GENERAL AGREEMENT GATS/EL/83
15April 1994
ONTRADE INSERVICES (94-1147)
SWITZERLAND
Final ListofArticle II(MFN) Exemptions
(This isauthentic inEnglish andFrench only)
____________________SWITZERLAND -FINAL LIST OFARTICLE II(MFN) EXEMPTIONS
Sector orsubsector Description ofmeasure
indicating itsinconsistency
with Article IICountries towhich the
measure appliesIntended duration Conditions creating theneed
fortheexemption
Distribution services Togrant work permits, without
certain limitations, toemployees
ofestablishments ofenterprises
ofmember countries ofthe
Convention establishing the
European Free Trade
Association (EFTA), the
establishment 'sactivity being
commerce ingoodsMembers ofEFTA Indefinite Flanking measure tothe
provisions onfreetrade in
goods under theEFTA
Agreement
Audiovisual services Toconfer national treatment to
audiovisual works covered by
bilateral orplurilateral
agreements oncoproduction in
thefield ofaudiovisual works,
inparticular inrelation toaccess
tofunding andtodistributionAllcountries withwhom cultural
cooperation maybedesirable
(atpresent agreements exist with
member countries oftheCouncil
ofEurope andwithCanada)Indefinite Promotion ofcommon cultural
objectives
Measures granting thebenefit of
support programmes, such as
MEDIA andEURIMAGES, and
measures relating tothe
allocation ofscreentime which
implement arrangements such as
theCouncil ofEurope
Convention onTransfrontier
Television andconfer national
treatment, toaudiovisual works
and/or tosuppliers of
audiovisual services meeting
specific European origin criteriaEuropean countries Indefinite Promotion ofcultural objectives
based onlongstanding cultural
links
GATS/EL/83
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Sector orsubsector Description ofmeasure
indicating itsinconsistency
with Article IICountries towhich the
measure appliesIntended duration Conditions creating theneed
fortheexemption
Audiovisual services Concessions fortheoperation of
radio ortelevision broadcast
stations maybegranted,
normally onthebasis ofbilateral
agreements, topersons of
countries other thanSwitzerlandAllcountries withwhom cultural
cooperation maybedesirableIndefinite Promotion ofcommon cultural
objectives, andtoregulate
access toamarket limited in
scale (given thesizeof
Switzerland) inorder to
preserve diversity ofsupply
Banking andother
financial services
(excluding
insurance)Toallow persons established in
thePrincipality ofLiechtenstein,
without requiring acommercial
presence inSwitzerland, to
participate insettlement and
clearing networks andto
lead-manage Swiss franc
denominated issuesPrincipality ofLiechtenstein Indefinite Measures ensuing from the
monetary union between
Switzerland andthePrincipality
ofLiechtenstein
New licences aregranted to
foreign financial services
providers whose home country
authorities provide adequate
market access opportunities for
Swiss financial services
providersAllcountries Conditional upon thelevel of
commitments undertaken by
other Members.
Theapplication ofthelegislation
referred tounder column (5)is
withheld until theconclusion of
aperiod ending nolater thansix
months after theentry intoforce
oftheAgreement Establishing
theWTOMeasures resulting from Swiss
legislation which aims at
enhancing access toforeign
financial markets ona
non-discriminatory basisSWITZERLAND (continued)
Sector orsubsector Description ofmeasure
indicating itsinconsistency
with Article IICountries towhich the
measure appliesIntended duration Conditions creating theneed
fortheexemption
Internal waterways
transportToallow transport services on
theRhine including cabotage to
vessels registered incountries
other thanSwitzerland onthe
basis oftheMannheim
Convention (including related
additional articles andprotocols)
andother agreements oninternal
waterways transport inEuropeBeneficiaries oftheMannheim
Convention andother
agreements relating tointernal
waterways transport inEurope
towhich Switzerland maybea
member (atpresent members of
EC)Indefinite Toregulate transport capacity
oninland waterways
CRS andsales and
marketing ofair
transport servicesMeasures based onArticle 7of
therevised Code ofConduct of
theEuropean Civil Aviation
Conference (ECAC), whereby
theobligations ofCRS system
vendors orofparent and
participating aircarriers shall
notapply where equivalent
treatment tothatapplied under
therevised Code ofConduct is
notaccorded inthecountry of
origin oftheparent carrier of
thesystem vendorAllcountries where aCRS
system vendor oraparent air
carrier islocatedIndefinite Theneed fortheexemption
results from theinsufficient
development ofmultilaterally
agreed rules fortheoperation of
CRS
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Sector orsubsector Description ofmeasure
indicating itsinconsistency
with Article IICountries towhich the
measure appliesIntended duration Conditions creating theneed
fortheexemption
Road transport
services (passenger
andfreight)Toallow, onthebasis ofmutual
access tothemarket, transport
services byvehicles registered in
countries other thanSwitzerland
toundertake transportation of
goods and/or passengers in,
into, outof,orintransit through
Swiss territory, normally based
onbilateral agreementsAllcountries withwhom
bilateral agreements onroad
transport orother arrangements
relating toroadtransport exist or
maybedesirable (atpresent
approximately 30countries)Exemption needed until
multilateral liberalization ofroad
transport services, taking into
account regional specificity and
environmental effects ofroad
transport, willhave been agreed
uponTotakeintoaccount regional
specificity oftheprovision of
road transport services andto
protect theintegrity ofroad
infrastructure andenvironment
Road transport
services (freight)Toallocate transit quota for
perishable orotherwise urgent
cargo bytrucks heavier than
28tonsregistered incountries
other thanSwitzerland incase
capacity ofcombined transport is
exhaustedEC Tobereviewed 12years after
entry intoforce ofthebilateral
agreement between Switzerland
andECToprotect theintegrity ofroad
infrastructure andofthe
environment
Allsectors Tomutually grant permits of
temporary stayandpermanent
residency intheterritory ofthe
parties, without certain
limitations, tocitizens ofthe
parties oftheagreements on
temporary stayandpermanent
residency between Switzerland
andthePrincipality of
LiechtensteinPrincipality ofLiechtenstein Indefinite Flanking measure tocustoms,
monetary andpostal union
between Switzerland andthe
Principality ofLiechtensteinSWITZERLAND (continued)
Sector orsubsector Description ofmeasure
indicating itsinconsistency
with Article IICountries towhich the
measure appliesIntended duration Conditions creating theneed
fortheexemption
Allsectors Preferential treatment accorded
tonationals ofcountries other
thanSwitzerland, belonging to
traditional recruiting areas
according toSwiss legislation on
immigration, when granting
permits forentry, stayandwork
inSwitzerland (year round
resident, short timeresident,
seasonal workers) tonatural
persons providing services other
thanessential persons asdefined
intheSwiss Schedule ofSpecific
Commitments ontrade in
services (part I:horizontal
commitments); andmeasures
based onbilateral agreements
between theEuropean
Community and/or itsMember
States and/or EFTA States, and
Switzerland, withtheobjective
ofproviding forthemovement
ofallcategories ofnatural
persons supplying services.ECandEFTA countries Indefinite Toregulate immigration into
Switzerland bymeasures based
onlongstanding links with
traditional recruiting areas
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