Executive Summary

The Swiss Federal Council opens a public consultation on June 5, 2026 regarding the partial revision of the Federal Act on Product Safety (PrSG). The law, in force since 2010, is to be adapted to the new European regulation on general product safety. The background is the massive increase in cross-border online commerce, which the previous regulatory framework does not fully cover. The public consultation period ends on September 28, 2026. In parallel, a revision of the Federal Act on Technical Barriers to Trade (THG) is underway, as both acts are conceptually linked.

Persons

  • Federal Council (collective institution)

Topics

  • Product safety
  • Online commerce regulation
  • EU harmonization

Clarus Lead

With this, Switzerland signals its willingness to adapt regulatory standards to the EU – a critical signal for competitiveness in the digital single market. While online commerce grows exponentially, a regulatory gap becomes apparent: the previous PrSG was designed for an era before the mass presence of e-commerce. The adaptation not only enables market access to the EU as the main trading partner but also aims to maintain consumer protection standards at a comparable level.

Detailed Summary

The Federal Act on Product Safety (PrSG, SR 930.11) has formed the legal framework for safe products in Switzerland since July 1, 2010 and implements the European directive on general product safety. Since then, the market landscape has fundamentally shifted: cross-border trade in goods, particularly through online commerce platforms, has reached a volume that the original regulatory framework does not adequately cover.

The planned partial revision responds to a new European regulation on general product safety. The goal is to maintain a comparable safety level to the EU for products not regulated by specialized federal provisions with equivalent safety objectives. At the same time, it aims to secure easier access to the EU single market – Switzerland's most important trading partner.

The public consultation was opened on June 5, 2026 and runs until September 28, 2026. It is coordinated with a parallel revision of the Federal Act on Technical Barriers to Trade (THG, SR 946.51), as both laws are conceptually intertwined and require coherent revision.

Key Points

  • Switzerland adapts product safety law to new EU regulation
  • Online commerce boom requires modernized regulation
  • Goal: Ensure comparable safety level with EU and market access
  • Parallel revision of THG law for regulatory coherence

Critical Questions

  1. Evidence/Source Quality: What specific safety gaps or damage statistics justify the need for this revision? Are data on product defects in online commerce documented?

  2. Conflicts of Interest: Which industries (e-commerce platforms, manufacturers, importers) have influenced the design? Are consumer associations equally involved in the public consultation?

  3. Causality/Alternatives: Is EU-compliant adaptation the only solution, or could bilateral agreements or transitional solutions be sufficient? Which scenarios were examined?

  4. Feasibility/Risks: What compliance costs arise for SME importers? Are there transition periods or support measures for smaller actors?

  5. Timing: Why does the revision only occur in 2026 when the EU regulation came into force earlier? Are there risks of regulatory delays?

  6. Demarcation: How is the boundary drawn between PrSG and specialized federal laws (e.g., for electrical equipment, toys)? Are there double regulations?

Sources

Primary Source: Federal Council – Partial Revision of the Federal Act on Product Safety (PrSG) – https://www.news.admin.ch/de/newnsb/15NsdV74qe_1JUaSfQBEK

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