Summary

On June 5, 2026, the Swiss Federal Council decided on a fundamental revision of the regulation on fees in the statistics sector. The new regulation consolidates all chargeable statistical services of federal authorities in a single regulation, thereby simplifying fee rules. In the future, statistical data published by the federal government may be used and redistributed free of charge under attribution. The revision enters into force on July 15, 2026.

Persons

  • Federal Council (collectively)

Topics

  • Statistics policy
  • Open Government Data
  • Administrative modernization

Clarus Lead

The revision signals a paradigm shift in Swiss data policy: the state opens its statistical information for commercial and non-commercial use without approval hurdles. This corresponds to international standards for Open Government Data and creates economic opportunities for research, media, and private enterprises. At the same time, the tariff simplification stabilizes the financing of the Federal Statistical Office through fixed, transparent fees for specialized services.

Detailed Summary

The revision responds to structural changes in the statistics market: the decline in print publications is being offset by increasing demand for data linkages for research purposes. The Federal Council has therefore updated the list of chargeable services and established a uniform tariff system. Each service is now subject to a fixed tariff, which creates transparency and simplifies cost planning for users.

Central to this is the elimination of the approval requirement and compensation arrangements for commercial use of statistical results. In the future, individuals and companies – such as media companies or data analysts – can adopt and publish tables from the Federal Statistical Office without prior authorization, as long as they provide attribution. This opening also applies to data from the registers managed by the FSO (Business and Enterprise Register BUR, Federal Building and Housing Register GWR, UID Register). The fee provisions for these registers are now also consolidated in the single regulation.

Key Statements

  • The Federal Council modernizes fee rules for statistical services through consolidation in a single regulation
  • Fixed tariffs and references to existing federal provisions streamline regulation
  • Elimination of the approval requirement for commercial data use enables free redistribution under attribution
  • This change strengthens the Swiss Open Government Data agenda and creates economic opportunities

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Data Quality: What analysis of demand trends (decline in print publications vs. increasing data linkages) underlies the tariff revision, and how were these developments quantified?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: How are revenue losses from eliminated approval fees compensated, and what cost provisions ensure the FSO's financing stability?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: Why was the approval requirement completely abolished rather than a tiered model (e.g., fees for commercial use)? Which scenarios were evaluated?

  4. Feasibility: How will attribution requirements be monitored and enforced when data is distributed without approval?

  5. Side Effects: Could free commercial use lead to abuse or data manipulation, and what protective provisions are in place?

  6. Consistency: How does this regulation harmonize with data protection and copyright provisions for sensitive register data (e.g., GWR with residential addresses)?

Source Directory

Primary Source: Federal Council Modernizes Fee Regulation for Statistical Services – news.admin.ch, 05.06.2026

Verification Status: ✓ 05.06.2026

This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-checking: 05.06.2026