Product safety testing and certification is mandatory for the Swiss market. To enable the free movement of goods and services with the EU, Switzerland adheres to common EU standards.
Switzerland and the EU have a bilateral mutual recognition agreement (MRA) on conformity assessment, which entered into force in 2002. It applies to key product sectors such as machinery, electrical equipment, medical devices, construction products, lifts, and pesticides. However, the chapter on medical devices came out of force in May 2021, as Switzerland failed to reach agreement with the EU on an Institutional Framework Agreement. The EU had stated that, without such an agreement, it would not be willing to update any of the currently more than 100 agreements between Switzerland and the EU governing mutual market access. The EU introduced new standards on medical devices that came into force on May 26, 2021, but since the MRA had not been updated to reflect the new EU standards, coverage of medical devices under the MRA ceased on that date. Swiss manufacturers are now treated like any third country manufacturer for all new devices for sale on the EU market, and EU manufacturers must also meet Swiss conformity standards. To ensure that Switzerland can be supplied with safe medical devices, the Swiss government has taken various fallback measures since 2021. Switzerland unilaterally recognizes EU certificates of conformity for medical devices. Unless Switzerland and the EU agree to update other MRA provisions in the future, mutual recognition in other product areas could cease whenever the EU adopts new standards.
In Switzerland, the Federal Act on Product Safety seeks to guarantee the safety of products and reduce technical trade barriers by harmonizing Swiss legislation with that of the European Union. Generally, labeling and marking requirements follow EU regulations (CE labeling); however, a CE mark is not required for a product made only for Swiss domestic use. SECO coordinates the implementation of the Federal Act on Product Safety and more information can be found on their webpage on product safety (available in German, French, and Italian).
Switzerland has stringent labeling requirements for food, including ingredients and health information, but also country of production and origin of ingredients. Full information can be found on the Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office website. All foods and additives including genetically modified organisms (GMOs) must be labeled as such.