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Laws and rules

To ensure that the taxpayers’ money is used in the best way and to safeguard competition in the market, authorities must comply with the procurement regulations.

The Swedish procurement regulations consist of four laws: The Public Procurement Act, The Act on Public Procurement in the Utilities Sectors, The Defence and Security Procurement Act, and The Act on Public Procurement of Concessions. Which of these laws you should choose depends on what is to be purchased or which area it concerns.

Procurement laws

Which law should I use?

In certain cases, a contracting authority, such as a municipality, may conduct various types of activities. Sometimes it can be difficult to know which law applies. What determines whether you should use The Public Procurement Act or The Act on Public Procurement in the Utilities Sectors is the primary business to which the contract relates.

The law that you should use depends on:

  • whether the contract is for activities that fall solely under one of the utilities supply areas (water, energy, transport and postal services), or
  • whether the contract is for both such an activity and an activity not covered by The Act on Public Procurement in the Utilities Sectors.

Legal references (in Swedish) for choosing between the four public procurement laws:

Chapter 2, §§ 3–12 and Chapter 3, §§ 1–3 of The Public Procurement Act
Chapter 2, §§ 10–19, 25 and Chapter 3, §§ 1–3 of The Act on Public Procurement in the Utilities Sectors
Chapter 1, §§ 4–6 of The Defence and Security Procurement Act
Chapter 2, §§ 3–20 and Chapter 3, §§ 1–3 of The Act on Public Procurement of Concessions