G/TBT/N/CHE/263  
 
 
22 November 2021  
 
(21-8805) Page: 1/3 
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  
Worblentalstrasse 86  
CH-3063 Ittigen  
Postal address: CH -3003 Berne  
Switzerland  
chemicals@bafu.admin.ch , www.bafu.admin.ch  
Name and addre ss (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  
CH-3003 Berne  
Switzerland  
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):  
Pentachlorophenol (PCP, CAS RN 87 -86-5), its salts and esters. Perfluorooctane sulfonic 
acid and its derivatives ( PFOS) as a substance on its own and as a constituent of other 
substances, in mixtures, or in articles or any part thereof. This include substances with 
the following CAS RNs: 1763 -23-1, 2795 -39-3, 29457 -72-5, 29081 -56-9, 70225 -14-8, 
56773 -42-3, 251099 -16-8, 4151 -50-2, 31506 -32-8, 1691 -99-2, 24448 -09-7, 307 -35-7, 
and others. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), CAS RN 335 -67-1, its salts and PFOA -related 
substances as a substance on its own and as a constituent of other substances, in 
mixtures, or in articles or a ny part thereof. Perfluorocarboxylic acids containing 9 to 14 
carbon atoms in the chain (C9 -C14 PFCA), their salts and related substances as a 
substance on its own and as a constituent of other substances, in mixtures, or in articles 
or any part thereof. T he term "C9 -C14 PFCAs" is used as an abbreviation for: 
Perfluorononan -1-oic acid (C9 -PFCA), CAS RN 375 -95-1; Nonadecafluorodecanoic acid 
(C10-PFCA), CAS RN 335 -76-2; Henicosafluoroundecanoic acid (C11 -PFCA), CAS RN 
2058-94-8; Tricosafluorododecanoic acid ( C12-PFCA), CAS RN 307 -55-1; 
Pentacosafluorotridecanoic acid (C13 -PFCA), CAS RN 72629 -94-8; 
Heptacosafluorotetradecanoic acid (C14 -PFCA), CAS RN 376 -06-7; C9 -C14 PFCA related 
substances can be transformed in the environment to C9 -C14 PFCA. Perfluorohexane 
sulfonic acid (PFHxS), CAS RN 355 -46-4, its salts and PFHxS -related substances as a 
substance on its own and as a constituent of other substances, in mixtures, or in articles 
or any part thereof. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) in granules or mulches  used 
as infill materials in synthetic turf pitches or in loose form on playgrounds or in sport 
applications. PAH is used as abbreviation for eight carcinogenic substances: G/TBT/N/CHE/263  
 
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  Benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), CAS RN 50 -32-8; Benzo[e]pyrene, CAS RN 192 -97-2; 
Benzo[a]anth racene, CAS RN 56 -55-3; Chrysen, CAS No 218 -01-9; 
Benzo[b]fluoranthene, CAS No 205 -99-2; Benzo[j]fluoranthene, CAS No 205 -82-3; 
Benzo[k]fluoranthene, CAS No 207 -08-9; Dibenzo[a,h]fluoranthene, CAS No 53 -70-3. 
Appliances and equipment with asbestos -containi ng components. Substances stable in 
the atmosphere. Foams and articles with foams containing ozone -depleting substances.; 
Reclaimed rubber in primary forms or in plates, sheets or strip (HS 4003)  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified d ocument:  Draft Ordinance 
of the Federal Council concerning amendments to annexes 1.1, 1.2, 1.4, 1.5, 1.6, 1.10, 
1.16, 2.9, 2.10 und 2.11 of the Ordinance on the Reduction of Risks relating to the Use 
of Certain Particularly Dangerous Substances, Preparatio ns and Articles (Chemicals Risk 
Reduction Ordinance, ORRChem, Fedlaw number: SR 814.81) (21 page(s), in German)  
6. Description of content:  The draft Ordinance contains adaptations of existing and new 
regulations in the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance (O RRChem) in the areas of  
• persistent organic pollutants (Annex 1.1),  
• halogenated organic substances (Annex 1.2),  
• substances that deplete the ozone layer (Annexes 1.4 and 2.9),  
• substances stable in the atmosphere (Annexes 1.5 and 2.10),  
• asbestos (Annex 1.6), 
• carcinogenic, mutagenic and reprotoxic substances (Annex 1.10),  
• per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances  (PFOS, PFOA, C 9-C14 PFCA, PFHxS; Annexes 
1.16 and 2.11),  
• oxo-degradable plastics (Annex 2.9), and  
• polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH; Annex 2.9).  
The existing prohibition for the placing on the market of wood, textiles and leather goods 
containing pentachlorophenol (PCP), its salts and esters will be extended to any other 
products containing PCP, its salts and esters.  
The placing on the market of sub stances that are stable in the atmosphere will, for specific 
uses, be allowed in refillable containers only. Labeling requirements will be updated to 
specify containers with reclaimed or recycled substances.  
Medical devices will be exempted from the ban on  supply  to the general public of 
substances with carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic properties (CMR -substances), and 
mixtures that contain such substances.  
Existing exemptions from the prohibition of the placing on the market and use of PFOS 
and PFOS -related substances as well as preparations and articles containing these 
substances are repealed (photoresists or anti -reflective coatings for photolithography 
processes;  photographic coatings applied to films, papers, or printing plates) or time 
limited (m ist suppressants for non -decorative hard chromium (VI) plating in closed loop 
systems).  
The manufacture, placing on the market and use of PFHxS and related substances, as 
well as mixtures and articles containing such substances, will be prohibited.  
Existin g restrictions for PFOA and its precursors are extended to longer -chain 
perfluorocarboxylic acids (C 9-C14 PFCA) and their precursors as well as mixtures and 
articles containing such substances.  
The placing on the market and use of granules and mulches used  as infill material in 
synthetic turf pitches or in loose form on playgrounds or in sport applications will be 
prohibited if they contain more than 20 mg/kg of the sum of eight listed PAH.  
The placing on the market and use of plastic products containing ad ditives that cause the 
plastic to break down into fragments (oxo -degradable plastics) will be prohibited.  G/TBT/N/CHE/263  
 
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  Existing reporting requirements for stationary systems containing refrigerants will be 
extended with information requirements specific to heat pumps. The placing on the 
market of temporary ice -rinks containing a refrigerant with a global warming potential 
higher than 4000 will be prohibited.  
A new exemption will be introduced for the manufacture and placing on the market of 
foams containing substances w ith an ozone depletion potential smaller than 0.0005, as 
well as for the manufacture and placing on the market of articles containing such foams.  
  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The purpose of this revision of the Chemical Risk Reduction Ordinance 
(ORRChem) is to ensure the protection of human health and the environment from 
adverse effects of hazardous chemicals; Protection of human health or safety; Protection 
of the environmen t; Reducing trade barriers and facilitating trade  
8. Relevant documents:   
The current draft legal text is only available in German (see attachment and section 11).  
Draft legal text in German, French and Italian of March 2021:  
Draft modification of ORRChem (German)  
Draft modification of ORRChem (French)  
Draft modification of ORRChem (Italian)  
The draft legal text of March 2021 was modified in certain po ints (in particular deletion of 
restrictions for the placing on the market and use of cyclic siloxanes D4, D5, and D6).  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  February 2022  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 April 2022  
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:   
Federal Office for the Environment FOEN  
Air Pollution Control and Chemicals Division  
Industrial Chemicals Section  
3003 Berne  
E-mail: chemicals@bafu.admin.ch  
https://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2021/TBT/CHE/21_7243_00_x.pdf