Category: News from Berne

The Case: The National Council’s Committee on Economic Affairs and Taxation (WAK-N) was informed on the impact of US tariffs on their competitiveness by Swiss exporters, including Bobst, Lonza, Kuhn Rikon, Thermoplan as well as the Gruyère Cheese Association . The Commentary: The discussion highlighted challenges from trade policy uncertainty…

The Case: Swiss agriculture faces growing challenges: Fewer approved pesticides, limited alternatives as well as new pests. The Commentary: The Federal Office for Agriculture (FOAG) plans to address these problems with its Strategy for Sustainable Crop Protection 2035, featuring ten measures, such as promoting resilient varieties, expanding biological pest control…

The Case: 2026 will be a politically heavily loaded year in Switzerland with several nationwide referendums on the EU, health, climate and digital measures, immigration as well as budget and security issues. The Commentary: Referendums: Reducing the SRG fee, reforming individual taxation, creating a climate fund (0.5 – 1 %…

The Case: A series of new laws and regulatory changes came into force across Switzerland at the beginning of 2026, affecting key areas such as transport, energy, healthcare, criminal law, construction as well as taxation. The Commentary: In the transport sector, a new federal law on air passenger data now…

The Case: The revised Pan-Euro-Mediterranean (PEM) Convention entered into force on 1 January 2025, and applies automatically to all free trade agreements (FTAs) that contain a dynamic reference to the PEM Convention. The Commentary: During a transitional period from 1 January 2025 to 31 December 2025, economic operators could apply…

The Case: Switzerland’s economic growth is expected to remain subdued in 2026, with the GDP expansion projected at just under 1 %. The Commentary: The outlook is constrained by a weaker domestic demand, a tightening labour market and continued uncertainty surrounding US import tariffs. Inflation is forecast to stay low,…

The Case: It was a remarkably blunt public warning from the top of Switzerland’s biggest bank. UBS chair Colm Kelleher declared last month that Switzerland was “losing its lustre” and had reached a “crossroads with major challenges”. The Commentary: As evidence, Colm Kelleher cited fierce competition in wealth management, US…

The Case: Liechtenstein occupies the pole position among richest countries in the world. The Commentary: According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), measured by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, Liechtenstein tops the list. Switzerland, meanwhile, has fallen from third to eighth place compared to last year.

The Case: In its deliberations, Parliament demonstrated sound judgment by supporting the Federal Council’s streamlined draft. The Commentary: Under this legislation, a state review is required only if a domestic company operates in a particularly critical sector and if this company is set to be acquired by a foreign investor…

The Case: Switzerland continues to face challenges in effectively combating insider trading. The Commentary: Although insider trading has been a criminal offence under the Financial Market Infrastructure Act (FinfraG, Art. 154) since 1988, enforcement has remained largely ineffective for many years. A noticeable increase in prosecutions has only been seen…

The Case: An expert has criticised the ruling of the Federal Administrative Court (A-6444/2020 of 19 November 2025), which may still be appealed before the Federal Supreme Court. The Commentary: In its decision, the court concluded that the radio and cable surveillance conducted by the Federal Intelligence Service (FIS) violates…

The Case: Yesterday, coordinated investigative measures were carried out in Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom in connection with several criminal proceedings led by the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) on suspicion of insider trading. The proceedings concern five individuals alleged to have exploited confidential price-sensitive information…