The legal changes that come into force in Switzerland on March 1

From March 1, it will be theoretically possible to hand over the steering wheel to technology on Swiss motorways. The prerequisite for this is that the vehicle has a level 3 autopilot system. However, no such system has been submitted for official approval in Switzerland yet. Keystone-SDA

On March 1, a number of legal changes come into force in Switzerland relating to self-driving cars, increased imports of grain and lower electricity usage costs. Here is an overview.

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SELFDRIVING CARS: From March 1, three use cases for automated driving will be permitted. Drivers of an automated vehicle may now use a highway pilot on motorways. The use of driverless vehicles on officially approved routes is also permitted. Automated parking without the presence of a driver is also possible in designated parking garages and parking spaces.

ELECTRICITY USE COSTS: Electricity consumers will have to pay CHF124 million ($137 million) less for grid usage in the 2025 tariff year. The Swiss government has adjusted the risk-based compensation for the capital invested in the electricity grid. The corresponding amendment to the Electricity Supply Ordinance for calculating the weighted average cost of capital (WACC) comes into force on March 1. This WACC is determined annually by the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC).

WAR MATERIEL: Armaments companies are given more time to produce and export goods. The Federal Council has increased the period of validity of import, export and transit licenses for war materiel from one to two years. An amendment to the War Materiel Ordinance (KMV) is required to extend the period of validity. The amendment will enter into force on March 1, 2025. The Federal Council cited the procurement, manufacturing, delivery and introduction processes, which take a long time for modern military equipment, as the reason for this.

BREAD GRAIN: Last year, farmers in Switzerland were able to harvest less bread grain than at any time for a quarter of a century. The Federal Council therefore decided to increase the import quota by 60,000 tonnes in order to meet the demand for wheat, rye and spelt. The corresponding amendment to the Agricultural Import Ordinance will come into force on March 1, 2025.

ENTRY PERMIT: From 5 March, travellers to the UK will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorisation (ETA) for a fee. This will be required from April 2, 2025. The best way to apply is via the UK ETA app. It costs £10 pounds (CHF11.20).

Adapted from German by DeepL/sb

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