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Switzerland: Update for Switzerland-based businesses on the practical implications of Swiss and EU regulations on supply chain due diligence

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In brief

On 1 January 2022, Switzerland introduced due diligence and reporting requirements to address risks in the supply chains of Switzerland-based businesses related to child labor and so-called conflict minerals. On 24 May 2024, the European Council adopted the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CS3D), which imposes EU-level due diligence requirements in the value chain (i.e., upstream and downstream), on top of existing regulations in this area at the EU member state level.

In this update, we provide an overview of the evolving regulatory landscape of supply chain due diligence requirements in Switzerland and the EU, as well as their practical implications, and we suggest action items for Swiss businesses with respect to supply chain governance and compliance programs. In doing so, we refer to further materials prepared by our environmental, social and governance (ESG) team across our EU offices.

Click here to read the full alert.

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Author

Christoph Kurth heads the Investigations, Compliance & Ethics practice of the Swiss offices. Further, he is a member of the EMEA Steering Committee Compliance & Investigations and co-leads the EMEA Financial Institutions Industry Group. He has been recognized by Legal 500 as a leading individual for compliance, regulatory and investigation matters. Before joining the Firm, Christoph was global head of Litigation & Investigations and general counsel in Asia for a large Swiss bank. For over 10 years, he has led complex regulatory and criminal investigations as well as high stakes litigation across the US, Europe and Asia, and has advised on transformational regulatory developments and wealth management products and services across Switzerland and Asia. In his roles, Christoph has worked closely with business leaders, government authorities and the media, navigating businesses through regulatory and other challenges. Prior to this, Christoph was a litigator in leading practices in Switzerland and the US. Christoph also teaches post-graduate courses in 'Crisis Management' and 'Risk Governance' at the Europa Institute at the University of Zurich.

Author

Dr. Fabienne Bretscher is a mid-level associate at Baker McKenzie’s Zurich office focusing on contentious matters in the areas of civil and commercial as well as intellectual property and competition law. She holds a PhD in the area of dispute resolution in international human rights law from the University of Zurich and a Master's Degree in Transnational Law from the University of Basel. During her graduate and postgraduate studies, Fabienne worked as associate lecturer and research assistant.
Fabienne first joined Baker McKenzie Zurich in 2018 as a trainee lawyer and rejoined the firm after being admitted to the Swiss Bar in 2021.

Author

Corinne Nacht is an associate in Baker McKenzie's Dispute Resolution and Compliance & Investigations practice groups in Zurich. She graduated from the University of St. Gallen (HSG) in 2015. Subsequently, Corinne worked as a trainee lawyer for Baker McKenzie Zurich and for a smaller law firm in the Canton of Thurgau. She was admitted to the bar and rejoined the Firm in 2019.

Author

Alice Keles is a Trainee Lawyer in Baker McKenzie, Zurich office.

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