After Switzerland ended negotiations with the EU on a new framework agreement, a parliamentary group of Socialist Party members is pushing for Switzerland to become a member of the EU, according to the newspaper Le Matin. The parliamentary group, which has the support of the party’s leadership, argues that full membership of the bloc is […]
Switzerland clears Covid-19 vaccine for 12 to 15 year-olds
On 4 June 2021, Swissmedic, Switzerland’s drug approval authority, announced it was extending authorisation of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine to 12-15 year olds. The vaccine, also known under the brand name Comirnaty®, has had temporary ordinary authorisation for use in Switzerland on people aged 16 or over since 19 December 2020. Swissmedic started looking at approving […]
Switzerland’s underground tunnel project gets green light from upper house
On 1 June 2021, a project to build an underground freight tunnel network stretching from Geneva to St Gallen, gained almost unanimous support in the Council of States, Switzerland upper house. The project, which was launched in 2013 by private investors, won favour with 39 members of the Council of States with 1 abstention. In […]
Swiss pesticide votes – pesticides, antibiotics, gut bacteria, hormones and disease
As we move through time scientific research improves our understanding of the world. The resulting revelations often point to changes that could lead to progress. However, these changes are rarely painless. Shifting away from the use of antibiotics on livestock and the agricultural use of pesticides are not small adjustments. They underpin current farming methods […]
Swiss president warns EU against reprisal after collapsed negotiation
Last week, negotiations between Switzerland and the EU ended after failure to find agreement on key elements of a deal governing the relationship between Switzerland and the bloc. Over the weekend, Switzerland’s president Guy Parmelin defended the abrupt break in negotiations and sent a clear message to EU strategists in Brussels. Speaking to the newspaper […]
Swiss government adopts Covid certificate ordinance and announces launch date
On 4 June 2021, Switzerland’s Federal Council adopted an ordinance on Covid-19 certificates, which forms the legal basis for issuing the certificates in both forgery proof paper and electronic formats. The ordinance will enter into force on 7 June 2021 and provide the legal basis for issuing the certificates. The certificates are aimed mainly at […]
Foreigners in Switzerland might gain access to welfare after 10 years of residence
In Switzerland, accessing welfare can put foreigners’ residence permits at risk. A recent parliamentary initiative may change this for some. Practice on who qualifies for welfare varies from canton to canton and the subject is somewhat of a minefield. There are often rules around family members helping before state welfare kicks in and also rules […]
Swiss government to take aim at drivers of noisy vehicles
This week, Switzerland’s upper house followed parliament in voting in favour more severe sanctions for drivers of noisy vehicles. On 1 June 2021, the Council of States, Switzerland’s upper house voted 37 to 7 in support of stiffer penalties for driving a noisy vehicle or motorcycle. The text demands measures against driving illegally modified vehicles. […]
Covid: new cases down 25% in Switzerland this week
This week, 4,269 new Covid-19 cases were recorded in Switzerland, down 25% from the week before (5,670), continuing a steep downward trend in new numbers of recorded infections. The daily number of cases on a 7-day rolling average is less than third of what it was 5 weeks ago. It has fallen from 1,924 to […]
Swiss study links youth obesity to body image misperceptions
A recently published Swiss study finds misperceptions of body image among young people that are associated with being overweight or obese. The study, which takes data on nearly 14,000 school children in Bern, Basel and Zurich, found that the percentage of children aged 12-15 suffering from excess weight and obesity was broadly stable over the […]
