. /.WORLD TRADE
ORGANIZATIONG/TBT/Notif.99.318
30 June 1999
(99-2700)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   SWITZERLAND
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):           
2. Agency responsible:   Federal Office for Agriculture
Agency or authority designated to handle comments regarding the notification shall be
indicated if different from above:   Federal Office for Foreign Economic Affairs (new
denomination as from 1.07.1999: State Secretariat for Economic Affairs)
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X], 2.10.1 [    ], 5.6.2 [    ], 5.7.1 [    ], other:           
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable):
Meat (HS 0201 - 0207) and eggs (HS 0407)
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Draft Ordinance on
Mandatory Labelling of Agricultural Products Stemming from Production Prohibited in
Switzerland
6. Description of content:  Following food items are subject to mandatory labelling indicating
the kind of production:
(a) meat of bovine animals, swine, horses, sheep, goats and domestic fowls for direct
consumption which is produced with hormones and/or antibiotics or other
antimicrobial substances used other than in a therapeutical way (e.g.: to increase the
efficiency or growth rate of the fattening);
(b) eggs of domestic fowls (species gallus domesticus ) for direct consumption, which
are produced in cages which do not meet Swiss requirements (e.g.: battery cages).
Analogous labelling has to be provided in establishments where meals are prepared for the
public such as restaurants or hospitals.
Excluded from mandatory labelling are processed agricultural products containing meat or
eggs according to (a) and (b), and agricult ural products produced in countries with
equivalent production prohibitions as Switzerland.
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:
Consumer information and prevention of deceptive practices.G/TBT/Notif.99.318
Page 2
8. Relevant documents:
1. Reference documents:
Article 18 of the Federal Law on Agriculture of 29 April 1998.
2. Publication in which the notification is published when adopted:
Official Journal of the Swiss Federal Government
9. Proposed date of adoption:  20 October 1999
Proposed date of entry into force:  1 January 2000
10. Final date for comments:   1 September 1999
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [ X] or address, e-mail and telefax
number of the other body: