Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert Switzerland adopts further sanctions against Russia on 22 March 2022. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates.
Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert titled Switzerland adopts further comprehensive sanctions packages imposed by the European Union against Russia on 7 March 2022. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates.
Baker McKenzie’s Sanctions Blog published the alert titled “Switzerland imposes sanctions on Russia” on 1 March 2022. Read the article via the link here. Please also visit our Sanctions Blog for the most recent updates.
The Swiss Federal Council has discussed the situation in eastern Ukraine at its meeting of 23 February 2022. It condemns Russia’s recognition of the two non-government-controlled territories of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions as independent states as a violation of international law. While the Swiss government has not decided on adopting any sanctions or measures yet, it has stated that it wishes to ensure that Switzerland will not be used as a platform to circumvent sanctions imposed by the EU, as it has already done since 2014, and is therefore examining the newly adopted EU sanctions closely.
The Swiss government has opened the consultation process on a further revision of the Swiss Cartel Act after previous failed attempts. The main objective of the proposed revision is the modernization of Swiss merger control. By changing the current qualified market dominance test to the Significant Impediment to Effective Competition test, the regulation of mergers shall be adapted to the standards already prevailing in the EU and the threshold for prohibiting a transaction should thus become lower.
Baker McKenzie are now inviting you to join sessions on specific developments and areas of risk that are on the minds of risk managers and require forethought today. The Series is designed for legal and compliance as well as interested business leaders who want to invest 50 minutes every month to these topics and come away with ideas and practical guidance.
As a result of the EU Commission’s decision not to proceed any further with updating the Mutual Recognition Agreement with Switzerland (MRA) with effect from 26 May 2021, Switzerland no longer has access to the European single market for medical devices on an equal partnership basis but is since treated as a “third country”.
On 25 November 2021 (Case C-102/20), the European Court of Justice (ECJ) ruled that displaying advertisements directly in the e-mail inbox, so-called inbox advertising (“Inbox Werbung”), is only permissible with the recipient’s prior consent. The ECJ’s reasoning can also apply to the legal situation in Switzerland on the basis of the provisions of the Federal Act against Unfair Competition.
On 17 September 2021, the Federal Council adopted a partial revision of the Chemicals Control Ordinance, which entered into force on 1 November 2021. With the revision, the licensing procedures for the production of certain chemicals for research, medical and pharmaceutical purposes have been simplified.
On 20 December 2021, taking effect at 6pm CET, Switzerland amended its lists of sanctioned parties (Annexes 7, parties subject to financial sanctions, and 8, parties subject to financial restrictions), namely by adding 17 individuals and 11 entities and organizations to Annex 7. These are the same individuals and entities as listed under EU sanctions on 2 December. Among the entities added are Belavia Belarusian Airlines, State Production Association Belorusneft and Open Joint Stock Company Belshina.