utskotten

Utskott is a Swedish noun with two principal meanings. In botany and horticulture, utskott denotes a shoot or outgrowth that arises from a plant. Shoots drive growth, allow branching, and participate in photosynthesis. They are central to pruning and shaping, and they can be used for propagation: cuttings taken from utskott can produce new plants; in grafting, a shoot may serve as a scion grafted onto a rootstock. The term is also used for new shoots that appear at apical or axillary positions, and management of utskott influences plant form and fruiting.

In the political context, utskott refers to a parliamentary committee or subcommittee in Sweden. The Riksdag’s standing utskott scrutinize legislation, oversee government administration, and prepare proposals and reports for the plenary assembly. Each utskott focuses on a policy area, such as finance, education, defense, or foreign affairs, and its membership reflects party composition. Meetings are led by a chair, and the committee collects information from bureaucrats and experts before delivering its recommendations.

Etymology: utskott comes from ut- meaning outward and skott meaning shoot. The definite plural utskotten is used for several committees, while utskott can also appear in plural contexts in horticulture.