More relief and less regulation for Swiss companies

On April 28, the Federal Council launched consultation procedures regarding a law designed to streamline bureaucracy and revitalize EasyGov

On April 28, 2021 the Federal Council launched the consultation procedures for a law on the relief of companies and the introduction of a regulatory brake.
With the Business Relief Act, the Swiss government wants to conduct a systematic review of the relief potential of existing regulations and new projects.
At the same time it wants to use the advantages of digitization in the processing of administrative procedures with the electronic platform EasyGov.
As a result of the regulatory brake, regulations that impose significant burdens on businesses must obtain a qualified majority in Parliament.
Efficient and measured regulation is important for the attractiveness and framework conditions of Switzerland as a business location.

Bundesgesetz über die Entlastung der Unternehmen von Regulierungskosten
Bundesgesetz über die Entlastung der Unternehmen von Regulierungskosten (Unternehmensentlastungsgesetz, UEG)
Bundesgesetz über die Bundesversammlung
Einführung einer Regulierungsbremse
Bundesbeschluss über die Einführung einer Regulierungsbremse

Even more justified action in times of pandemic

The Federal Council considers it particularly important to create the necessary instruments to reduce bureaucracy and thus strengthen the competitiveness of Swiss companies. This is even more important than in the past in view of the difficulties companies are facing due to the pandemic.
The two drafts put out for consultation satisfy requests made in parliamentary motions and offer various solutions for reducing the regulatory burden.

Transparency, evaluations and an electronic platform

With the Corporate Relief Act, the Federal Council intends to specifically expand and supplement existing instruments for the administrative relief of companies.
In the case of new regulations, a systematic cost assessment and evaluation of the scope for simplification for companies is required.
Targeted sectoral studies make it possible to periodically review existing regulations, identify potential for relief and propose appropriate measures.
In addition, the Act lays down principles for efficient regulation and charges the Federal Council with the task of monitoring the regulatory burden on businesses.

Loi fédérale sur l’allégement des coûts de la réglementation pour les entreprise
Loi fédérale sur l’allégement des coûts de la réglementation pour les entreprises (LACRE)
Loi sur l’Assemblée fédéraleMise en place d’un frein à la réglementation
Arrêté fédéral sur la mise en place d’un frein à la réglementation
Mise en place d’un frein à la réglementation

Swiss business-friendly deregulation will go digitalEasyGov’s digital services at the heart of innovation

Direct relief for businesses is expected in particular as a result of the expansion of electronic government services on the EasyGov platform.
In the implementation of national legislation, federal and cantonal authorities are to offer their e-government services via this portal.
With the Business Relief Act, the Federal Council is fulfilling the mandate of the Sollberger motion (16.3388).

Qualified majority in Parliament

New legislation that places a significant burden on a number of businesses or exceeds a certain threshold in terms of cost must receive a qualified majority in Parliament, similar to the spending cap.
A motion by the Liberal Radical Group (16.3360) calls for this.
In the draft submitted for consultation, the Federal Council proposes as threshold values a minimum of 10,000 companies affected by the increased regulatory costs or an overall increase in these costs of at least CHF 100 million over a ten-year period.

Legge federale sullo sgravio delle imprese dai costi normativi (Legge sullo sgravio delle imprese, LSgrI)
Legge federale sullo sgravio delle imprese dai costi normativi
Legge federale sull’Assemblea federale
Decreto federale concernente l’introduzione di un freno alla regolamentazione
Introduzione di un freno alla regolamentazione

Instruments and measures for surveying and evaluating the costs of regulation such as monitoring, sectoral studies and reports will be limited to a duration of ten years in order to prevent the reduction of bureaucracy from generating more bureaucracy.
The curb on regulation will increase the attention paid to burdens on business in the drafting of new legislation and in parliamentary deliberations.
However, the Federal Council is of the opinion that a tightening of the majority constraint in parliament based solely on the criterion of the regulatory burden on businesses also has implications for political institutions: the introduction of the regulatory brake requires a constitutional amendment and an adjustment of the Parliament Act.
The consultation period for the two projects expires on August 18, 2021.