Sweden

The Ministry of Culture is responsible for issues concerning cultural policy and media policy.

The culture policy covers issues concerning cultural heritage, theatre, dance and music, artistic acitivities, achitecture, form and design, film, literature and reading etc. The media policy covers issues concerning public service radio and television, daily newspapers, media concentration, action against the portrayal of violence in the media, including film censorship and new media and new technology etc.

On the international arena, the Ministry is responsible for the coordination of international issues in the cultural and media field, including EU coordination and Swedish Counsellors for Cultural Affairs stationed in other countries.
Each Ministry is principal for a number of government agencies, foundations, associations and companies. These are responsible for the day-to-day operations of public administration. The Government decides on objectives, guidelines and the allocation of resources for agency activities. But it does not determine how agencies should apply a law or what decision they should take in specific cases. In December each year the Government issues appropriations directions for agencies on the basis of decisions by Parliament, and these directions set out the objectives of the agency activities.

Responsibility for public support to the cultural sector is shared between the State and local government, i.e. the county councils and municipalities. Parliament decides, following proposals from the Government, on matters like policy objectives and appropriations for various purposes.
The Government presents Bills to Parliament on various matters, including the state budget and legislative changes, and it also appoints inquiries. The Government sets the objectives for agencies and commissions them to carry our various tasks. The annual appropriation directions instruct agencies on the financial frames and rules for budget appropriations. The agencies allocate finance to various cultural activities.

The county councils are responsible for regional activities. These include both subsidies to regional cultural institutions - county theatres, county music institutions, county museums and county libraries - and subsidies to popular movements and non-governmental organisations. The county administrative boards are responsible for cultural environment work at regional level in collaboration with the county museums.
The municipalities work on services at local level - libraries and music schools, as well as subsidies to activities like local orchestras, theatre groups, municipal museums and local cultural environment work.

For more information on Swedish culture:
Ministry of Culture
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The official gateway to Swedish Culture