The Code is part of the business community’s self-regulation with the aim of improving corporate governance. The Code is based on the “fulfil or explain” principle. It supplements the Swedish Companies Act and other public regulations by setting a higher standard than the law’s minimum requirements for what can be considered good corporate governance.

Swedbank considers good corporate governance, risk management and internal control to be central to a successful business and a prerequisite for maintaining trust among customers, owners, authorities and other stakeholders. Swedbank defines corporate governance as the relationship between shareholders, bank management, employees, the various companies within the Group and other stakeholders.

The principles of Swedbank’s corporate governance are described in the Board’s Rules of Procedure and are based not only on external regulations but also on published recommendations from various international bodies. There are no deviations from the Code or from the stock exchange’s regulations (Nasdaq OMX, Stockholm) to be reported for 2023.