Swiss legal changes coming into force on September 1

These changes will come into force in Switzerland on 1 September Keystone-SDA

Canton Bern is amending its Data Protection Act, while canton Basel City is implementing its package of wage measures. These and other changes are coming into force in Switzerland on September 1.

DATA PROTECTION: In canton Bern, the revised cantonal Data Protection Act will come into force in September 2026. More than 1,000 Bernese municipalities and bodies governed by municipal law will thus be subject directly to the supervision of the cantonal data protection authority. The four largest municipalities – Bern, Biel/Bienne, Köniz and Thun – will retain their own data protection offices.

SALARIES: In canton Basel City, the package of salary measures for the civil service, as adopted by the cantonal parliament, will largely be implemented from September 1. The package primarily comprises an increase in starting salaries, salary measures for the cantonal police and an increase in financial allowances, according to the statement. The adjustment of the cost-of-living allowance for all pay grades will take effect on January 1, 2027. The package provides for additional annual expenditure of CHF18 million ($22.2 million), plus a one-off expenditure of CHF4.3 million. The cantonal parliament had approved the funding and the corresponding legislative amendments in a second vote in May. Prior to that, it had deliberated on the bill in April and adopted a more extensive package – but the vote had to be repeated due to a vote not being counted.

OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL: With the new regulations on organisation and administration, due to come into force on September 1, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) is modernising its structure. This will reorganise the OAG in terms of its structure, staffing and procedures. The aim of the reform is to ensure more efficient case management and targeted specialisation in modern issues such as cybercrime and crypto-related offences.

EU REGULATION: Parts of the EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) come into force on September 11. From then on, the first mandatory requirements regarding vulnerability management and the 24-hour reporting obligation for security incidents will apply to products containing digital elements. Swiss manufacturers and retailers offering relevant software or connected devices within the EU must comply with these requirements. Failure to do so may result in heavy fines or exclusion from the EU market. Among other things, the Swiss government has tasked the Federal Office for Cyber Security with drafting a consultation document by autumn 2026 for a corresponding Swiss regulation aimed at establishing legislation on the cyber resilience of digital products. The international context is to be taken into account when drafting the legal framework. Among other things, the new legal framework is intended to set out the cybersecurity requirements for the development and placing on the market of products containing digital elements.

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Translated from German, reviewed by an English Department journalist.