G/TBT/N/CHE/285  
12 April 2024  
(24-3087) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  English  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6  
 
1. Notifying Member:  SWITZERLAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible:   
Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers , email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:   
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36  
3003 Berne  
tbt@seco.admin.ch  
www.seco.admin.ch  
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1 [  ], 5.6.2 [  ], 5.7.1 [  ], 3.2 [  ], 7.2 [  ], 
other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  MEAT AND 
EDIBLE MEAT OFFAL (HS code(s): 02); EDIBLE VEGETABLES AND CERTAI N ROOTS AND 
TUBERS (HS code(s): 07); EDIBLE FRUIT AND NUTS; PEEL OF CITRUS FRUIT OR MELONS 
(HS code(s): 08)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Ordinance on 
Foodstuffs and Utility Articles / Ordinance on Beverages / Ordinan ce on Information on 
Foodstuffs / Ordinance on the Lists of Countries Provided for in the Ordinance on 
Foodstuffs and Utility Articles; (19 page(s), in French), (19 page(s), in German)  
6. Description of content:  The proposal provides for mandatory labelli ng of animal 
products that are produced using pain -causing procedures without analgesia. The guiding 
principles of the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) in the area of animal 
welfare are used as a benchmark for the labelling requirement. Furtherm ore, a labelling 
obligation is provided for plant products that originate from a country in which the use of 
plant protection products listed in Annex III of the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior 
Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals a nd Pesticides in 
International Trade (hereinafter Rotterdam Convention; SR 0.916.21) is not prohibited.  
In addition, for the labelling of wine and the indication of origin of food ingredients, Swiss 
law will be adapted to that of the EU in order to reduce barriers to trade. With regard to 
wine, a list of ingredients and a nutrition declaration will in future  be mandatory for all 
wines, sparkling wines and semi -sparkling wines. This information can also be provided 
electronically. With regard to the labelling of the origin of quantitatively important 
ingredients, the requirement will apply in future irrespecti ve of the presentation of the G/TBT/N/CHE/285  
 
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  product, but instead of the country of origin also a larger geographical area can be 
indicated.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Animal welfare; Consumer information, label ling 
8. Relevant documents:   
Links to ordinances currently in force:  
Ordinance on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles  
Ordinance on Beverages  
Ordinance on Information on Foodstuffs  
Link to relevant EU Regulations to which Swiss law is adapted:  
REGULATION (EU) No 1169/2011  
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2018/775  
Regulation (EU) 2021/2117  
Link to regulatory impact assessment on the introduction of declaration obligations and 
import restrictions for animal and plant products - Final report  (in German with French 
summary)  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  22 April 2025  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 July 2025; After entry into force ther e will be a 
two-year transition period.  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
State Secretariate for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern  
Switzerland  
E-mail: tbt@seco.admin.ch  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/CHE/24_02596_00_f.pdf  
https://memb ers.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/CHE/24_02596_01_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/CHE/24_02596_02_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2024/TBT/CHE/24 _02596_03_f.pdf