G/TBT/N/CHE/167  
 
19 June 2013  
(13-3180)  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 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 Email:  tbt@seco.admin.ch , Website:  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):  Bioethanol 
(TN 2207.1000); biodiesel (TN 3826.0010); bi ogas (TN 2711.2910); vegetable and animal 
oils or used vegetable and animal oils (chapter 15 of custom tariffs). 
Possibly also: Hydrogenated vegetable and animal oils or fats (TN 2710.1912 / 
2710.1919); biomethanol (TN 2905.1110); others. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Amendments to 
the Mineral Oil Tax Act; (7 pages; Available in German, French and Italian).     
6. Description of content:  The Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning and 
Energy of the National Council prepared a bill, which exacerbates the existing Mineral Oil Tax Act. Criteria for the relief of the mineral oil tax for biofuels are extended. In addition to the existing criteria (climate, environm ental impact, biodiversity, labour rights), 
production of feedstocks must occur on la wfully acquired land. The Federal Council is 
authorized to introduce an additional criterion which ensures that the production of biofuels is not at the expense of food security, once international standards are 
available. If biofuels which do not meet the criteria for tax relief are to a considerable 
degree brought onto the Swiss market, the Federal Council may introduce criteria for market admission.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Food security, measure to protect human health; land rights, measure to 
protect ownership and livelihoods; ecological criteria, measure to protect the 
environment; labour rights, measure to ensure socially acceptable labour conditions.  
8. Relevant documents:   Mineral Oil Tax Act of 21 June 1996 ( SR 641.61 ), available in 
German, French and Italian; Federal Act of 7 October 1983 on Environmental Protection 
(Environmental Protection Act, SR 814.01 ), available in German, French and Italian.   G/TBT/N/CHE/167 
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    2015 or later 2015 or later 
10. Final date for comments:  31 August 2013 
11. Text available from:  National enquiry point [X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresse s, if available of the other body:   
http://www.parlament.ch/d/dokumenta tion/berichte/vern ehmlassungen/09-
499/Documents/09-499 -entwurf-2013-d.pdf  (German) 
http://www.parlament.ch/f/dokumenta tion/berichte/vernehmlassungen/09-
499/Documents/09-499 -entwurf-2013-f.pdf  (French) 
http://members.wto.org/crnattach ments/2013/TBT/CHE/13_2272_00_f.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachme nts/2013/tbt/CHE/13_2272_00_x.pdf