G/TBT/N/CHE/252  
7 December 2020  
(20-8768) 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 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:   
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO  
Holzikofenweg 36, 3003 Bern  
tbt@seco.admin.ch , 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):  Genetically 
modified (GM) plants, plant material, seeds and animals  
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Draft 
amendments to the Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non -human Gene 
Technology (1 page(s), in German; 1 pa ge(s), in French; 1 page(s), in Italian)  
6. Description of content:  Switzerland has adopted in a public voting in November 2005 
a moratorium on the cultivation of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in Switzerland. 
This moratorium, introduced for a firs t period until 27 November 2010, was renewed until 
27 November 2013, and then for a second time until 31 December 2017 and a third time 
until 31 December 2021, as notified in G/TBT/N/CHE/227 under the WTO Agreement on 
technical barriers to trade. On 11 Nov ember 2020, the Federal Council has decided to 
propose a further renewal until 31 December 2025. This proposal is currently undergoing 
a consultation and is planned to enter into force as from 1 August 2022.  
The reason for the present modification of the F ederal Non -Human Gene Technology Law 
is to extend the moratorium for an additional period of four years due to the uncertainty 
that persists concerning mandatory coexistence between GMOs and non -GMOs, the legal 
status of organisms derived from new breeding  technologies and risks management 
measures of the latter organisms.   
According to art. 37a, "licenses for placing on the market of genetically modified plants 
and parts thereof, of genetically modified seeds and other reproductive plant material, 
and of genetically modified animals shall not be granted for agricultural, horticultural or 
sylvicultural purposes for the period until 31 December 2025".  
The moratorium does not cover research activities (including field releases of GM plants, 
authorized and sup ervised by the competent authorities) with GMOs nor the placing on 
the market of food, feed, drugs, etc. consisting of or containing GMOs.  G/TBT/N/CHE/252  
 
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  7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  Protection of the environment;  conservation and sustainable use of 
biodiversity; protection of GMO -free production from "contamination" by GMO; prevention 
of misuse of incorrectly designated GMO products derived from new breeding techniques 
into the environment and in the Swiss agricul tural production.; Other  
8. Relevant documents:   
• Draft amendment to the Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non -human 
Gene Technology (SR 814.91):  
https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/63780.pdf  (German)  
https://www.newsd.admin.ch/n ewsd/message/attachments/63779.pdf  (French)  
https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/63783.pdf  (Italian)  
• Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non -human Gene Technology:  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/de/classified -compilation/19996136/index.html  (German)  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/fr/classified -compilation/19996136/index.html  (French)  
https://www.admin.ch/opc/it/classified -compilation/19996136/index.html  (Italian ) 
9. Proposed date of adoption:  31 July 2021  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2022  
10. Final date for comments:  60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [X] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available , of other body:   
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/CHE/20_7465_00_f.pdf  
https://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/CHE/20_7465_00_x1.pdf  
https://members .wto.org/crnattachments/2020/TBT/CHE/20_7465_00_x2.pdf