G/TBT/N/CHE/236  
 
15 May 2019  
(19-3391) 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 Institute of Metrology (METAS)  
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 [   ], other :  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff 
heading. ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  
Prepackages  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   
• Draft revision of the Ordinance on the Declaration of Quantities for Unpackaged 
and Prepa ckaged Products (14 pages; available in French and German)  
• Draft revision of the Ordinance of the Federal Departement of Justice and Police 
on the Declaration of Quantities for Unpackaged and Prepackaged Products 
(6 pages; available in French and German).  
6. Description of content:  The revision adopts the procedure of the reference method for 
statistical checking of batches of prepackages as regulated by the European Union 
(Council Directive 76/211/EEC of 20 January 1976 on the approximation of the laws of  
the Member States relating to the making -up by weight or by volume of certain 
prepackaged products) and clarifies minor points, such as the packaging of vegetables 
like broccoli and cauliflower.  
The revision amends the following two ordinances of 2012:  
• Ordinance on the Declaration of Quantities for Unpackaged and Prepackaged 
Products (RS 941.204; available in French, German and Italian): 
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/class ified-compilation/20120892/index.html ) 
• Ordinance of the Federal Departement of Justice and Police on the Declaration 
of Quantities for Unpackaged and Prepackaged Products (RS 941.204.1; 
available in French, German and Italian): 
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/20120894/index.html   G/TBT/N/CHE/236  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  The revision is based on several years of experience with the ordinances of 
2012. It adopts a well -established method for statistical checking of batches of 
prepackages and removes ambiguities in the existing provisions in order to improve 
consumer protect ion and promote fair competition.  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Ordinance on the Declaration of Quantities for Unpackaged and Prepackaged 
Products (RS 941.204; available in French, German and Italian): 
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/20120892/index.html ) 
• Ordinance of the Federal Departement of Justice and Police on the Declaration 
of Quantities for Unp ackaged and Prepackaged Products (RS 941.204.1; 
available in French, German and Italian): 
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/20120894/index.html  
• Federal Act of 17 June 2011 on Metrology (RS 941.20; available in French, 
German and Italian): https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -
compilation/20101915/index.html  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  September 2019  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2020  
10. Final date for comments:  20 August 2019  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
tbt@seco.admin.ch   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/CHE/19_2869_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/CHE/19_2869_00_x1.pdf  
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/CHE/19_2869_01_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2019/TBT/CHE/19_2869_01_x1.pdf