Legal bases and requirements
The legal requirements for marketing GMOs can be found in the corresponding product legislation (product-specific requirements), and in:
Moratorium and coexistence
For current information on these topics, please consult:
Inverkehrbringen von gentechnisch veränderten Organismen (GVO)
Mise en circulation d’organismes génétiquement modifiés (OGM)
Messa in commercio di organismi geneticamente modificati (OGM)
Competence
Competence for issuing licences and the applicable authorisation procedure depend on the product category (intended use of the GMOs). Competence and procedures are regulated in Article 26 of the Release Ordinance:
Food, additives and processing aids:
Biocidal products:
Medicines:
Swissmedic: Gene technology and human medicinal products
see point 1.1. Gene technology and medicines
Swissmedic: Gene technology and veterinary medicinal products
see point 3.1. Gene technology and medicines
Immunobiological veterinary medicines:
Animal feed:
Plant protection products:
Fertilisers:
Plant propagation material for forestry:
- Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN): no authorisations issued as yet
- Applications should be submitted to: Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Biotechnology Section, 3003 Bern, Tel. 058 462 93 49, e-mail: contact.releases@bafu.admin.ch
Plant propagation material for other applications (particularly agriculture):
Other applications:
- Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN): no authorisations issued as yet
- Applications should be submitted to: Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN), Biotechnology Section, 3003 Bern, Tel. 058 462 93 49, e-mail: contact.releases@bafu.admin.ch
Authorised products in Switzerland (may 2015)
The following genetically modified organisms are currently authorised in Switzerland:
- 3 maize varieties and 1 soy variety as food and animal feed
- 1 vaccine each for cats and horses as Immunobiological veterinary medicines
Further information
Documents
Agronomic and environmental aspects of the cultivation of genetically modified herbicide-resistant plants (PDF, 625 kB, 01.01.2014)A joint paper of BfN (Germany), FOEN (Switzerland) and EAA (Austria) (2014, 626 KB)
GVO-Anbau und empfindliche Gebiete in der Schweiz (PDF, 2 MB, 20.12.2013)Studie im Auftrag des BAFU
Grundlagen der rechtlichen Regulierung neuer Pflanzenzuchtverfahren (PDF, 5 MB, 20.12.2013)Studie im Auftrag des BAFU
Gefährdung der Schmetterlings‐Fauna durch Bt-Mais (PDF, 3 MB, 20.12.2013)Studie im Auftrag des BAFU
Last modification 03.02.2025
