G/TBT/N/CHE/176  
27 May  2014 
(14-3152) Page: 1/2 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original:  French  
 
  NOTIFICATION  
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.  
 
1. Notifying Member : SWITZERLAND  
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):   
2. Agency responsible : Office fédéral de la santé publ ique, OFSP (Federal Office of Public 
Health)  
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers and email  and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if differen t from above:  
Secrétariat d'Etat à l'économie , SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs)  
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 [ ], 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) : Tobacco 
products in cluding those composed of parts of leaves from Nicotiana  (tobacco) plants, 
intended mainly for smoking, inhalation, snuffing or chewing (relevant tariff item number : 
2401.1010 -2403.9090) . Electronic cigarettes are classed as tobacco products and fall 
within the scope of the new law (relevant tariff item numbers : (i) Vaporizer : 8516.7900 ; 
(ii) Atomizer : 8543.7000 ; (iii) Nicotine -free liquid cartridges : 3824.9098 ; (iv) Nicotine 
liquid cartridges : 3824.9098).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the n otified document : Avant-projet de 
loi fédérale sur les produits du tabac , LPTab (Preliminary draft Federal Law on tobacco 
products) (14 pages, in French, German and Italian)  
6. Description of content : The notified proposal establishes (i) the requirements  to be met 
by tobacco products and their packaging ; (ii) marketing restrictions and prohibitions, 
including the prohibition of sale to and by minors, and test purchases ; (iii) restrictions on 
advertising, promotion and  sponsorship ; (iv) mandatory declarati ons and warnings ; (v) 
tasks of competent authorities, data processing and financing for implementation . The 
implementing provisions will be drafted in an ordinance at a later stage .  G/TBT/N/CHE/176  
- 2 - 
  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems wher e 
applicable : The purpose of the draft Law on tobacco products is to protect human 
health . It aims to reduce consumption of tobacco products and limit the harmful effects 
related to the consumption of such products.  
The new law on tobacco products is furth ermore necessary as the Federal Act of 9 
October 1 992 on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (LDAl, SR 817.0) is currently being 
revised . Under current legislation, tobacco is considered as a foodstuff within the meaning 
of this Act . The revision of the LDAI A ct provides for the exclusion of tobacco from its 
scope . The previous provisions will continue to apply to tobacco products for a maximum 
period of four years as from the entry into force of the revised Act, which is envisaged to 
take place in 2016 at the latest . A new law specifically on tobacco products must 
therefore be drafted during this period.  
8. Relevant documents : Avant-projet de loi fédérale sur les produits du tabac , LPTab 
(Preliminary draft Federal Law on tobacco products) (to be published in t he Systematic 
Registry following adoption by Parliament) . The preliminary draft Law is based on Articles 
95(1) and 118(2) (a) and (b) of the Federal Constitution (Systematic Registry Number : 
101): 
http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/19995395/index.html  
Federal Act on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles ( available in English ): 
http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/19920257/index.html  
Further information available at:  
http://www.bag.admin.ch/themen/drogen/00041/14741/14743/index.html? lang=fr  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  
Proposed date of entry into force:    End of 2016  
In 2018  
10. Final date for comments : 1 September 2 014 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email  and website  addresses, if available, of other body:  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/che/14_2454_00_f.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/che/14_2454_00_x.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/che/14_2454_00_x2.pdf