Swiss government against dangerous pesticides export ban
Misuse of pesticides produced and exported by developed countries creates significant adverse health and environmental effects in less developed countries.
Keystone
Switzerland’s government says it is against a ban on the export of dangerous pesticides but that in future importing countries will have to give explicit consent.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/ds
The Federal Council laid out its position on Thursday in response to parliamentarians calling for stricter regulations – including an export ban on pesticides prohibited in Switzerland due to their negative health and environment impacts.
Parliamentarian Lisa Mazzone had put forward the example of India where 20 farmers died in 2017 and hundreds fell ill after spraying cotton fields with insecticide, which poisoned them.
Diafenthiuron, the active ingredient in the insecticide Polo, is on the list of substances bannedExternal link or facing severe restrictions in Switzerland. Syngenta argues that diafenthiuron is simply not authorised for sale in the country because it has not been registered for use.
The Federal Council indicated that it considers a general export ban on certain pesticides to be “disproportionate if the protection of human health and the environment can be achieved by other means”.
The protective measures required for the use of plant protection products are the responsibility of the authorities of the country in which the product is used, noted the Federal Council.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story was unclear about the status of Polo in Switzerland.
Should raw milk sales be banned or should consumers decide?
Swiss food regulations do not allow raw milk to be sold for direct consumption. However, a loophole allows 400 raw milk vending machines to do just that.
Argentina’s Milei to visit Switzerland in January 2025
This content was published on
Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei plans to visit Switzerland on January 24, 2025 to attend an event organised by the Liberal Institute in Zurich.
This content was published on
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, says it intends to open an office in Zurich. The move is part of its European expansion plan, after setting up offices in London, Paris, Brussels and Dublin.
This content was published on
The Swiss economy is growing slightly faster than expected, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
This content was published on
The House of Representatives on Wednesday cut the foreign aid budget by CHF250 million ($282 million) in favour of the army.
Parliament confirms 13th pension payment to be paid once a year in December
This content was published on
The 13th old-age pension payment will be paid out as planned from December 2026, the Swiss Senate confirmed on Wednesday.
This content was published on
Around 1,000 Swiss farmers took part in a protest action near Bern on Tuesday, calling for less administrative work, more planning security and fairer prices.
UN appeals for more funds to assist 305 million people in need
This content was published on
The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that around 305 million people will need aid in 2025.
Swiss authorities release right-to-die activist in Sarco ‘suicide capsule’ case
This content was published on
A right-to-die activist has been released from police custody over the reported first use of the Sarco “suicide capsule”, after prosecutors ruled out the possibility of an intentional homicide.
Switzerland demands immediate halt to hostilities in Syria
This content was published on
The Swiss foreign ministry has called for an immediate end to hostilities in Syria. International humanitarian law must be respected, it declared via the social media platform X on Tuesday.
Poll: right-wing Swiss People’s Party enjoys growing support among population
This content was published on
If national elections had been held in Switzerland last month, the right-wing Swiss People's Party would have won, and increased its share of votes by 2% compared to the 2023 federal elections.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
NGOs point the finger at multinationals for foreign abuses
This content was published on
The report shows the rights and environmental abuses committed by Swiss companies abroad over the past five years - on average one per month.
This content was published on
Switzerland is home to some of the largest global companies. But what value do they bring to the Swiss economy and society?
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.