Municipalities, counties and regions in Sweden bears responsibility for ensuring that people have access to housing, health care, waste management and schools. These are services of general interest to all citizens. Many of these services are also provided in areas where new markets are being developed. When this happens EU law requirements have implications for the discretion of local authorities. Today, it is unclear how local authorities can ensure good public services in areas where private parties are not able to act in an efficient way. EU law provides some flexibility to help local authorities to maintain a good standard of welfare services throughout the country. Therefore it is necessary to develop ways in which services of general economic interest within the meaning of EU law are better related to Swedish law and practice. The local self-government and the local level of freedom of organization need to be seen in a European context.

At the seminar the report EU, lokala marknader och allmänintresset was presented. The report is part of the research project Social Europe.

Helena Linde, Legal Counsel at SKL (Local Authorities and Regions) and Jörgen Hettne, Senior Researcher in Law at SIEPS will at the seminar discuss issues related to EU law and the tension between the market and the public interest.

Time: Mondag May 9, 2011 at 13.30 - 14.30
Venue: Palmesalen at ABF-huset, Sveavägen 41, Stockholm, Sweden

Registration: No registration required

The seminar is free of charge and is held in Swedish. All participants will recieve a copy of the analysis.

The seminar is arranged in cooperation with SKL, Local Authorities and Regions, and is a part of the Europe Day activities. More information is available www.europadagen.se