# Act (2017:1200) on tax on air travel

> Swedish law from 2017

**Wikidata**: [Q100651354](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100651354)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/act-2017-1200-on-tax-on-air-travel

## Summary
The **Act (2017:1200) on tax on air travel** is a Swedish statute enacted in 2017 that establishes a departure tax on flights, specifically aimed at climate change mitigation. Officially titled *Lag (2017:1200) om skatt på flygresor*, the law was published on November 30, 2017, and became effective on April 1, 2018. It serves as a formal legal document within the Swedish Code of Statutes, applying to the jurisdiction of Sweden.

## Key Facts
- **Official Title:** *Lag (2017:1200) om skatt på flygresor*
- **Legal Citation:** SFS 2017:1200
- **Country:** Sweden
- **Classification:** Instance of a statute and a departure tax
- **Main Subject:** Climate change mitigation
- **Publication Date:** November 30, 2017
- **Effective Date:** April 1, 2018
- **Published In:** Swedish Code of Statutes 2017
- **Copyright Status:** Public domain (determined by Swedish copyright act 2 chapter 26 §)
- **Language:** Swedish
- **Maintained By:** Project Riksdagen's documents
- **Document ID:** sfs-2017-1200
- **Climate Policy Radar ID:** act-2017-1200-on-tax-on-air-travel_8401
- **Available Formats:** HyperText Markup Language (HTML) and Office Open XML Wordprocessing Document
- **Access URLs:** Available via the Riksdagen website and government data portals

## FAQs
**When did the air travel tax take effect in Sweden?**
The law was published on November 30, 2017, but its provisions became effective on April 1, 2018.

**What is the primary goal of this act?**
The act's main subject is climate change mitigation, functioning as a departure tax to address environmental impacts associated with air travel.

**Where can I find the official text of the law?**
The document is available on the Riksdagen website in both HTML and Office Open XML formats and is recorded in the Swedish Code of Statutes.

**Is the Swedish air travel tax act copyrighted?**
No, the statute is in the public domain based on the Swedish copyright act (2 chapter 26 §), meaning it is not subject to copyright restrictions.

**What legal classification does this act fall under?**
It is classified as a "statute," which is a formal written document that creates law, and specifically as a "departure tax."

## Why It Matters
This act is significant as it represents the Swedish government's legislative approach to environmental policy, specifically utilizing fiscal measures to mitigate climate change. By formalizing a tax on air travel, the statute translates abstract climate goals into concrete, enforceable legal rules. As a statute, it serves as the primary instrument through which the state exercises authority in this domain, ensuring that the mandate is documented, accessible, and legally binding. Its status as a public domain document further reinforces democratic principles, guaranteeing that citizens and legal professionals have unrestrained access to the laws governing them. The act also illustrates the function of statutes as "manifestations of statutory law," distinct from the broader concept of legislation, by providing the specific textual reference (SFS 2017:1200) used in legal and administrative contexts.

## Notable For
- **Dual Classification:** Explicitly categorized as both a "statute" (a formal written document) and a "departure tax" in legal knowledge systems.
- **Climate Policy Indexing:** Recognized and indexed in the Climate Policy Radar with a specific ID, highlighting its role in global environmental databases.
- **Digital Preservation:** Maintained by "Project Riksdagen's documents" with availability in structured machine-readable formats (HTML and XML), facilitating high accessibility and data interoperability.
- **Specific Copyright Determination:** Its public domain status is legally grounded in the specific citation of the "Swedish copyright act 2 chapter 26 §," providing clear legal certainty regarding its reuse.
- **Jurisdictional Scope:** Applies specifically to Sweden, a Nordic country known for high environmental standards and a robust welfare state.

## Body

### Legal Nature and Classification
The Act (2017:1200) on tax on air travel is a formal written document that creates law, falling under the class of **statute**. As a statute, it is a subclass of a written work and a document, serving as the tangible manifestation of statutory law. It is distinct from abstract legal concepts, functioning instead as the official record of legal rules enacted by the government. In addition to being a general statute, it is specifically classified as a **departure tax**, indicating its function as a fiscal instrument levied on specific modes of transport. Structurally, the act is composed of legal norms and is considered a "part of" the broader legal framework of Sweden.

### Legislative Timeline and Status
The legislative timeline for this act is clearly defined within the Swedish Code of Statutes. It was officially published on **November 30, 2017**, under the publication year 2017. Following its publication, there was a period before the law became enforceable; the **effective date** is recorded as **April 1, 2018**. This interval between publication and effectiveness is standard for statutes, allowing for administrative preparation and public notice. The act is cited legally as **SFS 2017:1200**, which serves as its unique identifier within the Swedish legal system.

### Jurisdiction and National Context
This statute applies to the jurisdiction of **Sweden**. Sweden is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy located in Northern Europe, characterized as a highly developed nation with a representative democracy. As a member of the European Union (since 1995) and NATO (since 2024), Sweden operates within a complex international legal framework, but this specific act is a domestic instrument of Swedish law. The country, with its capital in Stockholm and a population exceeding 10 million, utilizes such statutes to implement national policies, such as the climate change mitigation goals addressed by this air travel tax.

### Purpose and Subject Matter
The primary subject of the act is **climate change mitigation**. By implementing a tax on air travel, the statute utilizes economic disincentives to address environmental concerns. This aligns with Sweden's broader socio-economic model, which often integrates high standards of living with active environmental policy. The act serves as a practical example of how "draft laws" evolve into "legislation" to solve specific societal problems—in this case, the environmental impact of aviation.

### Accessibility, Copyright, and Formats
The act is maintained by **Project Riksdagen's documents**, ensuring its preservation and availability to the public. Regarding intellectual property, the copyright status of the statute is **public domain**. This determination is based on the "Swedish copyright act 2 chapter 26 §," reflecting the broader "edict of government doctrine" which holds that official legal documents are not copyrightable to ensure public access.

To facilitate this access, the work is available in multiple digital formats:
- **HyperText Markup Language (HTML)**: Available at `https://www.riksdagen.se/sv/dokument-lagar/dokument/_sfs-2017-1200`.
- **Office Open XML Wordprocessing Document**: Available at `http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-2017-1200`.

The language of the work is **Swedish**, the official language of Sweden since 2009.

### Identifiers and Data Integration
The act is integrated into various knowledge bases and systems through unique identifiers:
- **Swedish Riksdag Document ID:** `sfs-2017-1200`
- **Climate Policy Radar ID:** `act-2017-1200-on-tax-on-air-travel_8401`
- **Legal Citation:** `SFS 2017:1200`

These identifiers allow the statute to be referenced accurately in legal databases, climate policy tracking systems, and semantic web structures. As a "statute," it shares properties with other legal documents globally, such as being equivalent to the `https://schema.org/Legislation` class in structured data, though this specific instance is uniquely defined by its Swedish national context and 2017 enactment.

## References

1. [Lag (2017:1200) om skatt på flygresor](http://data.riksdagen.se/dokument/sfs-2017-1200)
2. [Lag (2017:1200) om skatt på flygresor](http://rkrattsbaser.gov.se/sfst?bet=2017:1200)
3. Climate Policy Radar database