Contact Caroline Karlsson Press Secretary to Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd

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1 2012 Press release 22 November 2012 Winter tyre requirements for heavy vehicles The Swedish Government today has decided new provisions for winter tyres for heavy vehicles. The new regulation will enter into force on the 1 January This means that all heavy vehicles using Swedish roads must be equipped with winter tyres, or equivalent on the vehicle's driving axle during the period 1 December to 31 March when winter road conditions prevail. In recent winters we have had accidents that have stopped traffic for long periods, even though most heavy vehicles have had tyres with currently adequate tread depth. More stringent requirements will therefore now be introduced. "Today's decision means that one more piece of the jigsaw is in place for safer roads and better accessibility for both the business sector and the individual. The requirements apply to all heavy vehicles regardless of nationality and thus contributes better to safety as well as to equality in competition terms," says Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd, Minister for Infrastructure. Caroline Karlsson

2 02 May 2012 Sweden receives international award for Vision Zero The Swedish government has been awarded the Prince Michael International Road Safety Award for its work with Vision Zero. The prize was established in 1987 and recognizes organizations worldwide for outstanding contribution to the improvement of road safety. The Vision Zero is a unique approach to traffic safety. Approved by all political parties in the Swedish Parliament in 1997, Vision Zero is based on the assumption that any loss of health or life in traffic is unacceptable. On behalf of the Swedish government, State Secretary for Infrastructure Carl von der Esch, will accept the award from His Royal Highness Prince Michael of Kent during a luncheon in New York City 2 May. "I am delighted to accept this award. This is a great opportunity for us to share our experiences with each other. I welcome benchmarking between countries on different strategies and actions taken. The statistics tells us that we are on track and I can see that the vision has put new energy into road safety. The Vision Zero gives us a long term picture of safe mobility", says Carl von der Esch. Congratulating The Swedish Government on receiving his International Award, His Royal Highness says: "Sweden has set a fine example of how road safety can be delivered through effective partnership; Vision Zero has already proved effective in galvanising business and the community into working with government to deliver significant casualty reduction." The awards luncheon is part of a one day conference on road safety organized by the Commission for Global Road Safety, the Road Safety Fund and Prince Michael International Road Safety Awards. The meeting will bring together some of the world's leading road safety professionals and highlight the ongoing global UN Decade of Action for Road Safety Caroline Karlsson

3 2011 Press release 25 November 2011 Ministry for Foreign Affairs Ewa Björling and Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd: This is how we will remove border barriers in infrastructure On November, Minister for Nordic Cooperation Ewa Björling and Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will visit northern Sweden and Norway, as well as Oslo. Together with their Norwegian colleagues, businesses and stakeholders, they will raise issues on cooperation and growth in the High North, with a special focus on infrastructure. The visit will begin with a trip from Kiruna to Narvik on LKAB's ore train. Afterwards, they travel to Oslo to participate in the conference 'The High North - Infrastructure and Industrial Development', arranged by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the embassies of Sweden and Finland, and Voksenåsen Culture and Conference Hotel. Also participating in the conference are Norway's Minister of Transport and Communications Magnhild Meltveit Kleppa and Finland's Minister of Transport Merja Kyllönen. "The High North is emerging as an increasingly important centre for business development. Energy recovery, transport, trade, activities related to ore and minerals, as well as forestry and fishing are just a few examples of important and expanding industries in the area. Development has been fast and the need for coordination and cooperation is increasing at the same rate," says Dr Björling. "It is very important for companies and travellers that transport systems, including cross-border transport, function satisfactorily. In the best case scenario, you should not even notice when you pass a national border," says Ms Elmsäter-Svärd. In connection with the trip between Kiruna and Narvik, the media are invited to a press conference with Dr Björling and Ms Elmsäter-Svärd in Kiruna and one on arrival in Narvik. There will be a photo opportunity in connection with the boarding of the ore train in Björkliden. The media are also invited to a press conference during the High North conference at Voksenåsen Hotel. Time and place Press conference Kiruna airport, Monday 28 November at Photo opportunity at Björkliden railway station during the boarding of the ore train, Monday 28 November at Press conference on arrival to LKAB Narvik, Bolagsgata 40 in Narvik, Monday 28 November at Press conference and High North conference, Voksenåsen Culture and Conference Hotel, Ullveien 4, 0791 Oslo, Tuesday 29 November at Monica Enqvist Press Secretary Caroline Karlsson

4 21 June 2011 Sweden receives award for road safety efforts Today, 21 June, Swedish Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will receive the European Road Safety PIN Award by the European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) as the European country with the best results when it comes to road safety. Ms Elmsäter-Svärd is on hand in Brussels to accept the award on Sweden's behalf. Last year, 266 people died on our roads. This means that Sweden has the lowest number of traffic deaths in proportion to its population. But the number of people who die and are seriously injured in traffic accidents is still unacceptable. Therefore the Government, together with other actors, will continue efforts to improve safety and security on our roads. "Safety on our roads is a high priority issue in Sweden. There are a number of areas in which we have been successful, such as attending to dangerous stretches of road by building median guardrails, using surveillance cameras and setting proper speeds. We can, and will, go even further. Our vehicles must be even better at helping us drive safely in the future. The level of ambition and pace will be further increased," says Ms Elmsäter-Svärd. Niklas Gillström to Niklas Gillström

5 18 April 2011 Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd to attend memorial ceremony for Chernobyl On Tuesday 19 April, Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will take part in a memorial ceremony to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, Ukraine. Ms Elmsäter-Svärd will also represent Sweden at a donor conference in Kiev on the same day. Sweden is contributing EUR 3 million in development assistance, of which EUR 1 million goes to the Chernobyl Shelter Fund and EUR 2 million to a nuclear safety fund. Facts Sweden and Ukraine cooperate on a broad basis on nuclear safety and contribute financial resources both to cover the damaged reactor with a steel sarcophagus and for research and knowledge on how to deal with damaged fuel. Caroline Karlsson

6 13 April 2011 Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd to visit Berlin Infrastructure Summit On 14 April, Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will attend the infrastructure conference Infrastrukturgipfel During the visit Ms Elmsäter-Svärd will also meet her German counterpart Peter Ramsauer. David Erixon Political Advicer to David Erixon

7 06 April 2011 Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd to visit United Arab Emirates On Friday 8 April Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will travel to Dubai to participate in the 59th World Conference on public transport, arranged by the International Association of Public Transport (UITP). Ms Elmsäter-Svärd is travelling together with the Swedish Public Transport Association to promote the Swedish Doubling Project. The target is to double the number of public transport passengers by 2025 compared with today. The programme also includes study visits to the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority and the town's underground railway, as well as a visit to Abu Dhabi, where the minister will visit Khalifa Port and the Abu Dhabi Council for Economic Development. Caroline Karlsson

8 30 March 2011 Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd to Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in Brussels On Thursday 31 March, Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will take part in the Transport, Telecommunications and Energy Council in Brussels. The Council is expected to adopt conclusions on the development of the European satellite navigation programmes. The Commission earlier this year presented a progress report on European satellite navigation programmes Galileo and EGNOS. According to the report, the programmes are making steady progress. Among other things, the launch of the first operational Galileo satellites is scheduled for the summer. The Commission is also to present an estimate of the funding needs of the programmes for the EU financial framework post A fully operational Galileo system will make the EU independent of the US (GPS) and Russian satellite navigation systems. At the Council meeting, the Commission will also present a White Paper, 'Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area - Towards a competitive and resource efficient transport system'. The White Paper contains the Commission's proposals on how to shape future European transport policy. It replaces the current White Paper that extended to 2010 and will be important in determining which concrete proposals for action in the transport sector the Commission will present in the next few years. The White Paper is going to be discussed by the ministers at the next Transport Council meeting in June. Niklas Gillström to Niklas Gillström

9 16 February 2011 Road safety and port call when Minister for Infrastructure visits China Minister for Infrastructure Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd travels to China on Thursday, 17 February, for a five-day visit to Shanghai and Beijing. In Shanghai, the Minister for Infrastructure will visit the Yangshan deep water port, which became the world's largest harbour in While there she will also meet representatives of Chinese shipping companies. In Beijing, Ms Elmsäter-Svärd will promote Swedish road safety by participating in a seminar on road safety, mobility and infrastructure with the Swedish Trade Council. The seminar is highly relevant since Sweden is a world leader in the area. The Minister for Infrastructure will also hold talks with her Chinese colleagues at the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Railways. China Over the past 30 years, China has experienced one of the world's greatest economic transformations, with average growth of nine per cent annually. Today, China is the world's third largest economy. Caroline Karlsson

10 09 February 2011 Minister for Communications opens Rally Sweden 2011 Minister for Communications Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will be attending Rally Sweden on February. County Governor Eva Eriksson and Member of the Riksdag Jan-Evert Rådhström will also be attending. Rally Sweden is the opening round of this year's World Rally Championship and will take place at Färjestad trotting track. Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd will be available for questions from the media in conjunction with the following events on the programme. The programme includes: Thursday, 10 February Approximately 19.50: Opening of World Rally Championship event Rally Sweden by Minister for Communications Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd and County Governor Eva Eriksson (outdoors) The first Super Special Stage starts at Färjestad trotting track. Friday, 11 February Approximately 12.15: Arrival at Rally Sweden's service park at Hagfors airport. Guided tour of World Championship and Swedish Championship rally teams (the first car arrives at 13.07). Niklas Gillström to Niklas Gillström

11 01 February 2011 Government introduces new regulations for clearer taxi fares Today, 1 February, new regulations come into force concerning the display of price information on taxis. Price information stickers on the inside and outside of taxi vehicles will be clearer as a result of the new regulations. "The purpose of the new regulations is to make it easier for taxi passengers to take in price information and understand the fare for their journey. Many customers found the previous format for price information difficult to read and understand. It is positive that it will now be clearer and simpler for customers to calculate the cost of their journey," says Minister for Communications Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd. Recurring relations between customers and taxi drivers are unusual. This makes it easy to exploit the customer's lack of knowledge and bargaining disadvantage. With clear and comprehensible price information, people's confidence in taxis as a means of transport will increase. Facts: The new regulations in Chapter 6 of the Swedish Transport Agency's regulations (TSFS 2010:192) on taxi traffic mean that taxi companies can start to use the new price information stickers on 1 February The previous stickers may remain in use during a transitional period until 30 April Niklas Gillström to Niklas Gillström

12 13 January 2011 Minister for Communications meets Danish counterpart Today, Thursday 13 January, Minister for Communications Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd meets her Danish counterpart, Minister for Transport Hans Christian Schmidt, in Stockholm. "A priority issue is the ongoing Swedish assessment of the need, and conditions, for a new permanent road and rail link between Helsingborg and Helsingör," says Ms Elmsäter-Svärd. There are many transport issues where Sweden and Denmark have common interests and a long tradition of cooperation. On the one hand, our countries' transport links across the Öresund Channel and, on the other, the transport links to the continent. Several EU issues will also be addressed, including matters concerning the jointly prioritised trans-european transport network (TEN-T), new railway regulations and the satellite navigation system Galileo. Furthermore, Denmark is interested in Sweden's new administrative organisation and would like to study the lessons so far of theses reforms.

13 03 January 2011 Minister for Communications comments on accident statistics from the Swedish Transport Administration Today, the Swedish Transport Administration presents the trends in road and rail accidents as well as measures taken during According to the Swedish Transport Administration, 270 people were killed on Swedish roads during With these figures, Sweden has the world's lowest level of road deaths per capita (2.9 fatalities per inhabitants). "It is of course good news that fewer and fewer people are being killed in accidents on our roads. We are on track towards the long-term objective of 'vision zero' in traffic, which was regarded as utopian when it was launched. Vision zero is now also the objective of the EU. With today's figures, Sweden has fulfilled the EU goal of halving the number of deaths between 2001 and 2010," says Minister for Communications Catharina Elmsäter- Svärd. "The Government's reform efforts on road safety have, among other things, led to reduced speeds on our roads and more divided highways with median barriers. The Government's decision to modify the speed limit system in 2009 has obviously paid off, primarily since the reduction in average speeds seems to have saved lives," says Ms Elmsäter-Svärd. Facts: For a long time, the average number of deaths on Swedish roads was around per year. In 1997, the Riksdag ratified the 'vision zero' programme in order to reduce the number of fatalities and serious injuries in traffic. The goal was to cut the number of deaths to under 400 by the year 2000, a goal that was never reached. On the contrary, around 600 people were killed in In 2007, 490 people lost their lives, still somewhat short of the objective. Niklas Gillström to Niklas Gillström

14 2010 Press release 18 October 2010 New State Secretary to Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd The Government has today appointed Carl von der Esch as new State Secretary to Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd at the Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications. Mr von der Esch will be responsible for infrastructure policy. Mr von der Esch most recently served as Deputy Head of the Moderate Party's Coordination Secretariat at the Prime Minister's Office where he was responsible for education, agriculture and defence issues. Caroline Karlsson

15 05 October 2010 Prime Minister's Office Sweden's new government Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has appointed the following government ministers today, 5 October 2010 Ministers and their press contacts are listed below. For new ministers, the press contact given is temporary and applies until further notice. Prime Minister: Fredrik Reinfeldt Roberta Alenius Markus Nordström Minister for EU Affairs: Birgitta Ohlsson Jenny Sonesson Minister for Justice: Beatrice Ask Martin Valfridsson Minister for Migration and Asylum Policy: Tobias Billström Markus Friberg Minister for Foreign Affairs: Carl Bildt Irena Busic Minister for International Development Cooperation: Gunilla Carlsson Peter Larsson Minister for Trade: Ewa Björling Monica Ohlsson Minister for Defence: Sten Tolgfors Mikael Östlund Minister for Health and Social Affairs: Göran Hägglund Petra Kjellarsson Minister for Children and the Elderly: Maria Larsson

16 Niclas Thorselius Minister for Public Administration and Housing: Stefan Attefall Martin Kits Minister for Social Security: Ulf Kristersson Niclas Bengtsson Minister for Finance: Anders Borg Daniel Valiollahi Minister for Financial Markets: Peter Norman Anna Charlotta Johansson Minister for Education and Deputy Prime Minister: Jan Björklund Camilla Hansson Minister for Gender Equality (Deputy Minister for Education): Nyamko Sabuni Yoav Bartal Minister for Rural Affairs: Eskil Erlandsson Anna-Karin Nyman Minister for the Environment: Andreas Carlgren Lennart Bodén Minister for Enterprise and Energy: Maud Olofsson Håkan Lind Minister for Information Technology and Regional Affairs (Deputy Minister for Enterprise): Anna-Karin Hatt Frank Nilsson Minister for Communications: Catharina Elmsäter-Svärd Markus Sjöqvist Minister for Culture and Sport: Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth Sara Bengtsson

17 Minister for Employment: Hillevi Engström Sebastian Carlsson Minister for Integration (Deputy Minister for Employment): Erik Ullenhag Anna Neuman Roberta Alenius Presschef hos Fredrik Reinfeldt Markus Nordström Press Secretary to Fredrik Reinfeldt to Markus Nordström