Civil defence

Civil defence embraces the whole of society including all the services that need to function in times of crisis and war, such as health care, rescue services, and the electricity and water supply.

Municipalities, county councils, county administrative boards, central government agencies, many companies and other organisations all have important roles to play in the civil defence sector. Civil defence is not an organisation; it consists of a diverse range of activities conducted by society to strengthen the ability to cope with a state of heightened alert and war. A holistic approach is to be applied it shall be possible to use the resources created to deal with a war in severe crises in peacetime as well.

Objectives

Civil defence embraces all non-military activity by society, which is to take place in war. Under peacetime conditions, civil defence activity is carried out to increase the ability of society to withstand armed attack. Civil defence activity is to be guided by the responsibility principle, which means that the body responsible for an activity in peacetime has the corresponding responsibility during a war.

The objectives of civil defence are to:

• protect the civilian population
• contribute to peace and security in the world around us
• strengthen societys ability to prevent and manage severe peacetime emergencies

Civil defence planning is based on armed attack. A holistic approach is to be applied, however, to measures against threats and risks in peace and war. It should therefore also be possible to use the resources created to deal with a war in the event of serious events in peacetime.

New conditions for civil defence

In the light of the periodic review of security policy carried out by the Government in 1999, measures aimed at defence against invasion have been reduced. At the same time, the players in the civil defence sector must be able to increase preparedness in the event of a changed security policy situation. It must be possible within a frame of five or ten years (the adjustment periods) to be able to increase capacity to enable Sweden to resist different forms of attack. The activities of the civil defence are to be adapted to the new conditions.

In 2002, extensive changes were carried out due to the reform that came into force on 1 July in accordance with the proposals made by the Government in Government Bill Societys security and preparedness. This reform led to the setting up of a new agency, the Swedish Emergency Management Agency on 1 July 2002. The tasks of the agency are to plan for preparation for severe emergencies in peacetime and for an increased level of alert. Municipalities and county administrative boards have also been given increased responsibility.