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Business Association Chemistry Pharma Biotech |
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Newsletter
April 9th, 2015
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To whom it may concern
scienceindustries, the Swiss Business Association Chemistry Pharma Biotech, keeps you informed about our industry‘s standpoints on current politico-economic and social topics. |
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The strong Swiss franc – «What needs to be done».
After the removal of the Swiss franc/euro exchange rate floor, scienceindustries demands that the government should renounce foregoing economic stimulation packages and subsidies, concentrating instead on measures that would take effect in the medium to long term. Specifically, scienceindustries proposes a package divided into three sections to improve the general environment and to relieve the cost burden on the export industry. The concept and some of the proposals have been taken up to various degrees by other business associations, parties, the Swiss Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research and the general public. The key points are:
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Restoration of planning certainty in strategic areas. Bringing strategically important reforms forward would provide businesses with greater planning certainty with regard to strategically important framework parameters (such as the implementation of Federal Constitution article 121a, Swiss Corporate Tax Reform III and the master plan for biomedical research and innovation). |
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Moratorium on regulations. Any pending regulatory proposals with cost implications should either be waived in full or their implementation should be postponed to a later date to avoid any imminent increases in regulatory costs (e.g. Reform of the Law Governing Corporations and Energy Strategy 2050). |
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Smart regulation. Any inefficient and costly regulations already in existence should be simplified or abolished. This would increase the efficiency of the state and reduce the regulatory costs to be borne by companies (such as standard rate VAT, customs duties, VOC levies, etc.). |
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Implementation of the mass immigration initiative – Swiss Federal Council's draft on the immigration legislation is too inflexible.
On 11th February 2015, the Swiss Federal Council passed the draft on the immigration legislation, together with other supplementary measures for the better use of Switzerland's own domestic potential of the labour force. The immigration system put forward by the Federal Council includes maximum annual numbers and quotas for all foreigners; it also envisages that preference will be given to Swiss employees in job appointments. Work permits for EU citizens will, as before, continue to be governed by the Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons, which will have to be adjusted in line with the constitutional obligation. The results of the intended negotiations with the EU are therefore of significance for this draft legislation. The draft legislative process by consultation envisages the continuation of quotas for third country nationals and a preference for Swiss citizens. scienceindustries is critical of the Federal Council's proposal. The envisaged inflexible implementation of this proposal does not do justice to the constitutional task: it does not take sufficient account of Switzerland's overall economic interests and it puts the bilateral agreements at risk. In addition, in accordance with the approach of the Federal Council, the constitutional obligation can only be implemented if the negotiations with the EU have led to a consensual solution. |
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Energy Strategy 2050: feed-in remuneration liberation must be structured in a more economic manner.
On 15th January 2015, scienceindustries described the Energy Strategy as a regulatory project to be avoided. Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard took up this statement as an opportunity to hold a discussion with scienceindustries. At the meeting held on 27th January 2015, scienceindustries once again presented its position on the Energy Strategy and repeated its demands (security of supply and electricity prices that are competitive internationally). Federal Councillor Leuthard explained her vision of the energy revolution. The intention is for security of supply to be ensured by imports where this is not covered by renewable energies and new forms of storage. During the discussion, it was agreed that the feed-in remuneration at cost modalities should be examined in conjunction with the industry and adjusted if necessary.
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Reform of the Law Governing Corporations unnecessary at present.
At present, scienceindustries rejects the plans for reform as it believes they are unnecessary. However, should the intended plans be put into practice, the following key requirements will be crucial:
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No changes to the Swiss ordinance against excessive payments in joint stock companies that are quoted on the stock market (the VegüV) |
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No special case law and no extended rights of actione |
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No statutory gender quotas |
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Adjustments in reimbursement of payments |
In its statement on this matter, scienceindustries also expressed its views on the transparency provisions that apply to companies dealing in raw materials, to the effect that the regulations – if any - should be framed so that they would not exceed the corresponding EU provisions in any way.
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Veterinary drugs: address antibiotic resistance holistically.
An increase in resistance to antibiotics is noticeable in Switzerland as well. The federal government is currently pursuing a broadly-based national «antibiotics resistance» strategy to address this problem. The Antibiotics Resistance subgroup of scienceindustries' own Vetpharm Working Group has submitted its statement, which considers food industry and environmental aspects as well as those involving the veterinary and human pharmaceutical industry. In principle, the strategic goals and measures that have been specified to contain the development and spread of resistant bacteria are welcomed. However, scienceindustries regrets the absence of an assessment of the impact, consideration of the costs or, as a consequence, any prioritisation of the measures to be taken.
This was the background against which Motion 13.3089, «Reduction in the price of veterinary drugs» was debated in the Council of States on 17th March 2015. Thanks to the concentrated commitment of scienceindustries, the Council of States eventually rejected the motion by 26 votes to 14, with 3 abstentions. Any price reduction ordained by the government would have acted against the Federation's efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. Considerable gaps in range and provision would also have been inevitable if there had been any forced reduction in price, with the predictable consequence of illegal imports and potentially negative effects on the health of both humans and animals.
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Transporting chlorine: hazardous goods must not be relocated from the railways to the roads.
Hazardous goods are an inevitable part of our normal day-to-day routine – in traffic (fuel), when we communicate (lithium batteries) and in our clothes (dyes); they are part of the means of production of drugs, pesticides, hygiene articles and foodstuffs. If Switzerland single-handedly imposed restrictions on the transportation of hazardous goods by rail, this would cause a major increase in the risk associated with the handling of these goods – quite apart from the fact that such action would violate international regulations. Carriage of hazardous goods by rail is far safer than transportation by road. Certain isolated problems, such as that of the future transportation of chlorine, are recognised. Various scenarios for ways to defuse the potential looming conflicts between regional development planning and the transportation of chlorine by rail within high-density conurbations are expected to have been examined under the leadership of the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) by the end of 2015. The management of this project involves representation from SBB (Swiss Federal Railways), the Federal Offices for Transport and the Environment (FOT and FOEN) and the relevant Cantons, as well as scienceindustries. At the spring session, scienceindustries was able to prevent the Federal Council gaining the competence to "enact regulations governing restrictions or prohibitions on the transportation of hazardous goods, particularly through the agglomerations, after consultation with the Cantons" in association with the total revision of the law governing the transportation of goods (14.036). The National Council rejected the minority proposition by 115 votes to 72.
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PG BFI session event – framework conditions for agricultural research in Switzerland to safeguard the world's food supply.
At the session event held by the "Parliamentary Group on Education, Research and Innovation (PG BFI)" under the chairmanship of National Councillor Gerhard Pfister on 19th March 2015, Gerardo Ramos, Global Head R&D Crop Protection Syngenta demonstrated innovative research solutions to ensure that food of first-class quality can be produced and supplied internationally. Mr Ramos also set out the underlying conditions required by Switzerland in order that Swiss industry and the country's location as a place of research and work can deliver sustainable results. The subsequent round of discussions with Paul Steffen (Head of Corporate Research and Head of Agroscope's Institute for Sustainability Sciences), Georg Bregy, Director of the Swiss Fruit Association, and the 20 National Councillors who were also present helped to clarify any remaining questions.
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SimplyScience.ch –growing interest of children and young people in scientific and technological subjects.
Over the past few years, SimplyScience.ch has grown into a well-known channel of communication in the scientific and technological sector for children and young people, extending beyond national boundaries. For example, the number of visits has doubled from 217,000 in 2013 to over 429,000 in 2014. In January 2015, it even set a new monthly record, with over 60,000 visitors. This positive trend has been achieved thanks to an increase in the use of smartphones for access. The French-language site has also contributed to this gratifying trend. Compared with the autumn of 2013, the number of visits has increased from around 1,000 to more than 5,000 per month.
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Prof Geneviève Berger, Barbara Heise, Dr Matthias Leuenberger and Dr Gianni Zampieri proposed as new Board Members
Since the most recent General Assembly in 2014, Pascal Brenneisen, Novartis International AG, Dr David Ebsworth, Galenica AG and Jürgen Kyek, GlaxoSmithKline AG, have retired from their positions as Members of the Board. Dr Antoine Gautier, Firmenich SA, will relinquish his position at the General Assembly in 2015. The Board of scienceindustries proposes that the following leading figures should be elected as new Members of the Board in their place: Prof Geneviève Berger, Corporate Vice President Research & Development, Member of the Executive Board, Firmenich SA, Barbara Heise, National Representative and CEO for Bayer (Schweiz) AG, Dr Matthias Leuenberger, representing Novartis Schweiz and Novartis International AG and Dr Gianni Zampieri, Member of the Corporate Executive Committee at Galenica and Deputy CEO Vifor Pharma, Galenica AG. The 133rd General Assembly of scienceindustries will take place at Novartis International in Basel on Friday, 19th June 2015.
Would you like to know more about our standpoints, or ask any questions? If so, please follow us on Twitter or contact our subject specialists at scienceindustries.
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Would you like to know more about our perspectives, or would you like to ask us some questions? If so, please contact our specialist staff at scienceindustries.
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sig. Dr. Beat Moser
Director |
sig. Marcel Sennhauser
Head of Communications |
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