Ministry of the Environment (Sweden)

Ministry of the Environment
Miljödepartementet
overview
Formed	1987 (1987)[1]
Minister responsible	Lena Ek, Minister for Environment
Website
www.sweden.gov.se/sb/d/2066

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The Ministry of the Environment (Swedish: Miljödepartementet) is a government ministry in Sweden responsible for environmental issues and construction. The ministry also has the overall responsibility for coordinating the government's work on sustainable development.

The ministry offices are located at Tegelbacken 2 in central Stockholm.

History

The ministry was founded in 1987 as the Ministry of the Environment and Energy (Swedish: Miljö- och energidepartementet). Previously environmental issues had been handled by the Ministry of Agriculture (Swedish: Jordbruksdepartementet) and energy issues had been handled by the Ministry of Industry. In 1990 the name was changed to the Ministry of the Environment and energy issues were transferred back to the Ministry of Industry, although supervision of nuclear energy was retained. In 1991 the ministry was renamed to the Ministry of the Environment and Natural Resources (Swedish: Miljö- och naturresursdepartementet).

From 1 November 2004 to 1 January 2007, during the cabinet of Göran Persson, the ministry was known as the Ministry of Sustainable Development (Swedish: Miljö- och samhällsbyggnadsdepartementet). The cabinet of Fredrik Reinfeldt which took office on October 6, 2006, decided to rename the ministry to its old name. At the same time, energy issues were transferred to the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications, and housing issues were transferred to the Ministry of Finance.

Organization

The ministry is headed by the Minister for the Environment, currently Lena Ek (c), who is appointed by the Prime Minister. Below ministerial level, operations are directed by a State Secretary (Swedish: statssekreterare). The ministry also has a press secretary and political advisers, who work closely with the minister on policy issues.

The ministry is divided into the following divisions:

• Division for Environmental Quality
• Division for Natural Resources
• Division for Eco-Management Strategies and Chemicals
• Division for Sustainable Development
• Division for Administrative Affairs
• Division for International Affairs
• Division for Administrative Services
• Division for Legal Services
• Information Office

Government agencies

The Ministry of the Environment is principal to the following government agencies:

• The National Board of Housing, Building and Planning (Boverket)
• The National Organisation for Aid to Owners of Private Small Houses (Småhusskadenämnden)
• The Swedish Research Council for Environment, Agricultural Sciences and Spatial Planning (Forskningsrådet för miljö, areella näringar och samhällsbyggande, Formas)
• The National Chemicals Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen, KemI)
• The Board of the Swedish Nuclear Waste Fund (Kärnavfallsfonden)
• Lantmäteriet (The National Land Survey)
• The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket)
• The Swedish Geotechnical Institute (Statens geotekniska institut, SGI)
• The Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate (Statens kärnkraftsinspektion, SKI)
• The Swedish Radiation Protection Authority (Statens strålskyddsinstitut, SSI)
• The Swedish National Water Supply and Sewage Tribunal (Statens va-nämnd)
• The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (Sveriges meteorologiska och hydrologiska institut, SMHI)

See also

• List of ministers

References

1. ^ "Miljödepartementet" (in Swedish). Nationalencyklopedin. http://www.ne.se/miljödepartementet. Retrieved 13 November 2010.  (subscription required)

External links

• Ministry of the Environment, official website (English)
• Miljödepartementet, official website (Swedish)

Coordinates: 59°19′42.57″N 18°03′46.68″E / 59.3284917°N 18.0629667°E / 59.3284917; 18.0629667