Notifications and authorisations in the field of biosafety
Pursuant to the Containment Ordinance, those institutes, companies and organisations that handle genetically modified, pathogenic or alien organisms in contained systems are subject to the notification or authorisation obligation.
Notification and Authorisation Obligation
An identification of risk and risk assessment must be carried out before handling organisms in contained systems so as to assign the activity to a particular class. Notification (class 1 and 2 activities) and authorisation applications (class 3 and 4 activities) shall be submitted to the Federal Coordination Centre for Biotechnology. The Coordination Centre provides on its website information on these procedures.
Registration and examination of notifications and authorisation requests
The submitted notifications are registered by the Coordination Centre for Biotechnology, checked for completeness and, depending on the activity, forwarded for processing to the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) or to the FOPH.
Technical examination of notifications and authorisation requests
The FOPH is responsible for evaluating the risk identification and assessment of activities of classes 2 to 4, in which the risk is primarily for humans. The FOPH decides by taking into account the opinions of the specialised agencies (FOEN, FOAG, FSVO, SECB, SUVA, ECNH, SECO as well as the cantonal specialised agencies) on the activities of the classes 1 and 2. Authorisations are granted by the FOPH for activities of classes 3 and 4.
Further information
Further information
Biosafety
Biosafety aims to protect people and the environment when genetically modified, pathogenic or alien organisms are handled.
Activities with organisms in contained system
Here you can find information on the notion of contained systems, on the risk assessment and related study, as well as on the safety measures set out under ContainO.
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Biosafety, Human Genetics and Reproductive Medicine Section
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
Switzerland - 3003 Bern