News

From moors to settlements to forests – Switzerland’s characteristic landscapes are changing because of climate change, construction activities and afforestation. A new method developed by researchers at the WSL could make this visible in the future. By allowing characteristic landscape types to be recorded across Switzerland, it can thus serve as a basis for targeted landscape development.

On 30 June 2026, the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (EAER) has updated the document “Interpretative aid for sanction measures”. The modifications are visible in track changes mode.

On 22 June 2026, Swissmedic, together with the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS), and Swiss Sport Integrity (SSI) conducted a targeted campaign against illegally imported peptides. In the campaign, shipments suspected of containing illegally imported peptides or comparable substances were subjected to targeted checks. The findings showed that such products are increasingly ordered from unregulated online channels. These products are often unauthorised, with no guarantee of quality and pose considerable health risks.

The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC) has criticised management cultures that play down systemic data protection risks in large-scale digital projects and undermine the Freedom of Information Act, which, after 20 years, has numerous gaps in its coverage. These are key points in the 2025/2026 Annual Report, published today.

An Empa study shows that retrofitting existing diesel buses for electric operation would allow the entire European bus fleet to be electrified about 15 years earlier. This would benefit not only the environment but also bus operators. With the cost savings, they could expand public transportation services – without a significant need for additional infrastructure.

The Federal Tax Administration has updated the course listings and bonus shares 2025 and 2026.

On 14 November 2025, Switzerland and the United States signed a joint statement aimed at stabilising bilateral trade relations. The Federal Council is committed to honouring its commitments under that agreement. To this end, on 29 June it published a declaration setting out how it intends to implement certain further elements of the joint statement. In return, it expects the United States to fulfil its corresponding commitments. A comprehensive trade agreement remains the Federal Council's overarching aim.

In Switzerland, approximately 750,000 people are exposed to harmful or disruptive traffic noise – primarily road noise. Road noise generates annual external costs of around CHF 2 billion, resulting from adverse health effects and a decline in property values. To combat road noise, there is a legal obligation to rehabilitate roads. Road rehabilitation was supposed to have been completed by 2002 but was extended to 2015 (national roads) and 2018 (other roads). In 2021, the Federal Council extended financial support for the cantons indefinitely, thereby defining road rehabilitation as a permanent task. The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) examined whether the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) had implemented key recommendations from 2021 regarding the management, financing, and monitoring of noise abatement measures for roads.

Eighteen artefacts from the Kingdom of Benin have been returned to Nigeria by three Swiss museums. The courtly and religious objects are among the famous ‘Benin Bronzes’, which were looted from the Kingdom of Benin – in modern-day Nigeria – at the end of the 19th century. Switzerland also returned to Nigeria five artefacts seized in this country. During the restitution ceremony, Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider and Nigeria’s minister of culture, Hannatu Musa Musawa, signed an agreement on the transfer of cultural property, with the aim of combating the illicit trade in cultural property and protecting cultural heritage.

Opening address of Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, Federal Councillor, on the occasion of the signing of the bilateral cooperation agreement between Switzerland and Nigeria concerning the import, export and return of cultural property. Check against delivery.

On the sidelines of the 75th Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting on 28 and 29 June, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, held talks with several of her counterparts, including Dorothee Bär, German Federal Minister for Research, Technology and Space.

Of those who obtained a professional qualification in 2020, 58% changed companies or started their own business and 20% changed roles within their company in the four years following their examination. These are the results of the second Survey on Professional Education by the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).