Laws and regulations
Objectives
To help reform the regulatory framework for seafood in Sweden in a way that supports and encourages sustainable food production while minimizing unnecessary regulatory barriers.
Methodology
Legal conflicts and poorly functioning administrative solutions will be identified and solutions proposed through multidisciplinary research combining law and other Blue Food scientific disciplines, together with input from industry representatives. Laws and regulations at different levels - such as municipal master plans, national permitting systems and legal rules at EU level, including legislation on water protection, spatial planning, biodiversity and human and animal safety - will be inventoried and analyzed. The analysis will build on the legal doctrine of sustainable development and established principles for dealing with overlaps, conflicts, gaps and uncertainties in regulatory systems at many levels. The project will develop recommendations for commercial, scientific and regulatory actors on how identified conflicts and uncertainties can be constructively addressed or rectified. The work will use the legal analysis previously built up within the Swemarc center, and build on extensive practical experience on permitting and compliance from several of the Blue Food Consortium's partners in industry and academia.
Expected results
- Scientific publications that contribute to the discourse on regulatory barriers to sustainable food production.
- Easily accessible recommendations to legislators and administrative entities on how to support sustainable seafood production, and how new uses can be realized, without undermining legislative protection.
- Provide knowledge to reform the regulatory structures affecting seafood production.
Illustration: Screenshot from government website