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Swiss
Government, Institutions and Associations of States
Last check of
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- BLW /
OFAG / UFAG / FOAG - Swiss Federal Office for Agriculture
As part of the federal
administration, the FOAG is responsible for legislation in the field of
agriculture.
- Agroscope
Schweizer Forschung für Landwirtschaft,
Ernährung und Umwelt.
Agroscope gehört zum Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft und besteht aus den
drei
Forschungsanstalten
- Agroscope
Changins-Wädenswil ACW
- Agroscope
Liebefeld-Posieux ALP
- Agroscope
Reckenholz-Tänikon ART
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- BVET /
OVF / UFV / FVO - Swiss
Federal Veterinary Office
Although animal health and
welfare are the focus of the activities of the FVO, these activities
also benefit humans. The federal constitution, its laws and
regulations, and various international treaties constitute the
foundation for the mandate of the FVO. Implementation of these texts
rests with the cantons; however, the FVO provides support to the
cantons through active communication, a steady flow of information and
through continued education programmes. The federal authorities
regulate conditions for import of animals and food, and provide border
control for such imports. They are responsible for the control and
licensing of establishments that export animal products, while the
cantons are responsible for certification of exports of live animals.
The Federal Veterinary Office collaborates with experts of other
governmental bodies and international organisations to coordinate
veterinary and public health matters, as well as species conservation.
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- Swiss
Federal Office of Consumer Affairs
The Federal Office of Consumer
Affairs is attached to the General Secretariat of the Federal
Department of Economic Affairs. Its task is to take into account the
general interest as regards consumption, by weighing the specific
collective interests of the consumers and the general interests of the
economy, and by seeking a profitable dialogue with the various services
of the administration. It gives its opinions on consumer matters and
collaborates in the elaboration of laws and ordinances.
The Federal Office of Consumer Affairs is interested by all the
market's offers concerning the products (food security, general
security of the products, domestic machines, textile, furnishing, toys,
drugs, packaging, etc.) and the services (banks, insurances, teaching,
transport, leisures, telecommunications, electricity, post office,
housing, energy, etc).
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- OSEC
- Business Network Switzerland
OSEC is the official trade
promotion organization of Switzerland. OSEC provides trade services to
Swiss exporters and to companies worldwide interested in doing business
with Switzerland.
- SECO
- State Secretariat for Economic Affairs
The SECO is part of the Swiss
Federal Department of Economic Affairs. Its sectors are: Economic
Analysis, Labour Market / Unemployment Insurance, Working Conditions
and Sectoral Policy Issues / Legal Affairs
- WEKO -
Swiss Federal Competition
Commission
The Federal Act on Cartels and
Other Restraints of Competition is a central pillar of the Swiss
competition policy. Its aim is to promote competition by opposing the
harmful effects of restraints of competition and to achieve a market
economy in which the enterprises may use their resources efficiently
and react to changes quickly.
The Act on Cartels includes three kinds of restraints of competition:
agreements and concerted practices, abuse of dominant positions and
concentrations of enterprises. The application of the Act is the duty
of the Competition Commission and its Secretariat. The Competition
Commission is an independent federal authority.
- Zefix
Central Business Names Index of
the Federal Commercial Registry Office, Switzerland
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- BBW /
OFES / UFES - Swiss Federal Office for Education and Science
Das Bundesamt für
Bildung und Wissenschaft ist nach Massgabe des Bundesrats
verantwortlich für die schweizerische Bildungspolitik,
Hochschulpolitik, Nationale Forschungspolitik und Internationale
Forschungs- und Bildungspolitik.
- BBT /
OFFT / UFFT / OPET - Swiss Federal Office for Professional
Education and Technology
The OPET is part of the Swiss
Federal Department of Economic Affairs. It is responsible, within the
Federal Government, for all issues related to professional education,
Universities of Applied Sciences and policy in the field of technology.
- SWTR
- Swiss Science and Technology Council
Der SWTR ist das beratende
Organ des Bundesrates für alle Fragen der Wissenschafts-,
Bildungs-, Forschungs- und Technologiepolitik.
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- FOEN / BAFU / OFEV / UFAM - Federal
Office for the Environment (formerly Swiss Agency for
the Environment, Forests and Landscape) (SAEFL / BUWAL / OFEFP / UFAFP)
The FOEN is the federal
government's centre of environmental expertise and is part of the
Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and
Communication.
The FOEN is responsible for ensuring that natural resources are used
sustainably, that the public is protected against natural hazards, and
that the environment is protected from unacceptable adverse impacts.
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- METAS
- Swiss Federal Office of Metrology and Accreditation
The METAS realises and makes
available internationally agreed units and standards. It supervises the
use of measuring instruments in the fields of commerce, transport,
public safety, health and environmental protection. It monitors the
compliance to legal requirements by cantons and authorised bodies, as
well as trains and advises verification experts and verification
agencies. Its services are available to researchers, industry and
commerce. It manages the Swiss Calibration Service (SCS) and operates
the Swiss Accreditation Service (SAS)
.
- SAS - Swiss
Accreditation Service
The SAS is responsible for all
types of accreditation in areas both legally and not legally regulated.
As a government institution it is based on the Ordinance on the Swiss
Accreditation System and the Notification which came into force in 1991
and was last revised in 1996. According to this ordinance,
accreditation is granted by the director of the Swiss Federal Office of
Metrology and Accreditation (Metas)
after a thorough examination
by the SAS and judgment by the Federal Accreditation Commission (AKKO).
This commission, constituted by the Federal Council, consists of nine
representatives of the Swiss industry, the federal and cantonal
authorities as well as the universities.
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- Spiez
Laboratory
Special division in the Swiss
Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS). The
institute is concerned with the effects of and the protection from
nuclear, biological, and chemical threats and risks.
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- BAG
/ OFSP / UFSP / SFOPH - Swiss Federal Office of Public
Health
The Swiss Federal Office of
Public Health makes an essential contribution to facilitate to the
population a life in good health. It measures its action by the effect
on health.
- Swissmedic
- Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products
Swissmedic, the Swiss Agency
for Therapeutic Products, ensures that only high-quality, safe and
effective medicines and medical devices are placed on the market in
Switzerland. Replaces the IKS (Interkantonale Kontrollstelle
für Heilmittel).
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- TA-SWISS
- Centre for Technology Assessment
The team at the TA-SWISS has
targeted the objective of transmitting independent information on the
potential, the risks, and the repercussions of new technologies, and of
dealing with the issues emerging from them in as broad a scope as
possible. The creation of a constructive dialogue between the public
and the scientific community is also one of the tasks which the Centre
for Technology Assessment has taken on through the implementation and
development of participative methods. TA-SWISS thereby provides the
public and the political authorities with high-quality and unbiased
information.
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- Kantonale
Laboratorien der Schweiz
Verzeichnis der Kontrollorgane
für
Lebensmittel und Gebrauchsgegenstände, publiziert vom Verband
der
Kantonschemiker der Schweiz (VKCS).
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- Council
of Europe
The Council of Europe covers
all major issues facing European society other than defence. Its work
programme includes the following fields of activity: human rights,
media, legal co-operation, social cohesion, health, education, culture,
heritage, sport, youth, local democracy and transfrontier co-operation,
the environment and regional planning.
- EFTA
- European Free Trade Association
EFTA is an international
organisation comprising four states: The Republic of Iceland, The
Principality of Liechtenstein, The Kingdom of Norway and The Swiss
Confederation. EFTA has headquarters in Geneva and offices in Brussels
and Luxembourg.
- EU
- European Union
The European Union (EU) is the
result of a process of cooperation and integration. The EU today has
fifteen Member States and is preparing for its fifth enlargement, this
time towards Eastern and Southern Europe.
The European Union's mission is to organise relations between the
Member States and between their peoples. The main objectives are:
- to
promote economic and social progress (the
single market was established in 1993; the single currency was launched
in 1999);
- to assert
the identity of the European Union on
the international scene (through European humanitarian aid to non-EU
countries, common foreign and security policy, action in international
crises; common positions within international organisations);
- to
introduce European citizenship (which does not
replace national citizenship but complements it and confers a number of
civil and politic rights on European citizens);
- to
develop an area of freedom, security and
justice (linked to the operation of the internal market and more
particularly the freedom of movement of persons);
- to
maintain and build on established Eu Law Eur-Lex
- European Union Law (all the
legislation adopted by the European institutions, together with the
founding treaties).
There
are five institutions involved in running the European Union: the
European Parliament (elected by the peoples of the Member States), the
Council (representing the governments of the Member States), the
Commission (the executive and the body having the right to initiate
legislation), the Court of Justice (ensuring compliance with the law),
the Court of Auditors (responsible for auditing the accounts). These
institutions are supported by other bodies: the Economic and Social
Committee and the Committee of the Regions (advisory bodies which help
to ensure that the positions of the EU's various economic and social
categories and regions respectively are taken into account), the
European Ombudsman (dealing with complaints from citizens concerning
maladministration at European level), the European Investment Bank (EU
financial institution) and the European Central Bank (responsible for
monetary policy in the euro-area).
- Eur-Lex
- European Union Law
- Your
Europe
Information for
Citizens:
Practical information on their rights and opportunities in the European
Union and its Internal Market.
Advice on how to exercise these rights in practice
Information for Business:
Practical information for European enterprises and entrepreneurs
working cross-border.
- Integration
Office Switzerland - Europe
The European Integration Office
is a service offered jointly by the Federal Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) and the Federal Department of Economic Affairs (DEA). It
has been charged with the following tasks by the Swiss government:
- Monitoring
the European integration process and
analysing and assessing its likely consequences for Switzerland
- Co-ordination
of matters concerning integration
law and policy and negotiation of treaties with the EU, in close
collaboration and co-responsibility with the departments competent for
the respective matters
- Information
on Switzerland's integration policy
and European integration
- Rechtssammlung
zu den Bilateralen Abkommen Schweiz-EG vom 21. Juni 1999
- www.entsendung.ch
Informationsplattform
des SECO zum Thema Arbeits- und Lohnbedingungen in der Schweiz und in
den verschiedenen Kantonen
- Europabrevier
Leitfaden zu den bilateralen
Abkommen Schweiz - EU
- UN -
United Nations
The United Nations is central
to global efforts to solve problems which challenge humanity.
Cooperating in this effort are more than 30 affiliated organizations,
known together as the UN system. Day in and day out, the UN and its
family of organizations work to promote respect for human rights,
protect the environment, fight disease, foster development and reduce
poverty. UN agencies define the standards for safe and efficient
transport by air and sea, help improve telecommunications and enhance
consumer protection, work to ensure respect for intellectual property
rights and coordinate allocation of radio frequencies. The United
Nations leads the international campaigns against drug trafficking and
terrorism. Throughout the world, the UN and its agencies assist
refugees and set up programmes to clear landmines, help improve the
quality of drinking water and expand food production, make loans to
developing countries and help stabilize financial markets.
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