Uranium mining and prospecting allowed in Sweden again – What consequences and opportunities do the legal changes bring?

What consequences and opportunities arise from the legal changes following the lifting of the ban on uranium extraction in Sweden?

The Swedish Parliament has decided to adopt proposals for legislative changes, which, among other things, mean that uranium mining and prospecting will be allowed in Sweden again. As part of the implementation of these changes, municipalities right to approve (veto) smaller-scale uranium activities will be removed. The legislative changes are being implemented as part of efforts to increase Sweden’s and the EU’s ability to be more self-sufficient in critical raw materials.

Background

On 5 November 2025 the Swedish Parliament decided to implement changes to the legislation, which will make it possible to extract and prospect for uranium in Sweden again. The changes are mainly being implemented by reclassifying uranium as a concession mineral and by limiting the government’s mandatory permit review to only larger operations. This also means that municipal approval (the veto right) will no longer apply to smaller-scale extraction.

The legislative changes are proposed to come into effect on 1 January 2026.

Increased demand for Uranium

Demand for uranium has increased due to renewed interest in nuclear power as a fossil-free energy source. The EU also has a clear objective of achieving greater self-sufficiency in critical metals and minerals. Sweden’s bedrock is rich in uranium and it is estimated that approximately 28% of all known uranium deposits in Europe are located in Sweden.

Until 2018 uranium extraction was permitted in Sweden but was prohibited, among other reasons, due to being economically unviable. Against the backdrop of growing global demand for uranium, interest in extraction and prospecting has increased in recent years. It should also be noted that mining and exploration of potential deposits require permits under several regulations.

Uranium mining allowed in Sweden again

The decided changes mainly entail the following:

Uranium extraction will be allowed and uranium is reintroduced as a concession mineral

The current ban on granting permits for the extraction, processing, or enrichment of uranium-bearing material is being abolished. As part of this change it will once again be possible to prospect for uranium and apply for exploration permits or processing concessions under the same conditions as for other concession minerals.

Limitations on municipal veto rights for small-scale extraction

The governments mandatory review for small-scale uranium extraction is being removed. This change, in turn, eliminates the requirement for municipal approval (veto rights) for small-scale uranium extraction. For full-scale mining operations with significant environmental impact, government permits will still be required, and municipalities will continue to have the ability to influence the process through their veto rights.

No transitional provisions are needed

No transitional provisions are proposed, which means that existing exploration permits, which apply to all concession minerals, will also cover uranium when the changes come into effect. However, new applications will still be required for exploitation concession.

Reflections

The lifting of the ban on uranium extraction represents a significant change in Sweden’s management of natural resources and is part of efforts to make the EU self-sufficient in critical minerals. In practice, the changes mean that uranium will be treated like other concession minerals, and existing mining operations will have the opportunity to explore and extract uranium within the scope of their current operations.

By allowing prospecting and geological surveys, the changes will increase opportunities for stakeholders to search for uranium in Sweden. Since Sweden aims to develop new nuclear power, the legislative changes could also contribute to becoming self-sufficient and less dependent on uranium imports from abroad. It will be interesting to follow developments in the mining sector over the coming years and see what consequences and opportunities the changes may have for Sweden’s ability to maintain its position as a leading mining nation.

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(Please note that this article is intended solely as a general informational overview and should not be considered binding legal advice for any individual case.)