Court rules that SECO must release sensitive arms exports details
Switzerland is the world's 14th-largest exporter of arms.
Keystone
A Swiss court has ruled that the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) must reverse its opposition to releasing information about arms exports to a journalist. The details are in the public interest, the court claimed.
This content was published on
2 minutes
SDA-ATS/dos
The decision by the Federal Administrative Court in St Gallen on Friday came after SECO had refused to accede to the request of a journalist from the weekly Woz magazine concerning applications for arms exports in 2014.
The journalist, who based the request on the law on transparency in state administration, had asked for detailed information about the businesses that had made the requests, the type of material they wished to export, and the value of the weapons in each case.
SECO refused to release the information for reasons of economic and diplomatic prudence: revealing the names of destination countries could lead to bilateral tensions and the possible future scuppering of deals, it said.
Public interest
However, the court ruled, such information has a high public interest, dealing as it does with an issue that is much debated among the public and civil society; moreover, the media is vital in overseeing the activities of state authorities.
Before releasing the information, SECO will now consult with the companies concerned to determine whether and which names and details will be made anonymous. It also has 30 days to appeal the verdict to the Federal Court.
SECO already publishes annual statistics about approved exports, but these do not include information about every application and each Swiss company involved.
Last year, SECO recently announced, Switzerland delivered war materiel worth CHF446.6 million ($477 million) to 64 countries, an increase of 8% on 2016.
More
More
Swiss weapons exports increase
This content was published on
Switzerland delivered war materiel worth CHF446.6 million ($477 million) to 64 countries last year, an increase of 8% on 2016.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Legal action filed against Swiss purchase of Israeli drones
This content was published on
Legal action aims to put an end to the delivery of the six Elbit reconnaissance drones already plagued by delays and setbacks.
Higher direct payments fail to curb scrub encroachment on alpine pastures
This content was published on
The scrub encroachment on Swiss alpine pastures leads to the loss of grassland and damages the typical landscape. It is also responsible for the decline in biodiversity. Despite higher direct payments, the bushes continue to spread.
Head of Swiss financial regulator’s Banks division quits
This content was published on
Thomas Hirschi, head of the Banks division of the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority FINMA will leave at the end of August.
Swiss population satisfied with life according to survey
This content was published on
In a survey, the population of German-speaking and French-speaking Switzerland expressed general satisfaction with their lives. Respondents were less happy with politics and their personal finances, according to the online comparison service Moneyland.
WHO ‘extremely concerned’ about growing vaccination scepticism
This content was published on
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), vaccination scepticism and a collapse in funding for vaccination campaigns pose a major threat to the health of the world's population.
High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
This content was published on
The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.
Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
This content was published on
Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.
Foreign minister urges full implementation of arms treaty
This content was published on
States must focus more effort on fully implementing the landmark Arms Trade Treaty (ATT), Swiss Foreign Minister Didier Burkhalter said on Monday.
Minister considers calls to soften arms export rules
This content was published on
Economic Affairs Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann says his ministry will take up requests from the arms industry to soften rules on weapons exports.
This content was published on
The launching of the campaign kicked off with one of the group’s members, 86-year-old Louise Schneider, being picked up by police for spraying “Geld für Waffen tötet” (money for weapons kills) on the Swiss National Bank (SNB). The bank is currently undergoing renovations, so the graffiti was sprayed on a wooden protective wall. The text…
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.