Financial markets

The importance of maintaining active competition enforcement with regard to markets and companies in times of crisis was a recurring message during the European Competition Day conference.

The Government adopted guidelines for the Swedish National Debt Office’s national debt management. The guideline decision for 2023 amends the steering of national debt composition to gradually phase out national debt foreign currency exposure, with a target value of zero from 2027. Progress will be evaluated against a constant rate of reduction for the period 2023–2026. Furthermore, the reporting of private market borrowing results will cease.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will conduct a review of the financial sector and the work of the authorities on financial stability, a so-called FSAP (Financial Sector Assessment Program) in 2022. FSAPs are conducted regularly for countries with systemically important financial markets. In its report, the IMF will highlight any flaws and risks in the system and propose measures to deal with them.

Swedish National Debt Office is instructed by the Government to issue green bonds in 2020 at the latest. The framework differentiates between green bonds and other bonds, and will demonstrate how the proceeds from the bonds are linked to the green expenditures in the central government budget. The framework was presented 5 June 2020.

The remit of the inquiry has been to make a comprehensive analysis of the implications of the potential participation of Sweden in the European banking union.

The Nordic and Baltic financial stability authorities have conducted a joint financial crisis management exercise. The exercise was held from 22 to 23 January 2019 and involved 31 authorities from Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden as well as relevant European Union authorities. A staff member of the International Monetary Fund observed the simulation.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) will visit Sweden at the invitation of the Ministry of Finance and Sveriges Riksbank both in mid-April and in August to make a special assessment of the financial sector and the public authorities’ work on financial stability, what is known as an FSAP (Financial Sector Assessment Program). The IMF’s report will take up any deficiencies and risks it may detect and propose measures to deal with them.