G/TBT/N/CHE/171  
 
1 October 2013  
(13-5281)  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 (FOEN) 
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):  Products 
whose cultivation, extraction or production substantially harms the environment. Except 
for timber not harvested or traded according to the legal requirements in the country of origin, no other products categories are specifically mentioned. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft of 
amendments to the Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment (EPA); (7 pages, available in German, French and Italian).     
6. Description of content:  The draft amendments to the Environmental Protection Act 
(EPA) create a legal basis for a more efficient use of natural resources, ecologically 
sound consumption patterns, information on resource efficiency, and voluntary initiatives 
involving business, science and society. 
Future product-specific regulations regard ing product information or placing on the 
market would only be considered if voluntary initiatives did not result in an efficient use 
of natural resources. They would take into account international standards and be aligned with actions of Switzerland's main trading partners in that field, in particular the 
EU. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of human, animal and plant life, health and the environment. 
Promoting the efficient use of natural resources and reducing their consumption to a 
sustainable level to address environmental ch allenges such as the overuse of natural 
resources, climate change, loss of biodiversity, and soil scarcity.  G/TBT/N/CHE/171 
 
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  8. Relevant documents:   News release 
(English): http://www.bafu.admin.ch/dokumentation/medieninformation/00962/index.ht
ml?lang=en&msg-id=49457  
Explanatory report (German): 
http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscrib er/message/attachments/31231.pdf  
Explanatory report (French): 
http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscrib er/message/attachments/31229.pdf  
Explanatory report (Italian): 
http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscrib er/message/attachments/31230.pdf  
Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment: 
German:  http://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classifi ed-compilation/19830267/index.html  
French:  http://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classifi ed-compilation/19830267/index.html  
Italian:  http://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classifi ed-compilation/19830267/index.html  
English:  http://www.admin.ch/opc/en/classifi ed-compilation/19830267/index.html  
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:    2016 or later 2016 or later 
10. Final date for comments:  Two months after notification  
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:    
Draft version of the revision of the Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment 
German:  http://www.news.admin.c h/NSBSubscriber/messag e/attachments/31227.pdf  
Draft version of the revision of the Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment 
French:  http://www.news.admin.ch/NSBSubscriber/message/attachments/31225.pdf  
Draft version of the revision of the Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment 
Italian:  http://www.news.admin.c h/NSBSubscriber/message /attachments/31226.pdf