Author: switzerlandtimes.ch

Donald Trump has announced a deal with several large pharmaceutical firms, including Switzerland’s Novartis and Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, reported SRF. The agreement, unveiled at the White House, is intended to lower the prices of selected medicines in the United States and to allow drugmakers to sell them directly to consumers online. In exchange, participating companies will receive three years of duty-free treatment for imported pharmaceuticals. Executives from several firms attended the announcement, including Novartis’s chief executive, Vasant Narasimhan. For Roche and Novartis, the deal brings an end to months of uncertainty over the future pricing and tariff regime…

A cross-border criminal network responsible for dozens of thefts in Switzerland has been dismantled in neighbouring France, reported RTS. The investigation, led jointly by Swiss and French authorities with support from Europol, Eurojust and Fedpol, targeted an organised group involved in stealing luxury vehicles and burglarising gun shops across several Swiss cantons. The main criminal proceedings are being conducted in France, where coordinated arrests have been made. Swiss investigations, meanwhile, helped to establish the scale of the operation and the central role played by those who issued orders, according to prosecutors and police in the canton of Neuchâtel. The group…

Swiss agriculture could, in theory, feed the entire population without imports. That is the counter-intuitive conclusion of a new study by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), the ETH Zurich and the consultancy O+L GmbH. The research, published in Swiss Agricultural Research, models a scenario in which domestic production alone would suffice. In terms of self-sufficiency, Switzerland currently produces only about half of the food it consumes, meaning around 40–50 % of food consumed domestically is imported. The finding of the study rests on the resource-intensiveness of livestock production. Meat and dairy need far more land, feed and energy…

Donald Trump has set Switzerland a deadline to conclude a binding trade agreement, reported RTS. Washington wants a legally enforceable deal in place by March 31st 2026. Failing that, the United States says it may review and reconsider the tariffs imposed on Swiss exports. According to several Swiss newspapers, the Trump administration is keen to turn a non-binding declaration of intent signed on November 14th into a formal bilateral agreement. A document from the US trade representative, published in the Federal Register, makes clear that the recent retroactive cut in tariffs—from 39% to 15%—was granted in the expectation and hope…

The Federal Council wants to roll out roadside displays that warn drivers when their vehicles exceed recommended noise levels, reported RTS. After adopting a report on the issue on Friday, the government said such devices could help curb excessive engine noise, which it described as an avoidable nuisance that harms quality of life and can damage health. The report examined five potential implementation models and favoured screens equipped with sound-measurement devices. These would show drivers when their vehicles exceed a noise threshold and issue an alert—such as a prompt to slow down. Other variants were discarded for legal and technical…

Switzerland’s Greens have gathered enough signatures to force a vote on a far-reaching solar initiative. On December 10th the party submitted 134,000 signatures to the Federal Chancellery—well above the 100,000 needed for a popular initiative. It is the first time in a decade the party has raised the necessary support on its own. The proposal, formally titled “For a secure supply of renewable energies (Solar Initiative)”, would require almost all suitable roofs and building facades in Switzerland to be fitted with solar panels. Exceptions would apply where heritage protection or other overriding interests make installation disproportionate.Lisa Mazzone, the Greens’ president,…

Switzerland’s National Council has voted to outlaw firecrackers, backing a parliamentary counter-proposal to a popular initiative that seeks tighter limits on fireworks, reported SRF. The measure passed by 97 votes to 85. The use of fireworks and their harmful effects will be regulated under the country’s explosives law. The popular initiative, launched by animal-welfare groups, calls for broad protections for people, animals and the environment from the noise and emissions generated by fireworks. It proposes a ban on all categories of pyrotechnics, with exemptions for major supra-regional events subject to cantonal approval. That, said Regina Durrer-Knobel of the Centre party…

Parliament has approved two Liberal Democrat (PLR/FDP) motions aimed at tightening Switzerland’s asylum regime, reported RTS. The first seeks to encourage the voluntary departure of asylum seekers. The Council of States silently endorsed a National Council motion instructing the Federal Council to introduce a system of targeted incentives and clearly defined sanctions. One element would be to process the asylum claims of convicted applicants while they are serving their sentences. Ideally, says Christian Wasserfallen, the Liberal Democrat who tabled the motion, such cases should be handled within ten days, giving applicants clarity on their status upon release. Supporters argue that…

Switzerland’s parliament has pulled the plug on funding for a planned night train linking Basel with Malmö in southern Sweden, reported RTS. After the Council of States rejected the proposal, the National Council followed suit on Tuesday, striking the CHF 10m needed to launch the service from the 2026 budget. The margin was narrow: 99 votes to 92, with two abstentions. Opponents said taxpayers should not underwrite what they saw as a leisure route. Yvan Pahud of the Swiss People’s Party (UDC/SVP) argued that subsidising such a line was unacceptable, while Alex Farinelli of the Liberal Democrats (PLR/FDP) said the…

Switzerland’s parliament has voted to make it harder for dual nationals to sidestep the country’s military obligations, reported RTS. On Wednesday the National Council adopted, in amended form, a motion already approved by the upper house. It will now return to the Council of States, Switzerland’s parliament, for further consideration. The original proposal, put forward by Mauro Poggia, a Geneva lawmaker, was aimed chiefly at Franco-Swiss citizens. Under current arrangements, some are able to to attend a one-day session in France in place of Swiss military service. Parliament has gone further, however, extending the principle to all Swiss dual nationals.…