New species protection rules in Sweden: hedgehog and eel now protected – liverwort and cowslip dropped

Since 1 November 2026, new rules have applied in Sweden to nationally protected animal and plant species. The government has revised the Species Protection Ordinance (artskyddsförordningen) and adopted a new list: for the first time it includes the hedgehog and the eel, while familiar spring flowers such as liverwort (blåsippa) and cowslip (gullviva), as well as ivy (murgröna), have been removed. Overall, the number of nationally protected species falls from just under 300 to just over 230.

What the new list changes

The reform was decided on 14 July 2026 and came into force on Sunday. The new species list is based on a review by the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) drawing on the Swedish Red List. According to the government, the list now includes more insects, lichens and fungi, but fewer plants. Alongside the hedgehog and eel, new additions include the lichen örtlav, the fungus raggtaggsvamp and the moth trolldruvemätare, as well as many pollinating insects such as wasps, butterflies and moths.

Species assessed as viable in the latest Red List have been removed – among them liverwort, cowslip and ivy. All naturally occurring amphibians and reptiles, all orchids and club mosses remain protected. The rules derived from EU law have not changed.

Four levels of protection instead of a single list

Until now, all nationally protected species were treated the same. There are now four levels: strict, enhanced, basic and limited protection. The strictest level applies to the most threatened species. For animals with strict or enhanced protection, according to an analysis by the law firm Foyen, it is prohibited to kill or catch them, to disturb them in a way that matters for the population, or to damage their breeding and resting sites.

At the same time, the reform introduces exemptions. For species with basic or limited protection, the prohibitions do not apply if an action clearly has a purpose other than harming the species – for example in forestry and agriculture. There is also an exemption for ongoing land use and a new ground for dispensation for important public interests such as energy production and defence. One example is the orchid creeping lady’s tresses (knärot), which has previously been able to block forestry work. It now receives basic protection and should no longer hold up forestry in the same way – but it still may not be picked.

How the government justifies the reform

The government says the reform delivers more targeted protection. Climate and Environment Minister Romina Pourmokhtari spoke of “more effective and better targeted protection” for protected species. Rural Affairs Minister Peter Kullgren said the previous situation had in some cases led to unreasonable restrictions for landowners. On the hedgehog, Pourmokhtari told SVT that its living conditions had deteriorated markedly over the past 15 years; the population may have almost halved.

According to SVT, the reform was put forward by the government together with the Sweden Democrats. A stated aim is also to strengthen landowners’ property rights. Civil Affairs Minister Erik Slottner stressed that effective protection is as much about what is prohibited as about what does not need to be prohibited.

What this means for travellers and people in Sweden

• Leave hedgehogs alone: If you come across a hedgehog in a garden, at a campsite or by the roadside, leave it in peace. The hedgehog is now nationally protected.
• Spring flowers: Liverwort and cowslip are no longer on the national protection list. However, nature reserves and national parks may have their own rules – signs on site take precedence.
• Orchids remain off-limits: All wild orchids are still protected and may not be picked or dug up.
• Fishing: The critically endangered eel is now also nationally protected. Recreational anglers should check the current rules before fishing.
• Landowners and holiday-home owners: Anyone building, managing forest or planning a project in Sweden should check early which protected species occur on the property. The burden of proof lies with the party carrying out the project.

Sweden’s right of public access is unchanged: it allows a great deal, but requires consideration for nature, wildlife and landowners.

Sources

• Regeringen.se – Nationell fridlysning – beslut om ändrade bestämmelser och ny artlista (14 July 2026)
• SVT Nyheter – Ål och igelkott läggs till på artskyddslistan (14 July 2026)
• The Local Sweden – Budget and Christmas deadlines: What changes in Sweden in November 2026 (27 October 2026)
• Foyen Advokatfirma – Artskyddet ändras – vad innebär de nya nationella fridlysningsbestämmelserna? (10 September 2026)