. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CHE/79 
5 December 2006 
 (06-5827) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   Spanish 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SWITZERLAND
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Federal Office for Public Health (OFSP) 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
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) – WHNT 
Effingerstrasse 1 
CH-3003 Berne 
Tel.:  +41 31 324 07 60 Fax:  +41 31 324 09 59  
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):   Chemical substances and 
preparations 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Projet d'ordonnance 
sur la protection contre les subst ances et les préparations dangereuses (Draft Ordinance on 
Protection against Hazardous Substances and Pr eparations) (Approximately 30 pages, in 
German and French). 
6. 
 
    
 
  Description of content:   The notified text revises a number of points: 
 Provisions concerning the labelling of small packages, the labelling of certain 
categories of products, the phrases concerning risks and safety which are to appear on a label and the indications required on packag es destined for transportation have been 
amended so as to correspond better to Europ ean directives.  With a view to the 
harmonization of packaging and labelling, th e most recent amendments to European 
directives are reflected in this Ordinance.  
 The definition of manufacturer has been extended to encompass certain forms of 
retail trade which were not covered by law.  Restrictions concerning self-service purchases G/TBT/N/CHE/79 
Page 2  
 
  6. Description of content:  (cont'd) 
of particularly hazardous products have been li mited to private buyers.  Provisions concerning 
the storage of hazardous products outside thei r original packaging have been expanded. 
 The notification procedure for new substan ces that have already been notified in the 
EU is described in greater detail, although no substantial amendments have been made to 
the requirements already in existence.  Ot her minor amendments have been made to 
improve comprehension of the text.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:    
 This revision is justified, firstly, by th e need to adapt ordinances to changes in 
European law and, secondly, by the need to make  clarifications and amendments in the light 
of initial experiences since the entry into force of these ordinances. 
8. Relevant documents:   Loi fédérale du 7 octobre 1983 sur la protection de l'environnement  
(Federal Law of 7 October 1983 on Environmental Protection) (version in effect as at 
10 June 1997) (RS 814.01) 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c814_01.html 
Loi fédérale du 15 décembre 2000 sur la protection contre les substances et les 
préparations dangereuses (Loi sur les produits chimiques)  (Federal Law of 
15 December 2000 on Protection against Hazardous  Substances and Preparations (Law on 
Chemical Products)) (FF 1999-5887) 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/rs/c813_1.html 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   } 1 March 2007 
10. Final date for comments:   60 days as from the date of notification 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body: