G/TBT/N/CHE/172  
 
8 November 2013  
(13-6208)  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 Energy 
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):  Tumble 
driers; ovens; standby and off mode of electrical and electronic household and office 
equipment; set-top-boxes; electric motors; wet-rotor pumps; directional lamps, light 
emitting diode lamps and related equipment; heat pumps; water pumps; air conditioners and comfort fans; fans; household dishwashers; vacuum cleaners; computers and 
computer servers; coffee machines; tyres. 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document:  Draft revision of 
the Energy Ordinance, Draft 31.10.2013, Annexes 2.5, 2.7–2.10, 2.13, 2.15–2.22, 3.9, 
3.10; 39 pages; available in German, French and Italian.     
6. Description of content:  The new regulation would set new and tighten existing 
minimum efficiency requirements for electric al appliances listed above. Regarding coffee 
machines and tyres, no minimum efficiency  requirements, but labelling requirements 
would be introduced.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Studies show that the demand for electricity will continue to increase in 
Switzerland. The aim of the measure is to encourage energy efficiency so that the 
national electricity supply remains secured and environmentally sound in the long run. A regulatory impact assessment shows that the concerned appliances represent a significant part of household electricity consumption in Switzerland. Minimum efficiency 
requirements for the placing on the market of these products, as well as labeling 
requirements, aim at stabilizing the consumption of electricity.  
8. Relevant documents:   Energy Ordinance of 7 December 1998 (SR 730.01), available in 
http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classifi ed-compilation/19983391/index.html , 
http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifi ed-compilation/19983391/index.html   
http://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classifi ed-compilation/19983391/index.html  G/TBT/N/CHE/172 
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    July 2014 July 2014 
10. Final date for comments:  11 January 2014  
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://members.wto.org/crnattachme nts/2013/tbt/CHE/13_4481_00_f.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachme nts/2013/tbt/CHE/13_4481_00_x1.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachme nts/2013/tbt/CHE/13_4481_00_x2.pdf