Biotechnology in SwitzerlandBiotechnology in Switzerland

FOENFederal Office for the Environment (FOEN)

• Activities

• Responsibilities and Competences

• Objectives of GMO Regulation

• Key Elements of Regulation

• Activities

• Responsibilities and Competences

• Objectives of GMO Regulation

• Key Elements of Regulation

General ViewGeneral ViewFOEN

A

Marketing

• Seeds• Food/Feed• Pesticides• Medical products• Other

Gene Therapies

1 since 1999

0 since 19994010

5 since 2002

Number of notifications and authorisations

Type

Experimental Releases

Contained Use

Activities

> 200 per year

B

C

G

Competent AuthoritiesCompetent AuthoritiesFOEN

Animal Vaccines

FoodBiocides

Seeds FeedFertilisers Pesticides

Experimental Releases

Gene TherapiesMedicaments Vaccines

Federal Office of AgricultureFederal Office of Agriculture

Federal Office of Public Health

+Swissmedic

Federal Office of Public Health

+Swissmedic

Federal Veterinary Office

Federal Veterinary Office

Federal Office for theEnvironment

Federal Office for theEnvironment

FOEN

Coordination of enforcementFOEN is the competent authority: field release experiments

FOEN

Ap

plic

ant

Statement

• Swiss Expert Committee for Biosafety (SECB)

• Swiss Ethics Committee on Non-human Gene Technology (ECNH)

• Cantonal competent authority

Human Health Animal Health

SFOA SFOPH FVO

Agriculture

Application

Decision

Statement

FOENBiotechnology

Unit

Areas of ActivitiesAreas of ActivitiesFOEN

Contained Use

AccidentsPrevention

SecretariatExperts

Committee

EthicalIssues

SecretariatEthics

Committee

BiotechnologyCoordination

Centre

Swiss BiosafetyClearing House

GeneTherapies

EnvironmentalGMO Monitoring

WebsitePublic Information

Releases andMarketing

Access to GeneticResources and Benefit Sharing

Federal Law on Non-human

Gene Technology

Containment Ordinance

Ordinance on Transboundary Movements of GMO

Legal BasesLegal BasesFOEN

Federal Law on the Protection

of the Environment

Release Ordinance

Ordinance on Accident Prevention

Experts Committee Ordinance

Ethics Committee Ordinance

Federal Law on Epidemics

Objectives of GMO RegulationObjectives of GMO RegulationFOEN

SafetySafety • Protect humans, animals and the environment• Conserve biodiversity and sustainable use thereof

EthicsEthics • Respect the dignity of living beings

QualityQuality

TransparencyTransparency

• Protect GMO-free production• Enable freedom of choice for consumers• Prevent product fraud

• Allow free access to non-confidential information• Promote public information

Current situation in SwitzerlandCurrent situation in SwitzerlandFOEN

•On November 27, 2005, Switzerland voted a 5-yearmoratorium (ban) for commercial cultivation ofgenetically engineered plants and animals (= in agriculture).

•The moratorium does not apply:For research using GMOs (even for field trials)For import of GMOs for food or feed or for processing.