Fredrik Engström is appointed as expert in government inquiy

News, Debt Collection Law - 2025-05-15

The Swedish Government has appointed Fredrik Engström, a lawyer at Engström & Hellman, as an expert in the inquiry "Measures Against Over-Indebtedness with a Focus on Long-Term Debt".

The main objective of the inquiry is to reduce the number of so-called “eternal debtors”, that is, individuals who have remained over-indebted for an extended period.

The inquiry will, among other things:

  • analyse and assess whether new rules should be introduced regarding the order of allocation for consumer debts;

  • analyse and assess whether absolute limitation periods for consumer debts should be introduced;

  • analyse and assess whether measures are needed to encourage more long-term debtors to apply for debt restructuring, and whether the rules governing debt restructuring need to be revised;

  • analyse and assess whether time limits should be introduced for disbursements under newly concluded consumer credit agreements.

The Government has appointed Supreme Court Justice Sten Andersson as the lead investigator. The inquiry is to submit its final report no later than 10 July 2026.

Fredrik Engström has previously participated as an expert in, among others, the Inquiry on Over-Indebtedness (SOU 2023:38) and the Inquiry on the Management and Purchase of Certain Credits (SOU 2023:3).

Read the inquiry’s terms of reference here (in Swedish).