Useful information about the Swedish Police’s purchases

Sustainable purchases – our contribution

Sustainable procurements are an essential tool for contributing to a fairer and greener society.

The majority of products and services impact sustainability in some way when they are manufactured, used, recycled and discarded. Some industries come with a risk of human rights abuses linked to manufacturing and transport.

The Police has a responsibility to minimise the negative impact on sustainability linked to the products and services we buy. Our environmental policy therefore stipulates that we must impose relevant environmental requirements and take social responsibility regarding supplier chains when we purchase products and services.

Here are a few examples of the provisions and targets the Police follows to ensure sustainable purchases:

• The Public Procurement Act
• The Ordinance (2014:480) on the Purchasing of Energy-Efficient Goods, Services and Buildings by Public Authorities
• International chemicals regulations
• International human rights conventions
• The Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals 
• The Government's procurement strategy. 

Corruption and conflicts of interest – how we act

Public procurement is often highlighted as an area at particular risk of corruption. The Police works actively and systematically to prevent irregularities related to its procurements. This means that we do not accept gifts, and matters concerning conflicts of interest are taken seriously. You can read more about corruption within public procurements on the Swedish Competition Authority’s website.

Public information and secrecy

The principle of access to public information entitles anyone to access public documents held by a public authority. This also includes procurements, meaning that as a rule, the public is entitled to access procurement documentation, tenders submitted by suppliers, and agreements between the procuring organisations and their suppliers. However, there are limitations to the principle of access to public information. To be covered by this principle, a document must first be considered public. But even if a document is public – and can therefore be accessed by anyone – this does not mean that all information contained in the document may be distributed. The right to access information in public documents may be limited by provisions governing secrecy. Read more about this on the National Agency for Public Procurement’s website.

Classified procurements

Companies who supply the Police may need to sign a protective security agreement should their tasks fall under protective security legislation. Read more about classified procurements on the page about procurements subjected to protective security.