Baseline scenario and contingency analyses Download: www.bafu.admin.ch/uw-1309-d

Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard will travel to India next week to represent Switzerland at the UN Conference on Biological Diversity in Hyderabad. The head of the Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication (DETEC) will then meet members of the Indian government in Delhi.

Using key data, charts and short texts, this small brochure provides a quick overview of seventeen environmental topics. Download and order: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/UD-1048-E

Under Article 22 of the Containment Ordinance the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is required to publish and keep up to date lists of biological containment systems and classified organisms, in particular natural microorganisms. The present list covers the officially classified viruses. Download: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/UV-1115-E

Under Article 22 of the Containment Ordinance the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) is required to publish and keep up to date lists of biological containment systems and classified organisms, in particular natural microorganisms. The present list covers the officially classified bacteria. Download: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/UV-1114-E

The Federal Council would like to extend the moratorium "for GMO-free agriculture", which is due to run out on 27 November 2010, by three years. In its session of 1 July 2009, it passed the dispatch on an amendment to the Gene Technology Act to the Parliament. This should win time which can be used to develop scientific principles.

The Federal Council wants to extend the moratorium “For GMO-free agriculture”, due to run out on 27th. November 2010, by three years. The consultation proceedings on the amendment of the Gene Technology Act were opened at its last session.

The Federal Council today announced that the revised Release Ordinance would come into force on 1 October. Revision was necessary because of the new, stricter legal provisions concerning the handling of genetically modified and pathogenic organisms in the Gene Technology and Environmental Protection Acts.

A FOEN research programme brings new findings on the monitoring of genetically modified organisms (GMO) in the environment.

The Federal Council has adopted the Cartagena Ordinance governing the export of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Companies must henceforth obtain authorisation from the importing country prior to shipment of GMOs, and are obliged to provide detailed information on the product. An early-warning system must be set up to detect and respond to unintentional transboundary movement of GMOs. The new ordinance will come into force on 1 January, 2005.