WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.00/49/Add.1
20 October 2003
(03-5537)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:  English
NOTIFICATION
Addendum
The following communication, dated 15 October 2003, has been received from Switzerland.
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Products containing genetically modified organisms (GMO), such as seeds, pesticides,
fertilizers, animal feedstuffs, foodstuffs, and live vaccines
This notice provides information on the present status of Switzerland’s legislation on
genetically modified organisms (GMO).  
In accordance with the Swiss parliamentary procedure the proposal which had been subject to
notification G/TBT/Notif.00/49 (amendment to the Federal Law on the Protection of the Environment(Gen-Lex)) was submitted to parliament in 2001.
In order to enhance the transparency and comprehensibility of the Swiss legislation on
GMOs, the Committee for Science, Education and Cult ure (CSEC) of the National Council, in its pre-
plenary reading, has decided to change the format. Instead of revising the Federal Law on the
Protection of the Environment, including corresponding sectoral legislation, a (new) horizontal
Federal Law relating to Non-human Gene Technology was created. Notwithstanding this change inapproach, the content of the Law remained substantially unchanged. After extensive debate in both
chambers of the parliament (National Council and Council of States) the Federal Law relating to
Non-human Gene Technology (Gene Technology Law, GTL) was adopted on 21 March 2003 and is
scheduled to enter into force on 01 January 2004.
The final document was published in the Swiss Official Journal on 1 April 2003
(BBl 2003  Nr. 12).  It is also available for download on the following website:
German: http://www.admin.ch/ch/d/ff/2003/2778.pdf
French: http://www.admin.ch/ch/f/ff/2003/2462.pdf
Italian: http://www.admin.ch/ch/i/ff/2003/2407.pdf
An unofficial English translation can be obtained from the following website:
http://www.umwelt-schweiz.ch/imperia/md/content/stobobio/biotech/17.pdf
The provisions implementing the Federal Law relating to Non-human Gene Technology
(Gene Technology Law, GTL) will be elaborated in the near future (2004/2005).  They will, as
appropriate, be subject to WTO notifications.
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