Sveriges Radio's revelation about Sweden's protest against France and Spain, when they wanted to ban white snus, has received a lot of attention.
Sveriges Radio was able to show that the Swedish Board of Commerce had taken arguments from a person close to the snus industry. It was used as objective information that a ban on white snus risks public health.
The arguments from the Swedish Board of Commerce have since been used to try to prevent Spain and France from banning white snus.
Sveriges Radio now has a new revelation: The government has continued to use the public health argument, even though the Swedish Board of Trade no longer supports it.
The Board of Trade is changing
Sveriges Radio's reporter has seen a document that shows that the Commercial College's administrator sends a clarification to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs shortly after the interview with Sveriges Radio.
The case officer writes that it can be perceived as highlighting claims from snus organizations as accepted knowledge.
The administrator crosses out several public health claims in red.
But when Sweden protests against Austria's regulation of white snus and e-cigarettes in March 2026, the government still chooses to use arguments about public health.
The government is not changing
– We always listen to all our authorities that come with referrals and expert opinions, but we live in a democracy, we are not North Korea. It is elected politicians who decide what the policy should look like, says Minister of Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa (M) to Sveriges Radio.
Source: Government lodges protest against regulation of white snus | Sveriges Radio
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