"That Sweden has been given responsibility for the EU's environmental work is alarming considering how the government has ruined Sweden's environmental work", says EU parliamentarian Alice Bah Kuhnke (Green Party) in a written comment.
She believes that Roswall will have a tough time in upcoming parliamentary hearings, not least regarding Sweden's persistent no to the EU's nature restoration – which Roswall now needs to support.
She must be able to provide good answers on how she will be able to make such a drastic change. Sweden was the country that pushed for the nature restoration law to be stopped, says Bah Kuhnke to TT in Strasbourg.
Colleague Heléne Fritzon (S) in turn calls Roswall's area of responsibility "both narrow and weak".
Both Finland and Denmark have much heavier portfolios, Fritzon believes.
Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (The Moderate Party) is, however, pleased.
"In her area of responsibility lies the responsibility for the important forestry issues, which are crucial for Sweden's growth and climate transition", he says in a written comment.
He is also pleased that competition issues will get a larger place in environmental policy.
"In Sweden, we merged industrial policy and climate policy when we took office. The Commission is now following the same path – linking business and green transition", he writes.
The Swedish Farmers' Association (LRF) welcomes Roswall's responsibility for forestry issues.
"It is a very important post for agriculture and forestry", says LRF's chairman Palle Borgström in a comment.
"Hopefully, Roswall can contribute to achieving a better view and balance of what an actively managed forest can contribute to, not just replacing fossil products with green ones, and at the same time protecting the environment, water, and biological diversity”.
