Summary
On May 13, 2026, the Swiss Federal Council selected five regulatory areas for the "Sectoral Studies 2026." The focus is on simplifications in free trade agreements, climate regulation, data protection, toy trade, and capital market promotion. The studies are part of the Business Relief Act (UEG) that came into force in 2024 and are intended to examine existing regulations for simplification opportunities. The Federal Council must determine three to five topics annually; this is the second selection. Results will be available in 2027.
Persons
- Federal Council (collective institution)
Topics
- Business relief
- Regulatory reform
- Free trade
- Climate policy
- Data protection
Clarus Lead
The Business Relief Act establishes a systematic process for deregulation: the Federal Council must continuously review which regulatory frameworks unnecessarily burden businesses. With the second tranche, it becomes clear that this instrument works beyond mere symbolic politics – over 30 proposals from cantons, the business sector, and federal offices were submitted and filtered. The selection signals pragmatic priorities: not ideological deregulation, but rather targeted areas where international competitiveness and compliance costs intersect.
Detailed Summary
The Business Relief Act requires the Federal Council to select three to five regulatory areas annually for in-depth analysis. These "sectoral studies" systematically examine where simplifications are possible without jeopardizing protective objectives. The Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research (WBF) had requested proposals from cantons, business umbrella organizations, and other departments in autumn 2025 – a total of over 30 submissions were received.
The five selected topics show a mix of cross-border regulation and cross-cutting issues: free trade agreements directly affect exporters; climate regulation and data protection are harmonized at the European level and influence compliance costs; toy trade and capital market promotion address specific sectors. The first tranche (May 2025) on public procurement, industrial regulation, objections to construction projects, and pharmaceutical regulation is running in parallel and will deliver results in 2026. Based on the study results, the Federal Council will decide on concrete relief measures in 2027.
Key Findings
- The Federal Council has determined five regulatory areas for the second tranche of sectoral studies 2026.
- Priorities are free trade, climate, data protection, toy trade, and capital market promotion.
- The Business Relief Act prescribes an annual cycle of three to five studies; results will be available in 2027.
Critical Questions
Quality of Evidence: What methodology will be used in the sectoral studies to measure whether a regulation actually brings "relief," or is the assessment based on business statements without independent impact analysis?
Conflicts of Interest: How is it ensured that business umbrella organizations do not disproportionately advance their core interests during the topic proposal phase, while employee, environmental, or consumer protection perspectives remain underrepresented?
Causality and Alternatives: Are the selected areas actually competitive obstacles, or could poor business performance have other causes (e.g., market saturation, labor shortage)? Are counter-hypotheses tested?
Feasibility and Side Effects: If climate regulation or data protection are "simplified" – how is it prevented that environmental or data protection objectives are undermined? What risks arise from deregulation in these areas?
Process Transparency: Will the over 30 submitted proposals and selection criteria be made public, or does this filtering process remain opaque?
Sources
Primary Source: Federal Council – Sectoral Studies 2026 – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/R_xyH9xISt0FSxb5D2r6p
Verification Status: ✓ 13.05.2026
This text was created with the support of an AI model. Editorial Responsibility: clarus.news | Fact-Check: 13.05.2026