Switzerland: Parliamentary Committees Support Counterproposal to Foie Gras Initiative

According to a media release issued today, the Council of States’ Committee for Science, Education and Culture (WBK-S) has unanimously expressed its support for an indirect counterproposal to the popular initiative "Yes to an Import Ban on Foie Gras", which seeks to prohibit the import of foie gras and foie gras products by amending the Swiss Federal Constitution. However, the WBK-S has tied its approval to the condition that the Federal Council must consider further measures—up to and including qualitative import restrictions—if, five years after the introduction of a mandatory declaration requirement, no significant reduction in import volumes is observed. The aim is to give the Federal Council greater flexibility in implementing measures. The Federal Council continues to oppose an import ban, arguing that such a measure would be incompatible with Switzerland’s international trade obligations. Instead, it favors the introduction of a declaration requirement via ordinance. The National Council’s sister committee (WBK-N), which submitted parliamentary initiative 25.404 in March, will now begin drafting the proposed legislation.