Local Government in Sweden

Classification: FS 52 u Od Local self-government has a long tradition in Sweden. The first legislation in this field is generally considered to be the Local Government Ordinances of 1862, which separated Church of Sweden tasks from civil ones. Church tasks were assigned to the parishes of this Lutheran State church, while civil tasks were assigned to cities and rural municipal districts. At the regional level, the Ordinances established a new unit of self-government known as the county council (landsting), whose territory normally coincides with the national government's regional administrative unit, the county (län). On January 1, 2000, the Church of Sweden separated from the State. As a result, the parishes have lost their municipal status. In other words, there are now two types of local government bodies in Sweden, with the municipality, kommun, as the local unit and the county council, landsting, (in some cases called a " region ") as the regional unit. The number of municipalities (which cover the entire territory of Sweden) is 289. There are 18 county councils, two regions and the municipality of Gotland. The current Local Government Act, which went into effect in 1992, defines the roles of municipalities, county councils and regions. The tasks of municipalities and county councils The tasks of the local government sector fall into two categories: those fulfilled under the general powers granted to municipalities and county councils under the Local Government Act, and those based on special legislation. The division of labor between the municipal and county council sectors has so far been based essentially on the principle that tasks requiring a larger population base should be handled by the county councils. Health care is a typical example. The Local Government Act stipulates that municipalities and county councils themselves shall take charge of those matters of general interest that are related to their respective territories and that are not the preserve of some other body. Under this general power, municipalities and county councils engage in such fields as the provision of housing, street and road networks, communications and transportation, water and wastewater, generation and distribution of energy, cultural affairs and leisure activities. In recent years, municipalities have also assumed responsibility for a growing number of refugees from abroad, in exchange for special compensation from the State. The specially regulated tasks of municipalities , which they are usually required to provide, include schools, social services, elder care, care …