G/TBT/N/CHE/235  
 
1 May 2019  
(19-2977) 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 Office for the Environment FOEN  
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:   
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN  
Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division  
E-Mail: chemicals@bafu.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 
substances  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Ordinance of 
the Federal Council amending the Ordinance on the Reduction of Risks relating to the Use 
of Certain Partic ularly Dangerous Substances, Preparations and Articles (Chemical Risk 
Reduction Ordinance, ORRChem) of 18 May 2005; 58 to 60 pages (depending on the 
language version); German, French, and Italian . 
6. Description of content:  New restrictions on the marketi ng on certain hazardous 
substances shall be introduced in several annexes of the Chemical Risk Reduction 
Ordinance (ORRChem). The proposed provisions on decabromodiphenyl ether (DecaBDE), 
perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), its salts and precursors, certain pht halic acid esters (DEHP, 
DBP, DIBP, BBP) in articles, cyclotetrasiloxane (D4) and cyclopentasiloxane (D5) in 
cosmetics, nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEOs) containing textiles, ammonium salts in 
cellulose insulation mixtures and methanol in windscreen fluids a re in line with those 
recently adopted in the European Union in the framework of the REACH regulation. To 
fulfill the requirements of the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, the existing 
regulation on fluorinated greenhouse gases shall also be modif ied. This includes new 
restrictions for the placing on the market of certain stationary equipment and appliances 
with fluorinated refrigerants that act as greenhouse gases, as well as the servicing of 
certain stationary equipment with those refrigerants.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human health and the environment from the adverse effects of 
hazardous chemicals  G/TBT/N/CHE/235  
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   
• German: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/56538.pdf  
• French: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/ne wsd/message/attachments/56552.pdf  
• Italian: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/56565.pdf  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  - 
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 June 2019, with substance specific transitional 
provisions as stated in part III of the Ordinance.  
10. Final date for comments:  30 days from 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:   
The text is available on the Website of the Swiss Confederation. Links to documents in 
German and French (See also above under point 8):  
German: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/56538.pdf  
French: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/56552.pdf   
Italian: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/56565.pdf