WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.95
23 March 1999
(99-1141)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:  SWITZERLAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:  Federal Office of Environment, Forests and Landscape
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:           
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):  Products containing living
genetically modified organisms (LGMO) or pathogenic organisms, such as seeds,
pesticides, fertilizers, food, animal feedingstuffs, live vaccines.
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:  Ordinance Concerning
the Release and Use of Organisms in the Environment
6. Description of content:  The Ordinance establishes the rules and requirements for the
notification of experimental releases of LGMO and, subject to already existing Swiss
product authorization procedures, for commerc ialization of products containing LGMO or
pathogenic organisms.  This means that no additional procedure is introduced nor required
for product categories already covered by one of the existing market authorization
procedures.  The proposed regulation is with regard to the definition of genetic engineering,
the notification requirements, the risk assessment procedures and all the other importantrequirements identical or equivalent with the EU Directive 90/220 as last amended.
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:
Protection of human health and the environment.
8. Relevant documents: Federal law concerning the protection of the environment;
Federal law concerning control of contagious diseases of man.
9. Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force: } 1 July 1999
10. Final date for comments:  10 May 1999
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X ] or address, e-mail and telefax number of
the other body:           