Special investigator Fredrik Wersäll calls current legislation "strikingly square" and suggests moving from prohibition-based legislation to a balancing of interests at the specific location.
A reform of coastal protection is part of the Tidö Agreement. Acting Minister of Climate and Environment Johan Britz (L) sees shortcomings in current legislation and wants increased freedom for landowners and those who need to run businesses near water.
"This means that individuals will have greater opportunities. It is the government's ambition, in any case, that individuals should have greater opportunities to build a shed or a pier on their plots of land near water," says Britz.
Criticism of the proposal
Emma Nohrén (MP), chair of the Environment and Agriculture Committee, calls the proposal insane.
"Beach protection is a cornerstone of outdoor life and nature conservation, which ensures the right of public access and everyone's access to our beaches. The government's proposal benefits only a few at the expense of all the rest of us and the environment," she says in a written comment.
The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation is also critical.
"Our beaches should be for everyone, not just those who can afford to pay. Once beaches have been built up, they cannot be taken back in practice," says Secretary General Karin Lexén in a press release.
Municipalities will be given responsibility for overall planning and permit review for construction near water. Coastal protection will be replaced by a “beach permit” comparable to today’s building permit. It will also be easier to build near existing homes and to replace buildings that have burned down or been destroyed in some other way.
Continued protection
There will continue to be protection for sensitive environments, Wersäll emphasizes.
I want to emphasize that coastal protection is not the only protection available for sensitive environments, but there are great opportunities to protect protected areas.
The investigator was initially supposed to submit his proposals to the Minister of Climate and Environment on June 30, but has requested more time and been granted a six-month extension.
