The United States welcome Switzerland joining the Blue Dot Network Steering Committee
The goal of Blue Dot Network certification is to promote quality infrastructure that is financially, environmentally, and socially sustainable; consistent…
Swiss Confederation assesses its approach to business and human rights
The FDFA and EAER are jointly coordinating the NAP 2020–2023 for the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business…
Switzerland and Italy agree permanent tax treatment for home working
On 10 November 2023 in the course of a videoconference, Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter and Italian Minister of Economy and…
Online fraud with cryptocurrencies: Eurojust and Europol actions across Europe
At the request of the Swiss authorities, Eurojust has coordinated several actions against an online fraud network in EU Member…
Switzerland conducts first political consultations with Kenya
One year after the agreement to hold regular political talks in future, the head of the FDFA's Africa Division, Ambassador…
Switzerland: Good bacteria for bad wounds
Empa researchers are developing a dressing containing probiotic lactobacilli. These are intended to heal chronically infected wounds by destroying persistent…
Switzerland: First roundtable on cash
On 30 October 2023, the Federal Finance Administration, together with the Swiss National Bank (SNB), held the first cash roundtable.…
Switzerland: PHRT projects to improve cancer treatment
The project proposed by Inge Herrmann from Empa in collaboration with the Cantonal Hospital of St. Gallen and the Cleveland…
Switzerland launches tax programme for developing countries
Governments use revenues, especially funds obtained from taxation, to invest in social and economic development, alleviate poverty, provide public services…
Switzerland retains measures linked to Iran’s nuclear programme
On 18 October, certain UN sanctions relating to nuclear proliferation in Iran will automatically expire. In view of Iran's failure…
Switzerland provides funding for Sudan and neighbouring countries
The humanitarian situation in Sudan has deteriorated significantly amid the ongoing fighting. More than 5.3 million people have fled their…
Swiss President Berset joins third European Political Community meeting
President Alain Berset will attend the third meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) in the southern Spanish city of…
Switzerland/China: Tripartite dialogue on labour and employment issues
Switzerland and China exchanged experiences in the area of new forms of work and addressed in particular their impact on…
Swiss President Berset receives Kosovo PM Kurti
The president stressed Switzerland's support for the normalisation process and called for the implementation of the agreements negotiated in Brussels…
Switzerland: Virtual rail noise – close to reality
At Empa, acoustics experts have been investigating for years how noise is generated by passenger and cargo trains – and…
Ukraine digitalising public services with Swiss support
At its meeting on 15 September 2023, the Federal Council approved additional support for digitalisation in Ukraine. This will enable…
Switzerland: IEA recommends speeding up the restructuring of the country’s energy system
The International Energy Agency (IEA) considers Switzerland's energy policy to be on the right track, but that progress is too…
Switzerland: President Berset receives EU Council SG
The secretary general of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, visited Switzerland on Thursday, 7 September, and met with…
Security: EU Commission proposes negotiations with Switzerland, Iceland and Norway on PNR data agreements
Opening negotiations with Switzerland, Iceland, and Norway on PNR is an important step forward to increase security in the Schengen…
Switzerland: The immune cell influencer
Humans have about 1000 billion immune cells. Some of them patrol the blood and are summoned by messenger substances to…
Switzerland joins Register of Damage Caused by the Russian aggression
In May 2023, the Council of Europe established the Register of Damage, a database containing evidence and information on damage…
Swiss Federal Council initiates consultation on strengthening the anti-money laundering framework
At its meeting on 30 August 2023, the Federal Council launched the consultation procedure on a bill to strengthen the…
Ukraine: Switzerland implements new sanctions against Belarus
On 30 August, the Federal Council decided to adopt further sanctions against Belarus to bring Switzerland in line with the…
Schweiz: Bundesrat eröffnet Konsultation zur Stärkung der Geldwäscherei-Bekämpfung
Ein leistungsfähiges System zur Bekämpfung der Finanzkriminalität ist für den guten Ruf und den nachhaltigen Erfolg eines international bedeutenden, sicheren…
Switzerland: Rechargable revolution
Dübendorf, St. Gallen und Thun, 29 August 2023 The Empa spin-off BTRY wants to revolutionize...
The Office of the Swiss Attorney General indicts former Algerian defence minister
The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland on 28.08.2023 filed an indictment in the Federal Criminal Court against Khaled…
Switzerland: Federal Councillor signs energy agreement in Slovenia
During a visit to Slovenia, Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), today signed…
Switzerland: Continued growth in the number of businesses, mixed trends in employment
In 2021, 966 businesses employing some 10 300 persons had commodities trading as their main activity. These stakeholders, notably specialised…
2.6% increase in Switzerland’s GDP in 2022
Switzerland's gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 2.6% in 2022 at the previous year’s prices. This sustained growth is part…
Xplain hack: Swiss Federal Council approves investigation order
At its meeting of 23 August 2023, the Federal Council ordered an administrative investigation into the events surrounding the data…
Sanctions against Syria: Switzerland extends temporary humanitarian exemption
In light of the grave humanitarian crisis in Syria, which was worsened by the earthquake, the EU amended its measures…
Recycling the non-recyclable: New epoxy resin resists flames and reduces waste
Epoxy resins are tough and versatile polymers. In combination with glass or carbon fibers, they are used, for example, to…
Swiss labour stats: Major differences amon foreign workers
The situation of the 1.12 million foreign workers in Switzerland differs depending on their country of origin. People from certain…
Swiss diplomats from around the world meet to discuss foreign policy
This year's Ambassadors and International Network Conference is taking place from 21 to 24 August 2023 in Bern. The unique…
Switzerland: ‘Green Transition’ needs enhanced action
Climate change discussions often overlook the central role played by the excessive extraction and use of natural resources. The topic,…
Ukraine: Switzerland implements 11th package of sanctions
On 16 August, the Federal Council decided to enact further sanctions against Russia. This aligns Switzerland with the EU, which…
Switzerland: Carbon-based quantum technology
Graphene nanoribbons have outstanding properties that can be precisely controlled. Researchers from Empa and ETH Zurich, in collaboration with partners…
A Swiss premiere Proton radiotherapy to treat oesophageal cancer
A 67-year old patient presenting with oesophageal cancer was treated today at the Paul Scherrer Institute PSI with a form…
Fighting crime: Switzerland emphasizes focus on cooperation
Crime is becoming increasingly global and digital: ATM thieves, cyber criminals, drug, human and arms traffickers do not stop at…
Credit Suisse/UBS: All federal guarantees terminated
UBS has definitively terminated the agreement regarding the federal loss protection guarantee in the amount of CHF 9 billion, as…
Switzerland: Anti-terrorism actions in the cantons of Vaud and Neuchatel
On behalf of the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG), fedpol and local cantonal police forces carried out…
Switzerland reaffirms its support for peace process in Colombia
Swiss President Alain Berset met with Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday, 10 August. Talks focused on Switzerland's engagement in…
First recovery, then stagnation: Biodiversity in European bodies of water
In the scientific journal Nature, an international team including a member of Eawag published a study on the state and…
Switzerland: First insights into the impact of adopting OECD minimum tax
The Federal Department of Finance FDF has published the first report on the expected effects of the implementation of the…
Switzerland: e-vignette off to a successful start
The motorway tax ticket for the calendar year 2023 can now be purchased electronically at www.e-vignette.ch using the Via portal…
Switzerland: A friendly sailor
To enable the small drone to manage the change of location from one body of water to the next, it…
Switzerland: Turnover in the services sector declined by 6.1% in May 2023
Services turnover adjusted for working day effects fell by 6.1% in May 2023 compared to the same month last year.…
Switzerland/USA: MRA on the manufacturing practice for medicinal products takes effect
The Federal Council already approved the agreement with the USA for mutual recognition of inspections relating to the manufacture of…
DRC: Switzerland joins 9th Francophone Games
The 9th edition of the Francophone Games is taking place in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), from 28…
Swiss timber harvest increased by 4% in 2022
The increase was striking, both for sawlogs and veneer logs (+4%) and for fuel wood (+7%), the two most important…