G/TBT/N/CHE/228  
18 December  2017 
(17-7049) Page: 1/3 
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 publique , OFSP (Federal Office of Public 
Health)  
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:  
Secrétariat d'Etat à l'économie , SECO (State Secretariat for Economic Affairs)  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Berne  
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 that include any product made of or containing parts of leaves from the Nicotiana  
(tobacco) plant and designed to be smoked, heated, sniffed or consumed orally, such as 
snus, and any smokeable plant -based products, including those containing Cannabis sativa  
with a THC content below 1.0% (relevant tariff items : 2402.1000 -2403.9990 and 
1211.9000) . The new preliminary draft law also covers electronic cigarettes containing 
nicotine . Certain provisions als o apply to objects forming a functional unit together with a 
tobacco product (Articles 17 to 19 of the preliminary draft law on tobacco) and nicotine -
free electronic cigarettes (Articles 17 to 21) (relevant tariff items:  (i) 8543.7000 ; (ii) 
Vaporizer : 8516.7900 ; (iii) Atomizer : 8543.7000 ; (iv) Nicotine -free liquid cartridges : 
3824.9098 ; (v) Liquid cartridges containing nicotine:  3824.9999).  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document : Avant-projet de 
loi fédérale sur les produits du tabac et les cigarettes électroniques , LPTab (Preliminary 
draft federal law on tobacco products and electronic cigarettes) (20 pages, in French, 
German and Italian)  
6. Description of content : The notified draft text establishes:  
(i) requirements concernin g the composition and emissions of tobacco products and 
electronic cigarettes containing nicotine.  The text permits the marketing of oral tobacco 
(snus) and electronic cigarettes containing nicotine, which is currently prohibited under 
Swiss law;  
(ii) requ irements concerning the packaging of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes 
containing nicotine, including labelling and warning requirements, and specific safety 
requirements applicable to electronic cigarettes containing nicotine and heated tobacco 
products;  
(iii) restrictions on advertising, especially when affecting minors;  
(iv) a ban on selling tobacco products and electronic cigarettes to minors, regardless of 
whether or not they contain nicotine, and the possibility for the enforcement authoritie s to G/TBT/N/CHE/228  
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  make test purchases;  
(v) obligations for companies, in particular with regard to self -monitoring and declaring the 
composition and emissions of tobacco products and electronic cigarettes containing 
nicotine.  Companies that manufacture or import heated  tobacco products, plant -based 
smoking products or electronic cigarettes containing nicotine must also provide notification 
before placing the product on the market ; and 
(vi) the duties of the competent enforcement authorities and the measures at their 
disposal, data processing, financing for implementation , and criminal provisions.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  
Protection of human life and health . The purpose of the draft law on tobacco products is t o 
protect human health . It aims to reduce the consumption of tobacco products and limit the 
harmful effects related to their consumption.  
An initial preliminary draft law was notified to the WTO TBT Committee in May 2 014 
(G/TBT/N/CHE/176) . However, the Swi ss Parliament referred the draft text back to the 
Federal Council at the end of 2016 without having discussed it substantively . In referring 
the document back to the Federal Council, clear instructions were given concerning the 
content of the new draft tex t. The notified preliminary draft text follows on from this.  
As explained when notifying the initial preliminary draft federal law on tobacco products 
(LPTab) to the TBT Committee in 2014, the new law on tobacco products is necessary 
following the revision  of the Federal Act of 9 October 1 992 on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles 
(LDAl, SR 817.0).  
Under this former legislation, tobacco was considered a foodstuff . The revised LDAI Act, 
which entered into force on 1 May 2 017, provides for the exclusion of tobacco from its 
scope after four years . The old provisions will continue to apply to tobacco products during 
this period in which a new law specifically on tobacco products must therefore be drafted . 
Since the initial draft text was referred back to the F ederal Council by the Swiss 
Parliament, this period must be extended.  
8. Relevant documents:  
Avant -projet de loi fédérale sur les produits du tabac et les cigarettes électroniques, LPTab 
(Preliminary draft federal law on tobacco products and electronic  cigarettes) (20 pages, in 
French, German and Italian)  
 French: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/fr/home/themen/mensc h-
gesundheit/sucht/tabak/tabakpolitik -schweiz/entwurf -tabakproduktegesetz.html  
(> Documents)  
 German: https://www .bag.admin.ch/bag/de/home/themen/mensch -
gesundheit/sucht/tabak/tabakpolitik -schweiz/entwurf -tabakproduktegesetz.html  
 Italian: https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/it/home/themen/mensch -
gesundheit/sucht/tabak/tabakpolitik -schweiz/entwurf -tabakproduktegesetz.html  
The preliminary draft law is based on Articles 95 (1) and 118 (2) (a) and (b) of the Federal 
Constitution (Systematic Registry Number : 101). 
Former Federal Act of 9 October 1 992 on Foodstuffs and Utility Articles (LDAl, SR 817.0 - 
Please note that this text is no longer in force, except for the provisions on tobacco ): 
 French: https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/19920257/index.html  
 German: https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifie d-
compilation/19920257/index.html  
 Italian: https://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classified -compilation/19920257/index.html  
The revised LDAI, which entered into force on 1 May 2 017, provides for the exclusion of 
tobacco from its scope after four years . Until then, the previous provisions will remain 
applicable to tobacco products (links to the new version in French, German and Italian).  G/TBT/N/CHE/228  
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  9. Proposed date of adoption : End of 2020  
Proposed date of entry into force : In 2022  
10. Final date for comments : 15 March 2 018 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
See links provided under point 8 above.