. /.  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/CHE/42 
2 September 2004 
 (04-3641) 
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 government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Federal Office for Agriculture, Berne 
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 
Non-tariff Measures Division 
CH-3003 Berne Tel. ++ 41 31 324 07 82 Fax. ++ 41 31 324 09 58 
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):   Feedstuff derived from 
genetically modified organisms. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Modifications 
to the Feedstuff Ordinance of 26th May, 1999 (German, French; 5 pages). 
6. Description of content:   The draft provisions concerning feedstuff derived from genetically 
modified organisms are to implement the Federal Law Re lating to Non-human Gene 
Technology (Gene Technology Law), in force since 1 January, 2004. 
The proposed amendments are: 
Any person handling GMOs for feedstuff use must notify the recipient and provide a 
documentation;  the documents should allow for product tracing. 
Any person handling GMOs for fe edstuff use must take appropr iate measures to prevent 
co-mingling of GMOs with non-GMOs. 
Labelling of GMO-derived feedstuffs must assure consumers' freedom of choice. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
Health, Consumer Information. G/TBT/N/CHE/42 
Page 2  
 
8. Relevant documents:    
Federal Law of 21 March, 2003 Relating to N on-human Gene Technology (Gene Technology 
Law, RS 814.91);  French/German/Italian: http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c814_91.html
 
 
 English translation (not legally binding): 
 http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/imperi a/md/content/stobobio/biotech/17.pdf  
 Ordinance on feedstuffs of 26
th May, 1999 (RS 916.307); French/German/Italian: 
http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/sr/c916_307.html  
9. Proposed date of adoption:  November, 2004  
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2005 
10. Final date for comments:   30 October 2004 
The same notification has also been submitte d in the framework of the SPS Agreement. 
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:  switec@snv.ch 
 