances. The Government therefore decided today to refer the Commission’s decision to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling.

The central government will contribute SEK 40 million per year to the Nobel Center’s operations from the day it opens and the following three years. In all, with increased support from Stockholm City, the Center will receive SEK 60 million per year over a three-year period. This amounts to SEK 180 million the first three years. This was announced today by Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg, Minister for Higher Education and Research Helene Hellmark Knutsson and Stockholm’s Commissioner of the City Planning and Culture Division, Roger Mogert.

On Monday 12 September, the Government welcomed a Chinese business delegation consisting of some thirty corporate leaders and some twenty Swedish companies to Rosenbad for talks on investment opportunities in Sweden. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg hosted the meeting, along with Business Sweden and the Sweden China Trade Council. The aim of the meeting was to highlight the qualities that make Sweden unique as an investment country, and to show the Government’s engagement in business relations with China.

On 18 April this year, the Government received a request from Vattenfall’s governing board for owner coordination regarding the sale of Vattenfall’s lignite operations in Germany. The transaction comprises the sale of the two companies that wholly or jointly own four lignite-fired power plants (Schwarze Pumpe, Lippendorf, Boxberg and Jänschwalde in Germany, located in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony), and the lignite mines that supply three of these power plants with fuel.

Sweden’s prosperity is built on innovative and successful export companies that time and again have managed to renew and reorganise production and products to keep pace with changing markets. The Government’s strategy for new industrialisation is an important stage of the effort to benefit from the window of opportunity for new industrialisation that is now open to Sweden.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will pay a State Visit to Germany on 5–8 October 2016 at the invitation of Federal President Joachim Gauck. The Government will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg.

Today, June 30, Sweden rounds off its chairmanship of EUREKA, an international innovation network. Based on the values of transparency, openness, simplification and efficiency, the Swedish Chairmanship worked to adapt and develop EUREKA on the basis of current global conditions. Sweden will now hand over the chairmanship to Spain.

On the afternoon of 12 May, Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet left Sweden following a three-day State Visit. The President was in Sweden at the invitation of HM the King. This was the first State Visit by a Chilean president to Sweden. Several of the Government ministers took part in the programme. The purpose of the visit was to broaden and deepen bilateral relations between Chile and Sweden.

The world has gone digital. In an increasingly connected world, the distance between nations, markets and individuals is shrinking. This digitisation enhances our vision of the single market, one economy without barriers. The question of how to adapt the single market to a modern digital economy continues to be a top priority for Europe, its tech companies and for more traditional industry. Sweden and Italy now join forces to promote a more competitive and digital Europe acting as a multiplier of opportunities and innovation for all our citizens.

On 10 May, Chile’s President Michelle Bachelet began her State Visit to Sweden. The President is visiting Sweden at the invitation of HM the King. The Visit will last from 10 to 12 May and is the first incoming State Visit from Chile to Sweden.

The Government’s award for extraordinary services to Swedish music exports in 2015 goes to artist, songwriter and lyricist Tove Lo. The Government’s 2015 Special Prize for long-standing contributions to Swedish music exports goes to composer Anders Hillborg. The 2015 Commendation for achievements of particular importance to the internationalisation of Swedish music goes to conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen. The winners will accept their awards on 29 February 2016 at the International Press Centre.

The Government’s 2015 Music Export Prize will be presented on 29 February 2016 by Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg. Today the nominees will be presented.

More Swedish export enterprises will compete for the largest global deals. This initiative, which is part of the Government’s new export strategy for increased trade and more jobs, entails a broader mandate for Business Sweden.

More Swedish enterprises will participate in and win procurements of goods and services at the major international organisations, such as the United Nations, international financial institutions and the European Union. This is one of the Swedish export strategy measures being launched on Monday.

The Government’s aim is to increase exports. As part of these efforts, a new export strategy for Sweden has been drawn up

Sweden’s new Consulate-General in New York was inaugurated yesterday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg and Sweden’s new Consul-General Leif Pagrotsky. Also in attendance were representatives of the US Department of State and the City of New York.

Following five days of intensive negotiations in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the 162 member countries of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) were able to reach a new global trade agreement. The agreement includes regulations for export support for agricultural products, preferential treatment for least-developed countries and a separate agreement to eliminate tariffs on technology products. Liberia and Afghanistan were welcomed as new members.

Liberia was today accepted as a new member at the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in Nairobi. At the accession ceremony, Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf personally thanked Sweden for the support it provided via the National Board of Trade and Sida, and through the role Joakim Reiter played as the chair of the accession group.

The negotiations on an updated Information Technology Agreement (ITA) have now been concluded between 53 WTO members, including the EU and Sweden. The agreement will mean duty-free access to an additional 201 technology products and so covers 10 per cent of the value of total world trade – more than global trade in agricultural products.

Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg and Minister for Higher Education and Research Helene Hellmark Knutsson presented a national programme for protein research, method development and biologics production.