G/SPS/N/CHE/73  
21 June 2017 
(17-3316) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures  Original:  French  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
1. Notifying Member : SWITZERLAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved:  
2. Agency responsible : Office fédéral de la sécurité alimentaire et des affaires vétérinaires , 
OSAV (Federal Office for Food Security and Veterinary Affairs)  
3. Products covered (provide tariff item number(s) as specified in national 
schedules deposited with the WTO ; ICS numbers should be provided in addition 
where applicable) : Food and basic commodities  
4. Regions or countries likely to be affected, to the e xtent relevant or practicable:  
[X] All trading partners  
[ ] Specific regions or countries:  
5. Title of the notified document : Loi fédérale sur les denrées alimentaires et les objets 
usuels (Le nouveau droit alimentaire suisse)  Federal Law on food and bas ic commodities 
(New Swiss food legislation) Language(s) : French, German and Italian Number of 
pages:  
Text available at: https://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/fr/home/lebensmittel -und-
ernaehrung/rechts -und-vollzugsgrundlagen/gesetzgebung -lme.html  
6. Description of content : This notification concerns a package comprising several 
legislative acts that are final and have alread y entered into force in the framework of 
Switzerland's new food legislation (notified as WTO document G/TBT/N/CHE/202 of 3 
September 2 015). For reasons of transparency and in accordance with the 
recommendations of the WTO Committees, this legislation is no tified in its entirety.  
The new Swiss food legislation entered into force on 1 May 2 017. It comprises four Federal 
Council ordinances, 23 ordinances from the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA), 
and three ordinances from the Federal Food Safety and V eterinary Office (FSVO).  
Until now, only foods that were expressly specified in the ordinances were authorized . All 
other foods were only allowed to enter the market subject to authorization . In contrast, 
under the revised legislation all that is required for foods to be placed on the market is that 
they be safe and that they meet the legal requirements . Indeed, these conditions 
guarantee health protection and protection against deception.  
7. Objective and rationale : [X] food safety, [ ] animal health, [ ] plant protection, [ ] 
protect humans from animal/plant pest or disease, [ ] protect territory from 
other damage from pests.  G/SPS/N/CHE/73  
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  8. Is there a relevant international standard ? If so, identify the standard:  
[X] Codex Alimentarius Commission (e.g. title or ser ial number of Codex 
standard or related text) : The new Swiss food legislation and the related 
ordinances include many of the Codex Alimentarius standards.  It is therefore 
difficult to list all of the standards individually.  
[X] World Organisation for Anima l Health (OIE) (e.g. T errestrial or Aquatic 
Animal Health Code, chapter number) : The new Swiss food legislation and the 
related ordinances include many of the OIE Terrestrial Animal Health Code 
standards . It is therefore difficult to list all of the standa rds individually.  
[ ] International Plant Protection Convention (e.g. I SPM number) : 
[ ] None  
Does this proposed regulation conform to the relevant international standard?  
[ ] Yes [X] No  
If no, describe, whenever possible, how and why it deviates from the 
international standard : The new Swiss food legislation and the related ordinances 
include many relevant international standards . It is therefore difficult to determine whether 
each standard is in conformity with the relevant international standards.  
9. Relevant documents and language(s) in which these are available:  
10. Proposed date of adoption (dd/mm/yy) : 20 June 2 014 
Proposed date of publication (dd/mm/yy) : 1 May 2 017 
11. Proposed date of entry into force : [ ] Six months from date of publication, and/ or 
(dd/mm/yy) : Entered into force on 1 May 2 017. 
[ ] Trade facilitating measure  
12. Final date for comments : [ ]  Sixty days from the date of circulation of the 
notification and/or (dd/mm/yy) : Not applicable.  
Agency or authority designated to handle comme nts: [ ] National Notification 
Authority, [ ] National Enquiry Point . Address, fax number and email address (if 
available) of other body:  
13. Text(s) available from : [ ] National Notification Authority, [X]  National Enquiry 
Point . Address, fax number and  email address (if available) of other body:  
sps@seco.admin.ch