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Debate
Political obstacles give China the upper hand
The hostage drama is finally over. Recently, it was announced that the government will adopt the detailed plan for the Talga graphite mine developed by the Norrbotten County Administrative Board. This means that the mine in Vittangi in the municipality of Kiruna can finally open after six years of waiting. But now that this hostage situation has been resolved, a bigger one awaits, involving China, writes Ida Wallinder, project manager at the Timbro Environmental Institute.
Published: February 10, 2026, 9:47 a.m.
Swedish legislation, spearheaded by the Environmental Code, is designed to preserve rather than develop. This is what keeps us dependent on China and, if nothing else is done, means that the hostage situation will simply change actors, writes Ida Wallinder, project manager at the Timbro Environmental Institute.
In recent years, there has been heated debate about the EU's dependence on Chinese mining products. Politicians have gone all out, talking about the great need for rare earth elements in the defense industry, the green transition, and ongoing technological development. And yes, the politicians are right. The EU currently imports around 100,000 tons of graphite each year, making us 98 percent dependent on imports. At the same time, Talga has the ambition to cover over 16 percent of the EU's demand for natural graphite by 2030.
The debate finally culminated in the adoption of the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). This regulation makes it possible to designate strategic projects that can be fast-tracked in trials and processes.
But anyone who thinks that clearer guidelines are needed to break Chinese dominance is mistaken. The story of Talga's graphite mine is an absurd illustration of how municipal planning monopolies can be abused, but above all of the number of sidings, double checks, and safety valves built into the system. The application for an environmental permit and processing concession was submitted back in the spring of 2020.
After the case had been heard by all instances, it was clear in October 2024: the mine had been granted an environmental permit. There was no conflict with the activities of the appealing Sami communities, as mining operations would only be carried out during the six months when reindeer herding is not practiced in the area. The project had thus been carefully reviewed and deemed to be both environmentally sustainable and compatible with other interests.
At this point, everything should have been settled. A land allocation and detailed plan from Kiruna Municipality should have been a mere formality. But that was not the case. The municipality, governed by the Social Democrats, the Left Party, the Feminist Initiative, and the Sami List, chose to block the process. The reason? They want the state to introduce some form of extraction tax that goes to municipalities with mining operations.
This is an issue that should be dealt with at the respective party conferences rather than using the exercise of authority as a means of blackmail. The government then did something historic. For the first time, it used its power to order a municipality to draw up a detailed plan and announced that the county administrative board would take over the task if the municipality did not comply. And so it came to pass.
The problem is that this option exists at all. The mining company had succeeded in obtaining a permit for its operations, which was incredible given the number of national interests, nature conservation issues, and complex legislation involved. However, despite the fact that all authorities had already determined that the mine meets environmental requirements, a detailed plan is still needed to ensure the suitability of the land. This will be the third instance to examine the same issue.
In the midst of all this, the project was also designated as a strategically important project that allows for fast-track approval through the CRMA. But real development and growth require reasonable processes for all operators, not just politicians' latest prestige projects.
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Both the EU's adoption of the CRMA and the government's injunction are good emergency solutions, but they are just that – emergency solutions that do not address the much bigger problem. Swedish legislation, with the Environmental Code at the forefront, is designed to preserve rather than develop. This is what keeps us dependent on China and, if nothing more is done, will only change the players in the hostage situation."
DEBATT: Gisslandramat är äntligen över. Nyligen kom beskedet att regeringen antar den detaljplan för Talgas grafitgruva som länsstyrelsen i Norrbotten tagit…
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I wonder how many Swedes in the country with the world's greatest freedom of the press know that the Chinese are refusing to supply Sweden with graphite in order to exert pressure.
*It would help if the authorities, agencies, and courts did not use every opportunity to delay this project with decisions that favor the socialists, environmentalists, Sami, and Chinese alike.