Anton Nilsson

A reasonable EU

In many cases, common decisions on major issues are good and reasonable. We need an EU that really has the muscle and powers to deal with the major cross-border challenges. But at the same time, we need an EU that stops regulating in detail and stays away from interfering in people’s lives more than necessary.

Too often we see an EU that regulates unnecessarily, interferes with things we can better manage ourselves and finds big solutions to small problems – without taking local conditions into account. This is not acceptable.

Europe looks different in different places, so one solution for the whole Union does not always work. We need an EU that is serious about letting us decide on issues such as hunting, wolves, snus or wildlife management ourselves.

Security and co-operation go hand in hand

We want to be able to live in a safe and well-functioning society also in the future. However, the criminals and terrorists who threaten our security are not stopped by national borders. Therefore, it’s obvious that law enforcement also needs to work cross-border. In recent years, we have seen numerous examples of everything from organised crime and terrorism to human trafficking in the Union. A holistic approach to law enforcement is needed and the EU should be there to facilitate information sharing and co-operation between national authorities. It’s high time for a European FBI that works across borders to fight crime.

Money laundering and other financial crimes seriously damage confidence in the financial system and must be curbed. The fact that some Member States sell citizenship and thus access to the entire EU internal market is unacceptable and the EU must act to stop it.

Although defence policy is a national competence, it is time to deepen European cooperation in this field. NATO cooperation is important for security in Europe, but EU member states cannot continue to depend on others for their security. It is high time for the EU to step in and take serious responsibility for building a common defence. This involves everything from cooperating on exercises to common structures for purchasing materials.

The EU shall ensure credible military defence and be a strong voice for a rules-based world order and diplomacy. Diplomacy and peace work should be at the frontline of the organisation’s work and policies in the global arena. Various peace solutions, such as the Åland Agreement, should continue to be highlighted as good examples.

Furthermore, the EU’s ability to respond to natural disasters needs to be strengthened. Instead of building up different systems to deal with forest fires, for example, it is both more effective and cheaper if countries and regions cooperate by sharing resources.

Down-to-earth policies

Our nature, rocks, sea and fresh air are our pride and part of our soul. We live off and next to nature and want to continue to do so. But the fact is that we face a serious climate challenge, with climate change and biodiversity loss threatening our way of life in the long term.

To mitigate climate change, we need to work together across borders, and the EU is the best arena for international co-operation. The EU’s climate policy already has a clear direction and objectives. Now it is high time for the EU to move from abstract numbers to focus on concrete actions. The EU must set ambitious limits on greenhouse gas emissions to seriously limit climate change. We have neither the time nor the money for expensive, ineffective symbolic measures.

The EU must also invest in research and development to accelerate the transition to a sustainable society. In this context, forestry plays an important role as a carbon sink. The EU emissions trading scheme provides incentives for companies to participate in creating more energy-efficient production. This model needs to be further developed.

We are proud of our fine, locally produced food and it’s also important for our tourism industry and local business communities. We need open landscapes that give us good, healthy and responsibly produced food on our plates also in the future. For this to be possible, the right conditions must be in place.

The EU needs an ambitious agricultural policy that creates the conditions for rural communities to grow. This is not the case today. We can’t have an expensive agricultural policy that primarily favours large-scale agriculture in continental Europe. The EU’s agricultural policy must support innovative agriculture that safeguards biodiversity and enable our small-scale agriculture to be profitable.

The strict animal welfare rules we have in the Nordic Region are important and there is a need for clear consumer information that allows consumers to prioritise responsibly produced products. No animal should have to suffer in the EU. Antibiotic resistance is a serious problem that needs to be addressed at EU level. The food fraud that we see around the EU must also be stopped.

We need a living sea with a fishing industry that can produce locally caught fish and a sustainable aquaculture that creates jobs and growth. Fishing quotas for large-scale fishing must be set at a long-term sustainable level and ambitious measures are needed to continue to improve the environment of the Baltic Sea. At the same time, the EU’s fisheries policy must not hamper small-scale, coastal fishing. Recreational fishing must continue to be regulated locally.