Åsa Torstensson
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2010 Press release 30 September 2010 Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications Swedish-American cooperation for sustainable development to be expanded Today, the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications signed a cooperation agreement with the United States on long-term sustainable transport. The agreement was signed at the US Department of Transportation in Washington DC as a part of the two countries' joint efforts for sustainable development. The aim of this cooperation is for the United States and Sweden to engage in a mutual exchange of experience and transfer knowledge within areas such as road safety, urban transport, fossil-free vehicles and access within the transport system. "The United States and Sweden have a long tradition of bilateral cooperation and in recent years issues concerning sustainable development have taken on an increasingly prominent role in these relations. The transport industry has been one of the contributing factors to climate change, but we are now ensuring, step by step, that it also becomes a natural part of the solution," says Minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson. The agreement was signed at the US Department of Transportation by Ms Torstensson's State Secretary Leif Zetterberg and his US colleague John D. Porcari. "Infrastructure and transport are not just about how many kilometres of railway or how many bridges are built each year. They are also about creating a coherent and long-term sustainable system that meets the expectations placed on us by an increasingly globalised world. But Sweden cannot do this work alone - this is why we are pleased to welcome this deepened cooperation with the United States," says Mr Zetterberg. Contact Sandra Baqirjazid Press Officer Maria Anstett-Andersson Political Adviser to Åsa Torstensson email Press release 09 September 2010 Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications Sulphur contents discussed at meeting of transport ministers in Antwerp At the informal meeting of transport ministers in Antwerp (15-16 September), State Secretary Leif Zetterberg today presented Sweden's views and stressed the importance of having uniform sulphur contents in marine fuels throughout Europe. "If the sulphur content of marine fuels is reduced to 0.1 per cent, the Baltic countries will suffer considerable price increases. This would affect Swedish basic industries, among others, and this is not a reasonable alternative," says Mr Zetterberg. In autumn 2008, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) adopted tighter limits on the sulphur content of marine fuel - both at global level and in sulphur emission control areas (SECAs). These include the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the English Channel. Under the new regulations, from 2015 the sulphur content of marine fuels used in SECAs will be reduced to 0.1 per cent by weight. At global level, from 2020 the maximum permissible sulphur content of marine fuel will be reduced to 0.5 per cent by weight. This decision means that different regulations will apply in different parts of Europe. One of the issues on the agenda at the meeting in Antwerp is possible future policies that could ensure reduced environmental impact from short sea shipping and inland waterways, without putting shipping at a disadvantage compared to other modes of transport. "It is important that future guidelines ensure an effective, robust and cohesive European transport system. Such a system should be based on harmonised rules that promote competition on equal terms between different modes of transport and different parts of Europe," says Mr Zetterberg. Contact Henrik Hansson Political Adviser to Åsa Torstensson Press release 08 July 2010 Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications IT for a greener administration Today, the Government adopted 'IT for a greener administration - IT agenda for the environment 2010-2015'. The agenda contains objectives and recommendations in the areas of IT acquisition, IT operation and use, and travel- free meetings. The aim of the agenda is for environmentally sound IT to be used to reduce the state's impact on the environment. "All policy areas have to help us achieve our ambitious climate goals, including IT policy. IT is above all an important aid in achieving efficiency gains in areas such as energy, construction and transport. The public sector can and should be a role model in the use of energy-efficient IT in its environmental work," says Minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson. The agenda is primarily targeted at the agencies that come under the Environmental Management Ordinance and thus present annual reports on their environmental work to the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency and the relevant ministries. The Government is now urging these agencies to also include IT-specific environmental measures in these reports. Other agencies and organisations are also urged to follow the Government's recommendations. In connection with the adoption of the agenda, the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency is also being instructed to develop indicators to measure compliance with the agenda. Following up and measuring results is important so as to be able to monitor developments and take further environmental measures in the area of IT where necessary. 'IT for a greener administration - IT agenda for the environment 2010-2015' is available (in Swedish) at: www.regeringen.se/gronit Contact Kenneth Hultgren Press Secretary to Åsa Torstensson Sofia Holmgren Division for IT Policy +46 8 405 37 47 +46 70 313 53 14 Press release 24 June 2010 Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications Haparanda Declaration on EU agenda At a Council meeting held in Luxembourg today, Minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson presented the Haparanda Declaration to the EU transport ministers. "At last week's Nordic/Baltic ministerial meeting in Haparanda, we agreed on a declaration on continued development of transport within the Northern Dimension. The EU is an important part of these efforts and the fact that I was given an opportunity to present the Haparanda Declaration at today's Council meeting was therefore a very good sign. The response I received from the other ministers was very positive," says Ms Torstensson. Ms Torstensson also had a meeting in Luxembourg about the Haparanda Declaration with the European Transport Commissioner, Siim Kallas. "With Commissioner Kallas, I emphasised the importance of close cooperation with the European Commission to continue to develop the Northern Dimension and thereby also contribute to development in the rest of Europe. He was very interested in our work and I believe that the work surrounding the Haparanda Declaration will continue to be positive," says Ms Torstensson. Ministers and other delegates from the Baltic region and from China gathered in Haparanda on 16-17 June to discuss how the region can continue to work together in the transport area to help boost growth both in the region and in the EU as a whole. "Around 90 per cent of total EU production of iron ore and a substantial proportion of total EU production of forestry-related products come from the Barents region. These are resources from the Baltic region that have a decisive impact on growth throughout Europe," says Ms Torstensson. Contact Kenneth Hultgren Press Secretary to Åsa Torstensson Press release 24 June 2010 Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications Passenger rights still apply with ash cloud At today's Transport Council in Luxembourg, Minister for Communications Åsa Torstensson stressed the importance of continuing to apply passenger rights in circumstances such as those caused by the ash cloud. "If we want to get people to travel using public transport, they need to be sure that their rights will apply even when there are disruptions due to the ash cloud or similar situations. It is not acceptable that stranded travellers are denied their right to compensation. For this reason, I today expressed my own and the Government's view that passengers should be compensated for delays and cancellations in their travel plans regardless of the cause," says Ms Torstensson. Demands have been expressed in the public debate that the EU regulation concerning passenger rights should not apply in situations such as those caused by the ash cloud. When the EU transport ministers discussed the effects of the ash cloud at today's meeting, Ms Torstensson put forward Sweden's view on the matter. "To avoid any uncertainty as to whether passenger rights apply, I drew attention today to the importance of revising the Passenger Rights Regulation to make the liability to pay compensation clear," says Ms Torstensson. Contact Kenneth Hultgren Press Secretary to Åsa Torstensson Press release 19 May 2010 Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications European Commission goes with Swedish proposal on a Digital Agenda for Europe Today the European Commission adopted a Digital Agenda for Europe, a five-year programme the aims of which include increasing access to ICT services in society and enhancing trust and security for those using these services. Sweden has been a driving force in developing the proposal. "I am pleased that people have listened to what we - ICT users, enterprises and politicians - discussed in the context of our Presidency conference in Visby in November last year. In the Visby Declaration, we underlined the importance of a horizontal approach to IT policy, the need for increased access, security for users and ICT as an important part of creating sustainable and green growth," says