Cabinet opposes national adventure sport law
Switzerland's seven-member cabinet is opposed to a national law governing the safety of adventure sport.
In a statement released after its weekly meeting on Wednesday, the cabinet said it saw no reason to place activities including canyoning, river rafting and bungee jumping under federal legislation.
It made the decision based on a recommendation by the Federal Sport Office.
A 1999 canyoning accident in the Bernese Oberland that claimed 18 lives, as well as subsequent deaths, have pushed safety in adventure sport onto the national agenda.
The issue has come under parliamentary consideration since then. Federal authorities say that the industry’s self-regulation has been effective.
The Safety in Adventures foundation was introduced following the 1999 accident and is backed by the cantons, the Federal Sport Office, the Swiss Outdoor Association and the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
The body says adventure sport has become safer over the past decade.
On Wednesday, Switzerland’s two adventure sport associations, the Swiss Outdoor Association and the Swiss Trend Sport Association, announced that they would merge as of September 1.
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