G/TBT/N/CHE/255  
11 May 2021 
(21-3980) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  French  
 
  
NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : SWITZERLAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):  
2. Agency responsible : Office fédéral de la santé publique , OFSP (Federal Office of Public 
Health)  
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:  
Secrétariat d'Etat à l'économie , SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs ), 
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern 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 [ ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading . ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable) : Chemical 
products, biocidal products, phytosanitary products and fertilizers ; Inorganic chemicals ; 
Organic or inorganic compounds of precious metals, of rare -earth metals, of radioactive 
elements or of isotopes (HS 28); Organic chemicals (HS 29) ; Fertilizers (HS 31) ; Soap, 
organic surface -active agents, washing preparations, lubricating preparations, artificial 
waxes, prepared waxes, polishing or scouring preparations, candles and similar articles, 
modelling pastes, "dental waxes " and dental preparations with a basis of plaster (HS 34) ; 
Miscellaneous chemical products (HS 38) ; Environment . Health protection . Safety ( ICS 
13); Chemical technology ( ICS 71 ) 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified docume nt: Modification de 
l'Ordonnance sur les produits chimiques (Amendment of the Chemicals Ordinance) (13 
pages, in German ; 13 pages, in French ; and 12 pages, in Italian)  
6. Description of content:  
Labelling language:  
Currently, certain chemical products must bear labels in two official languages . However, 
certain products are legally placed on the market in the Italian -speaking regions of the 
country despite not bearing labels in Italian . In the future, the language selected for the 
labelling of all chemical products (e.g. phytosanitary, biocidal and household products, 
and fertilizers) will be the official language of the place of issue of the products.  
Procedure for the notification of new substances:  
The revision also aims to modernize the procedure for the notification of new substances . 
Currently, only substances that are not on a list of existing substances (EINECS) must be 
notified with a defined set of data before being placed on the market . In the future, all 
substances that are not re gistered in the European Union must be notified.  
Lastly, the following two changes have been made to the rules on the communication of 
preparations:  G/TBT/N/CHE/255  
- 2 - 
  - The possibility for the declaration of certain perfumes and colourings using only a generic 
name is envis aged.  
- Custom -made paints prepared in limited quantities for a specific consumer or 
professional user, made up at the point of sale, may be exempt from mandatory 
communication.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable : The proposed text aims to protect human health and the environment . It 
also aims to bring into line certain Swiss requirements with those of the European Union ; 
Consumer information ; Labelling ; Protection of human health and safety ; Protection of 
the environment ; Harmonization ; Reduction of trade barriers and trade facilitation  
8. Relevant documents : Modification de l'Ordonnance sur les produits chimiques (draft 
submitted for consultation) (see point 11)  
Explanatory report:  
- French: 
https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2 021/14/
cons_1/doc_2/fr/pdf -a/fedlex -data-admin -ch-eli-dl-proj-2021-14-cons_1 -
doc_2 -fr-pdf-a.pdf 
- German: 
https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2021/14/
cons_1/doc_2/de/pdf -a/fedlex -data-admin -ch-eli-dl-proj-2021-14-cons_1 -
doc_2 -de-pdf-a.pdf 
- Italian: 
https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2021/14/
cons_1/doc_2/it/pdf -a/fedlex -data-admin -ch-eli-dl-proj-2021-14-cons_1 -doc_2 -
it-pdf-a.pdf 
Chemicals Ordinance:  
- French: RS 813.11 - Ordonnance du 5 juin 2015 sur la protection contre les 
substances et les préparations dangereuses (Ord onnance sur les produits 
chimiques, OChim) (admin.ch)  
- German: SR 813.11 - Verordnung vom 5. Juni 2015 über den Schutz vor 
gefährlic hen Stoffen und Zubereitungen (Chemikalienverordnung, ChemV) 
(admin.ch)  
- Italian: RS 813.11 - Ordinanza del 5 giugno 2015 sulla protezione contro le 
sostanze e i preparati pericolosi (Ordinanza sui prodotti chimici, OPChim) 
(admin.ch)  
- English SR 813.11 - Ordinance of 5 June 2015 on Protection against Dangerous 
Substances and Preparations (Chemicals Ordinance, ChemO) (adm in.ch)  
9. Proposed date of adoption : 15 February 2 022 
Proposed date of entry into force : 15 August 2 022; Six months as from adoption  
10. Final date for comments : 60 days from the date of notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2 021/14/cons_1/
doc_1/fr/pdf -a/fedlex -data-admin -ch-eli-dl-proj-2021-14-cons_1 -doc_1 -fr-pdf-a.pdf 
https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2021/14/cons_1/
doc_1/de/pdf -a/fedlex -data-admin -ch-eli-dl-proj-2021-14-cons_1 -doc_1 -de-pdf-a.pdf 
https://fedlex.data.admin.ch/filestore/fedlex.data.admin.ch/eli/dl/proj/2021/14/cons_1/
doc_1/it/pdf -a/fedlex -data-admin -ch-eli-dl-proj-2021-14-cons_1 -doc_1 -it-pdf-a.pdf