G/TBT/N/CHE/227  
 
2 November 2017  
(17-5948) 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  
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): Genetically 
modified (GM) plants, plant material, seeds and animals  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft 
amendments to the Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non -human Gene 
Technology (2 page(s), in German; 2 page(s), in French; 2 page(s), in Italian)   
6. Description of content: Switzerland has adopted in a public voting in November 2005 a 
moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Switzerland. 
This moratorium, introduced for a first period until 27 November 2010, was renewed until 
27 November 2013, and then for a second time until 31 December 2017.  
There are two reasons for the present modification of the Federal Non -Human Gene 
Technology Law. In the first place, it aims to extend the moratorium for a new period of 
four years due to the uncertainty that persists concerning mandatory coexistence between 
GMOs and no -GMOs. According to art. 37a, "licenses for placing on the market of 
genetically modified plants and parts thereof, of genetically modified seeds and other 
reproductiv e plant material, and of genetically modified animals shall not be granted for 
agricultural, horticultural or sylvicultural purposes for the period until 31 December 2021 ". 
The moratorium does not cover research activities (including field releases of GM p lants, 
authorized and supervised by the competent authorities) with GMOs nor the placing on the 
market of food, feed, drugs, etc. consisting of or containing GMOs.  
In a second place, it consists of technical modifications, which are not TBT relevant. With 
these changes the environmental GMOs monitoring system has an adequate legal basis in 
the law with administrative sanctions in case of non -compliance.  G/TBT/N/CHE/227  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable: Protection of the environment; conservation and sustainable use of 
biodiversity; protection of GMO -free production from "contamination " by GMO; Completion 
of the legal basis for the GMO monitoring system, and administrative measures in case of 
non-compliance.  
8. Relevant documents:   
Draft amendments to the Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non -human Gene 
Technology (SR 814.91):  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/federal -gazette/2017/4273.pdf  (German)  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/federal -gazette/2017/4009.pdf  (French)  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/it/federal -gazette /2017/3679.pdf  (Italian)  
Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non -human Gene Technology:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -compilation/19996136/index.html  (German)  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/19996136/index.html  (French)  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classified -compilation/19996136/index.html  (Italian)  
For further information on the monitoring of genetically modified organisms, see also:  
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/de/home/themen/biotechnologie/fachinformationen/moni
toring -gentechnisch -veraenderter -organismen.html  (German)  
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/fr/home/themes/biotechnologie/info -
specialistes/monitoring -en-matiere -dorganismes -genetiquement -modifies.html  (French)  
https://www.bafu.admin.ch/bafu/it/home/temi/biotecnologia/in fo-specialisti/monitoraggio -
degli-organismi -geneticamente -modificati.html  (Italian)   
9. Proposed date of adoption: 16 June 2017  
Proposed date of entry into force: 1 January 2018  
10. Final date for comments: 29 December 2017  
11. Texts available from: National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body: