. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CHE/110 
6 February 2009  
 (09-0553) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
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 governme nt involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):     
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Office for the Environment 
 
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  
Non-tariff Measures Division  Effingerstrasse 1  CH-3003 Berne  
Fax: ++41 31 324 09 58;  
e-mail: tbt@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 amendment to the Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to  Non-Human Gene 
Technology (3 pages, available in  German, French and Italian). 
6. Description of content:   
Switzerland has adopted in a public voting in  November 2005 a moratorium on the cultivation 
of genetically modified organi sms (GMOs) in Switzerland. This moratorium, lasting until 
27 November 2010, shall be extended by the following amendment to the Federal 
Non-Human Gene Technology Law until  27 November 2013 (Article 37a):  
"Licenses for placing on the market of genetica lly modified plants a nd parts thereof, of 
genetically modified s eeds and other reproductive plant material, and of genetically modified 
animals shall not be granted for agricultural, horticultural or sylvicultural purposes for the 
period until 27 November 2013." 
 G/TBT/N/CHE/110 
Page 2  
 
  The moratorium does not cover re search activities (including fi eld releases of GM plants, 
authorized and supervised by the competent au thorities) with GMOs nor the placing on the 
market of food, feed, drugs etc. consisting of or containing GMOs. Equally, requests for 
authorization for the use of a GM variety as seed  material in agriculture can be submitted any 
time and will be handled by the authorities during the moratorium. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:   
Protection of the environment; conservation and sustainable use of biodi versity; protection of 
GMO-free production from "contamination" by  GMO; avoidance of GMO presence in 
GMO-free products. Generation a nd completion of the scientific basis to regulate the 
coexistence of GMO- and traditional cultiv ation. Ongoing studies are running under the 
national research program NFP59, which will end 2012.  
8. Relevant documents:    
Draft amendment to the Federal Law of 21 March 2003 relating to Non-human Gene 
Technology (SR 814.91); http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c814_91.html . 
German, French and Italian. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:      2009 
  2010 
10. Final date for comments:  30 April 2009 
11. Text available from: National enquiry po int [ X], or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addres ses, if available of the other body:    
Also see (until 13 February 2009): 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/ gg/pc/pendent.html#UVEK  (German); 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/ gg/pc/pendent.html#DETEC  (French); 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/i/ gg/pc/pendent.html#DATEC  (Italian); 
(as of 14 February 2009): 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/ d/gg/pc/ind2008.html#UVEK  (German); 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/ f/gg/pc/ind2008.html#DETEC  (French); 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/i/ gg/pc/ind2008.html#DATEC  (Italian). 
 
http://members.wto.org/crnatt achments/2009/tbt/CHE/09_0375_00_f.pdf ; 
http://members.wto.org/crna ttachments/2009/tbt/CHE/09_0375_00_x.pdf ; 
http://members.wto.org/crna ttachments/2009/tbt/CHE/09_0375_00_x2.pdf .