European Union

Membership of the European Union (EU) forms the basis of Sweden's foreign and security policy, development assistance policy and trade policy. Within the Government Offices, these issues, along with issues such as the EU enlargement policy and the EU internal market, are mainly handled by the MFA. The Prime Minister's Office has overall responsibility for horizontal EU issues such as the Lisbon Strategy for growth, employment and sustainable development, the EU's long-term budget or reform of the EU Treaty. A brief description of the MFA's area of responsibility regarding EU cooperation follows below, with links to more detailed information.

• The EU Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP)

  Sweden's membership of the EU means that we participate fully in EU's Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP). Membership means that we are part of a political alliance, based on a community of values and mutual solidarity. The EU is also a tool that allows us to take joint action and thus have a greater impact.

• Development cooperation via the EU

  The EU is the world's largest aid donor - together, the Member States and the European Commission account for more than half the world's development assistance. The European Commission's development cooperation accounts for about 10 per cent of global aid.

• EU trade policy

  EU trade policy consists partly of the rules for trade within the EU - the internal market - and partly of joint action taken by the EU in establishing global and regional rules for imports and exports, for example in the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

• The EU internal market

  The internal market, with free movement of goods, services, capital and people, is one of the cornerstones of EU cooperation. The internal market is comprised of the 27 EU Member States and the EEA countries Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein. The internal market project aims to achieve open trade, dismantle trade barriers, promote competition and better legislation in the interests of both companies and consumers.

• EU enlargement

  Sweden has supported the EU enlargement process from the start, and is proactive in moving the process forward. Accession negotiations are currently being conducted with Croatia and Turkey, while negotiations with candidate country Macedonia have not yet been initiated. Sweden also considers it important that the countries of the Western Balkans develop closer ties to the EU. The continued integration with the EU and the requirements that follow from this act as a catalyst for the reform process in all these countries. The Swedish Government has therefore given priority to the issue of enlargement during the Swedish Presidency of the EU in 2009.