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Strukturella risker och beslutsunderlag i vindkraftsprövningen - Om utredningskrav, kommunal tillstyrkan och utrymmet för en alternativ prövningsprocess

Fyhr Dehn, Sara LU (2026) JURM02 20261
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
This thesis discusses the permit process for onshore wind power, focusing on the requirements for the decision-making basis, the distinction between rejection and requests for additional information, and the use of the municipal veto. The purpose is to examine whether there are reasons and legal possibilities to introduce an alternative review process, and how such a process could be designed in a more practical and proportionate way.
The analysis shows that the boundary between rejection and completion in case law is somewhat unclear. The main rule is that deficiencies should be addressed through requests for completion, while rejection is only applied in cases of more serious deficiencies that cannot be remedied within the process. At... (More)
This thesis discusses the permit process for onshore wind power, focusing on the requirements for the decision-making basis, the distinction between rejection and requests for additional information, and the use of the municipal veto. The purpose is to examine whether there are reasons and legal possibilities to introduce an alternative review process, and how such a process could be designed in a more practical and proportionate way.
The analysis shows that the boundary between rejection and completion in case law is somewhat unclear. The main rule is that deficiencies should be addressed through requests for completion, while rejection is only applied in cases of more serious deficiencies that cannot be remedied within the process. At the same time, the assessment is partly context-dependent and must be made based on the circumstances of each individual case.
With respect to the decision-making basis, the study shows that the applicable requirements are largely shaped by the Environmental Code and judi- cial practice. However, there is a lack of clear guidance as to what an application must contain. Consequently, the requirements tend to be extensive and vary depending on the location and scope of the project, which in practice leads to frequent requests for completion, prolonged procedures, and increased costs.
The thesis further demonstrates that the requirement of municipal approval constitutes a significant structural risk, as it may ultimately determine the outcome of the permitting process irrespective of the quality of the underlying application. Moreover, a municipal veto issued at an early or intermedia- te stage may result in the rejection of an application, even though the municipality retains the ability to alter its position at any time.
In conclusion, while the permitting process is, in principle, functional, it gives rise in practice to an imbalance between the burden of investigation and structural risks. The findings suggest that there are reasons to consider reforms of the system, both by lowering the requirements for the decision- making basis at an early stage and by reconsidering the application of the municipal veto. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Uppsatsen behandlar tillståndsprocessen för landbaserad vindkraft, med fokus på vilka krav som ställs på beslutsunderlaget, gränsdragningen mellan avvisning och komplettering samt det kommunala vetots tillämpning. Syftet är att undersöka om det finns anledning och rättsligt utrymme att öppna upp för en alternativ prövningsprocess, samt att undersöka hur en sådan process kan utformas på ett mer ändamålsenligt och proportionerligt sätt.
Analysen visar att gränsen mellan avvisning och komplettering i praxis är något otydlig. Huvudregeln är att brister ska hanteras genom komplettering, medan avvisning endast sker vid mer allvarliga brister som inte kan läkas inom ramen för processen. Samtidigt är bedömningen delvis kontextberoende eftersom... (More)
Uppsatsen behandlar tillståndsprocessen för landbaserad vindkraft, med fokus på vilka krav som ställs på beslutsunderlaget, gränsdragningen mellan avvisning och komplettering samt det kommunala vetots tillämpning. Syftet är att undersöka om det finns anledning och rättsligt utrymme att öppna upp för en alternativ prövningsprocess, samt att undersöka hur en sådan process kan utformas på ett mer ändamålsenligt och proportionerligt sätt.
Analysen visar att gränsen mellan avvisning och komplettering i praxis är något otydlig. Huvudregeln är att brister ska hanteras genom komplettering, medan avvisning endast sker vid mer allvarliga brister som inte kan läkas inom ramen för processen. Samtidigt är bedömningen delvis kontextberoende eftersom frågan ska bedömas utifrån omständigheterna i det enskilda fallet.
När det gäller beslutsunderlaget framgår att kraven i hög grad styrs av miljöbalken och praxis, men att det saknas tydliga riktlinjer för vad en ansökan ska innehålla. Kraven blir därför ofta omfattande och varierar beroende på lokalisering och verksamhetens omfattning, vilket leder till många kompletteringar, långa processer och höga kostnader.
Uppsatsen visar också att den kommunala tillstyrkan innebär en stor strukturell risk, eftersom den kan avgöra utfallet oberoende av hur väl underbyggd ansökan är. Samtidigt innebär ett veto som meddelas tidigt eller mitt i handläggningen av ärendet att tillståndsansökan avslås trots att kommunen när som helst kan ändra sitt ställningstagande.
Sammantaget dras slutsatsen att processen i grunden fungerar, men att den i praktiken skapar en obalans mellan utredningsbörda och risker. Uppsatsen landar i att det finns skäl att överväga förändringar i systemet, både genom lägre krav på beslutsunderlag i ett inledande skede och genom en ändrad tillämpning av det kommunala vetot. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Fyhr Dehn, Sara LU
supervisor
organization
alternative title
Structural Risks and Decision-Making Foundations in Wind Power Permitting On Investigation Requirements, Municipal Approval, and the Scope for an Alternative Review Process
course
JURM02 20261
year
type
H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
subject
keywords
Vindkraft, Kommunal tillstyrkan, Kommunalt veto, Miljörätt, Offentlig rätt
language
Swedish
id
9226617
date added to LUP
2026-06-03 09:30:09
date last changed
2026-06-03 09:30:09
@misc{9226617,
  abstract     = {{This thesis discusses the permit process for onshore wind power, focusing on the requirements for the decision-making basis, the distinction between rejection and requests for additional information, and the use of the municipal veto. The purpose is to examine whether there are reasons and legal possibilities to introduce an alternative review process, and how such a process could be designed in a more practical and proportionate way.
The analysis shows that the boundary between rejection and completion in case law is somewhat unclear. The main rule is that deficiencies should be addressed through requests for completion, while rejection is only applied in cases of more serious deficiencies that cannot be remedied within the process. At the same time, the assessment is partly context-dependent and must be made based on the circumstances of each individual case.
With respect to the decision-making basis, the study shows that the applicable requirements are largely shaped by the Environmental Code and judi- cial practice. However, there is a lack of clear guidance as to what an application must contain. Consequently, the requirements tend to be extensive and vary depending on the location and scope of the project, which in practice leads to frequent requests for completion, prolonged procedures, and increased costs.
The thesis further demonstrates that the requirement of municipal approval constitutes a significant structural risk, as it may ultimately determine the outcome of the permitting process irrespective of the quality of the underlying application. Moreover, a municipal veto issued at an early or intermedia- te stage may result in the rejection of an application, even though the municipality retains the ability to alter its position at any time.
In conclusion, while the permitting process is, in principle, functional, it gives rise in practice to an imbalance between the burden of investigation and structural risks. The findings suggest that there are reasons to consider reforms of the system, both by lowering the requirements for the decision- making basis at an early stage and by reconsidering the application of the municipal veto.}},
  author       = {{Fyhr Dehn, Sara}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Strukturella risker och beslutsunderlag i vindkraftsprövningen - Om utredningskrav, kommunal tillstyrkan och utrymmet för en alternativ prövningsprocess}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}