Gruvprojekt i Sverige : En jämförande studie av tillståndsprocesser

Sammanfattning

This Study examines how the European Union’s raw materials strategy is related to Swedish permitting processes for mining projects, with a particular focus on conflicts between raw material supply, environmental protection, land use, and local interests. The study is based on two Swedish mining projects, Talga in Vittangi and Norra Kärr near the lake Vättern, both involving raw materials classified as critical within the EU Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The purpose of the study is to analyse how the EU’s raw materials strategy is integrated into Swedish mining permit processes and what significance it is given in balancing raw material supply against environmental and local concerns. The study was conducted as a qualitative comparative case study based on document analysis of EU policy documents, Swedish authority documents, and material from the permitting processes for the two projects. The results show that the EU’s raw materials strategy mainly appears through the emphasis on critical raw materials and the need for increased European production linked to the energy transition. At the same time, the Swedish permitting processes are largely shaped by national legislation and local conditions. In the Talga case, issues related to land use, reindeer husbandry, and industrial development are central, while the Norra Kärr case is more strongly associated with environmental risks and concerns regarding water resources near the lake Vättern. The study further shows that conflicts between climate related raw material demand and environmental considerations are a recurring feature of the permitting processes. The EU’s raw materials strategy therefore functions mainly as a broader policy framework and source of legitimacy for the projects, while the practical implementation is shaped within Swedish institutional and legal frameworks. Overall, the study contributes to a deeper understanding of how the increasing demand for critical raw materials connected to the energy transition is managed within national decision-making processes and how competing interests are balanced in Swedish mining permit procedures.