G/TBT/N/CHE/194  
 
24 March 2015  
(15-1663)  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: Swiss Federal Office of Communications 
Name and address (including telephon e 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 Fax +41 31 324 09 58 tbt@seco.admin.ch   
http://www.seco.admin.ch   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [X], 2.10.1  [  ], 5.6.2 [X], 5.7.1 [  ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Telecommunications 
equipment 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Draft revision of 
the Ordinance of the Swiss Federal Office of Communications on Telecommunications 
Equipment (33 pages, in French) 
6. Description of content: The notified revision of the Ordinance on telecommunications 
equipment aims to harmonize the Swiss legislation with technical regulations of Switzerland's main trading partners. It is in line with the «New Legislative Framework» of the European Union.  
The proposal harmonizes definitions throughout the Swiss legislation and clarifies 
obligations of economic operators (manufacturers, authorized representatives, importers and distributors). The proposal also aligns the applicable conformity assessment 
procedures for telecommunication equipment with the corresponding one of the other 
aligned ordinances and defines new requirements for conformity assessment bodies.  
The revision simplifies administrative requirements for all products (e.g. less marking 
requirements) as well as for some types of radio equipment (e.g. the withdrawal of the 
notification procedure) and for all wired telecommunications equipment (e.g. declaration of conformity has not anymore to accompany the product). 
The draft ordinance introduces requirements for the receiving part of radio equipment. It 
also foresees that only radio equipment that can legally be operated can be placed on the 
market. The draft further contains provisions for software defined radio and also the possibility to introduce a registration system for certain type of equipment (categories of 
radio equipment affected by a low level of compliance with the essential requirements 
found out by market surveillance). G/TBT/N/CHE/194 
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
The proposal aims to strengthen and complete the existing rules and to improve practical aspects of their application and enforcement. In  addition to the increase of the safety and 
consumer protection, it will also increase the protection of the radio spectrum.  
8. Relevant documents:  Ordinance of 14 June 2002 on Telecommunications Equipment 
(RS 784.101.21), available in: 
French ( http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classifi ed-compilation/20021021/index.html ) 
German ( http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifi ed-compilation/20021021/index.html ) 
Italian ( http://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classifi ed-compilation/20021021/index.html ) 
9. Proposed date of adoption: 13 June 2016 
Proposed date of entry into force: 13 June 2016   
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification 
11. Texts available from: Nati onal enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:   
https://members. wto.org/crnattachments/2 015/TBT/CHE/15_1353_00_f.pdf