FACTS & FIGURES, SWEDISH GOVERNMENT OFFICES, YEARBOOK FACTS & FIGURES, SWEDISH GOVERNMENT OFFICES YEARBOOK 2007 presents facts and statistics about the organisation, duties and activities Facts & Figures of the Government Offices in 2007. In 2007 the Government Offices comprised the Prime Minister’s Office, twelve ministries and the Office for Administrative Affairs. Swedish Government Offices The yearbook contains statistics on decisions taken during the year, government bills submitted to the Swedish parliament, committee Yearbook 2007 reports, as well as a presentation of the the Cabinet line up and details of the Government Offices’ staff and finances. In a nutshell, the book offers: • A presentation of the Government Offices • A presentation of the Government ministers 2007 • The Government Offices – facts & figures The yearbook will answer some of your questions about the Government Offices. More information is available on the Government website: www.sweden.gov.se. 2007 Omslag hela.indd 1 08-06-02 15.43.32 Facts & Figures Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2007 Editor: Anna Dahlén, Information Rosenbad Production: Government Offices of Sweden, May 2008 Translation: Ruth Brown, Ministry for Foreign Affairs Illustrations: Susanne Engman, Woo Agency Printed by: Edita Västra Aros, Västerås 2008 ISSN: 1404-479X ISBN: 978-91-38-22983-5 The Swedish Government Offices Yearbook 2007 was produced by the Office for Administrative Affairs. The English edition of the Yearbook 2007 is an abridged version of the Swedish edition. Preface PREFACE THIS YEARBOOK presents facts and figures about the There is also a presentation of the ministers who served organisation, duties and activities of the Government in the Swedish Government in 2007. Offices in 2007. If you have any questions that are not answered in The statistical data is divided into six areas of opera- these pages, or would like more information, please feel tion: free to contact us. At the end of the book there is a sec- tion on sources of information and useful contacts at the the legislative process Government Offices. You can find out where to turn for the budget process and agency management up-to-date information, publications and information administrative business material, as well as where to send enquiries and how to international cooperation visit the Government Offices. You are also welcome to external communication visit our website at www.sweden.gov.se. internal development 3 Table of contents TABLE CONTENTS OF Preface ...................................................................... 3 Information sources and contact information ................. 56 How to contact the Swedish Government and The Government Offices – a brief presentation ................. 6 the Government Offices .......................................... 57 Organisation of the Government Offices ...................... 7 Visitors’ addresses and email .................................. 58 Staff responsibilities at the Government Offices ........... 7 Facts about Sweden ................................................... 60 Policy areas at the ministries ................................... 10 Map, Sweden in Europe .......................................... 62 The Government Ministers 2007 .................................. 14 Facts & figures .......................................................... 24 Introduction .......................................................... 26 The legislative process ........................................... 27 The budget process and agency management ............ 33 Administrative business ......................................... 38 International cooperation ........................................ 39 External communication ......................................... 45 Internal development work ...................................... 49 5 The Government Offices – a brief presentation All public power in Sweden proceeds from the people. The people elect the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) and governments are formed on the basis of how party seats are distributed. To assist it in its tasks, the Government has a staff of approximately 4 600 officials and political appointees working at the Government Offices and on government committees. As a result of the change of government in 2006, the ministries were reorganised on 1 January 2007. In 2007, the Government Offices comprised the Prime Minister’s Office, twelve ministries and the Office for Administrative Affairs. THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES GOVERNMENT THE The duty of the Government Offices is to assist the Govern- Staff responsibilities at the Government ment in its task of governing the realm and achieving its Offices policy objectives. The great majority of staff at the Government Offices Government decision-making is discharged on a collec- are not political appointees but officials who retain their tive basis. This means that, at their weekly meetings, posts in the event of a change of government. Accor- the members of the Cabinet take joint decisions on all dingly, they must be highly skilled at analysing problems government business. Consequently, all the ministers from different viewpoints, finding alternative solutions have a say in government decisions and the Cabinet as a and keeping abreast of the political debate. At the same whole is collectively responsible for them. time, when discussing and dealing with government This collective approach necessitates a high degree proposals, they must be able to put forward any objec- of inter-ministerial cooperation when decisions are tions they feel are warranted. being prepared and drafted. The establishment of the The task of the government officials is to prepare Government Offices as an integrated authority in 1997 government business. This is divided into seven main represented a step towards closer cooperation and flexi- areas of operation applying to all the ministries alike. bility in government activities. Legislation Government officials are required to develop political Organisation of the Government Offices initiatives, launch inquiries, provide an expert basis The Government Offices serves as the Government’s for the appointment of government committees and staff. As a public authority, it is headed by the Prime formulate the committees’ terms of reference. They Minister, who is also Head of Government and thus has also take delivery of reports and circulate them for dual roles. The Prime Minister is not alone in this. Many comment, draft referrals to the Council on Legislation, of the ministers, besides being members of the Cabinet, formulate government bills and process parliamentary also occupy the post of Head of Ministry. In addition, decisions on government proposals. the Prime Minister’s Office has a Permanent Secretary with overall responsibility for the administration of the The budget process and agency management Government Offices and for cross-ministerial adminis- The officials at the Government Offices prepare and trative matters. follow up budget bills, issue appropriation directions 7 specifying goals and funding allocations for government Since Sweden joined the EU, work in this area has agencies, analyse and evaluate outcome reports, draft become more extensive at the Government Offices, and special instructions to the agencies, participate in the is now a major undertaking in all the ministries, not just appointment of agency boards and directors-general, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. and maintain regular contact with the agencies. External communication THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES Administrative business A further task of the Government Offices is to assist The Government Offices is the supreme administrative the Government of the day in other areas of commu- authority in Sweden and its staff prepare decisions on nication with the world at large. The officials draft such items of business as exemptions, applications and ministerial replies to questions and interpellations petitions, appeals, matters relating to appropriations from the Riksdag and prepare answers to postal and and grants, and recruitment issues. email enquiries from the general public. It also drafts ministerial speeches, disseminates information about International cooperation government activities and maintains contact with the The Government Offices also prepares Swedish pos- business community and organisations. itions at meetings of international organisations, rep- resents Sweden abroad and incorporates the terms of Special projects and programmes international agreements into Swedish policies. The These are activities of an administrative nature underta- latter task usually involves provisions relating to legisla- ken at the Government Offices. They are of limited dura- tion, administrative practice or standardisation. tion and do not fall within the remit of any other agency. ORGANISATION OF THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES IN 2007 On 1 January 2007 the ministries were reorganised. Offices. The missions abroad report directly to the The Ministry of Education, Research and Culture was Ministry for Foreign Affairs, but they are also autono- divided back into two separate ministries, and the mous government agencies. The system of committees housing and energy portfolios disappeared from the and inquiries also belongs to the Government Offices Ministry of the Environment. At the same time, two even though these are, in several respects, autonomous new ministries were created: the Ministry of Employ- agencies. ment and the Ministry of Integration and Gender Equal- The leadership of every ministry comprises between ity. In 2007, the Government