County administrative boards

There are 21 county administrative boards in Sweden, one in each county. This board is a government agency that represents the Riksdag and Government in the county and serves the best interests of residents. It is the job of the county administrative board to see that the decisions taken by the Government and the Riksdag have the best possible effects in that county.

What does the county administrative board do?

Sweden is divided into 21 counties, each of which has an administrative board and a county governor. You apply to the administrative board for a driving licence or hunting licence, but also for a grant to help preserve the environment or the cultural landscape. The county administrative board is an agency with many strings to its bow. When foot-and-mouth disease was spreading abroad, for example, veterinarians attached to the county administrative boards maintained full preparedness. In severe crises, such as environmental disasters and serious accidents, the county administrative boards can coordinate rescue measures.

It is the job of the county administrative board to see that decisions taken by the Government and the Riksdag in the areas in which they work have the best possible effects in the county. The county administrative board also has important responsibilities with regard to many of the services provided by the local authorities, checking up on and monitoring compliance with laws and guidelines. Inspections of housing for the elderly or youth homes are one such example.

The Ministry of Finance seeks to ensure that the county administrative boards are in a position to do a good job, e.g. by seeing to it that there is a reasonable balance between their responsibilities and their resources. The Ministry of Finance is also in charge of development and coordination at the Government Offices concerning the orientation, governance and follow-up of county administrative board activities. Other Government Offices ministries, however, are responsible for specific activities in their own sphere that concern the county administrative boards. The Ministry of the Environment, for example, is responsible for issues related to nature conservation and environmental protection, while the Ministry of Industry, Employment and Communications looks after matters that concern the business sector.

Pilot schemes

In the counties of Västra Götaland and Skåne, regional trials are currently underway involving changes in the division of responsibility between central and local government. The responsibility for regional development has been transferred from the county administrative board to the county council. Another pilot project is in progress on Gotland, where the county labour board and the county forestry board are now included in the county administrative board.

More joint action more influence

Since mid-2002, municipalities in all counties have had the option of establishing coordination bodies for regional development in the form of local federations, provided all municipalities in the county join the federation. The coordination body can take over responsibility for regional development from the county administrative board. This entails, among other things, assuming responsibility for drawing up programmes for the countys long-term development and proposals for regional growth programmes. In 2003 there are municipal coordination bodies in the counties of Uppsala, Östergötland, Kalmar, Gotland, Blekinge, Halland and Dalarna.