Sweden’s government plans to scrap the national ban on uranium mining. Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari announced that a bill will be presented on Thursday, with the legal change scheduled to take effect January 1, 2026.
“Our goal is to reduce Sweden’s vulnerability in energy supply and start mining the mineral we already have here,” Pourmokhtari said at a press conference.
The move follows an earlier proposal to strip municipalities of the power to block uranium projects. That reclassification effectively sidelines the so-called municipal veto, a safeguard several local governments have relied on to reject mining plans. Critics warn that the veto’s erosion could expose communities to serious risks for health, water, and farmland.
Pourmokhtari stressed that the two issues—the mining ban and the veto—are technically separate. She described Thursday’s bill as only the “first step in a longer process.”
The opposition sees it differently. The Green Party called the policy reversal a betrayal. “It’s clear the municipal veto is about to disappear entirely,” said Green spokesperson Amanda Lind. “That’s unacceptable given the threats uranium mining poses to local environments, drinking water, and agriculture.”