The regulatory framework for GMO applications consists of regulations on different political levels. Regulations can count for a single or a couple of different applications.

Typical fields of application and regulation are:

• the contained use of GMOs (specifically genetically modified micro-organisms) in facilities like research laboratories or biotechnological industrial plants
• the deliberate release of GMOs into the environment or the placing on the market of GMOs (in field trials for research purposes, or for the application of GMOs in agriculture and environmental technology or for industrial purposes)
• the production of GM food and feedstuff, which contains or consists of GMOs.

Overview of the existing Swiss regulatory framework in the area of GMO's

Where an English translation exists, the link points to this version, otherwise to the German version. English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. English translations are provided for information purposes only and have no legal force. German, French and Italian versions of the texts are available by clicking on the appropriate link in the upper right hand corner of the pages.

Federal Constitution

• Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation, Art. 74: Protection of the Environment
• Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation, Art. 120: Gene Technology in the Non-Human Field

Federal Acts

• Federal Act relating to Non-human Gene Technology (Gene Technology Act; GTA) (English translation, PDF)
• Federal Act on the Protection of the Environment (Environmental Protection Act, EPA)
• Federal Act on fight to diseases transmissible of humans (Federal Act on epidemics)
• Federal law on animal protection
• Federal Act on epizooties

Ordinances

• Ordinance on the Transboundary Movements of Genetically Modified Organisms (Cartagena Ordinance, CartO)
• Ordinance on the Swiss Expert Committee for Biosafety
• Ordinance on the Handling of Organisms in the Environment (Release Ordinance, RO)
• Ordinance on the contained use of organisms (Containment ordinance, CO) 
   (English translation, PDF)
• Ordinance on Production and Marketing of Plant Propagation Material (Seeds Ordinance)
• Ordinance on genetically modified food
• Feedstuff Ordinance
• Ordinance on GMO feed list

Conventions and international agreements ratified by Switzerland

• Convention on Biological Diversity
• Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety