The Swedish Government believes that social protection is an investment that creates opportunities for people to adapt to changing economic conditions and changes in the labour market. A high level of social protection for entrepreneurs and the self-employed can also lead to more women and men daring to start and run businesses. Strong and wellfunctioning social protection systems lead to greater equality, gender equality and economic growth and act as stabilizing in times of crisis, which is

beneficial for citizens, Member States and the EU as a whole. Sweden already considers itself to meet the requirements of the Council recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the selfemployed. Sweden will, in this national plan, list how the requirements of the Council recommendation on access to social protection for workers and the selfemployed are met and how the Swedish institutions continuously work with the principles set out in the Council recommendation.