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Business Association Chemistry Pharma Biotech |
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Newsletter
October 17th, 2013
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To whom it may concern
scienceindustries, Business Association Chemistry Pharma Biotech, keeps you up to date with Swiss industry's standpoint on current politico-economic and social topics. |
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No to the «1:12 - Initiative for Fair Salaries» popular initiative
Switzerland's «1:12 - Initiative for Fair Salaries» popular initiative will be put to the vote on 24th November 2013. This popular initiative from the Young Socialists aims to enshrine a requirement in the Constitution that the highest salary within any company should not be greater than 12 times the lowest salary. In common with the Swiss Federal Council and Parliament, scienceindustries recommends that the «1:12 - Initiative for Fair Salaries» popular initiative should be rejected. If this initiative were implemented, it would result in numerous legal and practical problems and give rise to high administrative costs. Setting salaries is not the job of legislators, and the imposition of upper salary limits cannot be reconciled with a liberal economic system. More information is available at www.1-12-nein.ch. |
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European policy: Clarify the boundaries of any legislation that may be adopted rather than make over-hasty decisions on institutional solutions
In August 2013, the Swiss Federal Council embarked upon its consultation with the foreign policy committees of the Federal Councillors and the Cantons on a negotiating mandate for the institutional questions in relation to the EU. Following approval of this mandate, negotiations could start in 2014. The Federal Council wishes to consolidate the bilateral path towards the EU, and to introduce institutional rulings for all agreements relating to market access. In particular, the Federal Council proposes that a preliminary political ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) should be envisaged in the event of any disputes. The EU Commission indicates that it is "minded" to enter into the talks with Switzerland on this basis. scienceindustries believes that Switzerland should not decide too hastily upon a specific mechanism to resolve disputes. From the economic point of view, it is far more important to clarify in advance which legal decrees currently belong to the relevant community acquired rights (EU acquired right) in selected areas and who will determine the relevant acquired rights in future. More about this in scienceindustries' position paper on the EU's integration policy (in German).
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Pharmaceuticals co-operation code and revised pharmaceuticals code apply from 2014
In June 2013, the European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations, EFPIA, adopted the «EFPIA Code on Disclosure of Transfers of Value from Pharmaceutical Companies to Healthcare Professionals and Healthcare Organisations». According to this code, pharmaceuticals companies must disclose all payments, particularly any payments made to doctors and hospitals. This annual duty of publication will apply from 2016; the payments made in 2015 will be the first to be covered by this provision. At the same time, the Annual General Meeting of EFPIA also revised the «EFPIA Code of Practice on the promotion of prescription-only medicines to, and interactions with, healthcare professionals». In line with this revision, pharmaceuticals companies will be strictly forbidden to give gifts to specialists, particularly doctors, from 2014. These EFPIA Codes will be implemented by the national industry associations. scienceindustries will be responsible for this work in Switzerland, and, in co-ordination with its partner associations, it has prepared the new pharmaceuticals co-operation code and revised the existing pharmaceuticals code for this purpose. Both of these codes come into effect on 1st January 2014.
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Revision of Swiss law on environmental protection, but only if two particular conditions are retained
scienceindustries and its members are committed to a sustainable environmental policy that is oriented towards the longer term and based on scientific facts. The Federal Council launched its revision of the Swiss law governing environmental protection, the USG, as an indirect counter proposal to the pending «Green Economy» popular initiative. scienceindustries sees the proposed revision of the USG and its emphasis on resources as a fundamental re-orientation of environmental protection in Switzerland, which could lead to a more powerful politicisation of the environmental targets, and thus to escalating and inefficient measures. scienceindustries will therefore only support the proposed revision if two conditions apply: firstly, Switzerland must not single-handedly take on a global leadership role that would disadvantage the Swiss economy in comparison with its international competitors; secondly, the cost/benefit ratio must result in a positive balance with regard to each of the anticipated measures. These conditions must be embedded in the text of the statute, as a counterbalance to the resource orientation.
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«Energy strategy 2050» puts the competitiveness of Swiss Industry at risk by increasing electricity prices
Even though the final energy consumption targets remain ambitious, the Federal Council has now recognised the complexity involved in a reconstruction of the Swiss energy system in the Dispatch relating to «Energy Strategy 2050» published in September 2013. scienceindustries welcomes these implementation measures, which are more realistic in comparison to the consultative proposal. It is essential that an effort should be made to safeguard access to the European electricity supply markets by international treaty in order to ensure security of supply in Switzerland. The proposed monitoring of the measures contained within the individual implementation stages is in line with a demand from scienceindustries. However, scienceindustries regards the «Energy Strategy 2050» intention to oppose the «Atomausstiegsinitiative» (the popular initiative to phase out nuclear power) in an indirect counter proposal as an insufficiently democratic legitimation. In addition, scienceindustries also believes that the massive increase in the cost-covering feed-in compensation system surcharge (the «KEV») to 2.3 centimes/kWh endangers the competitiveness of Swiss industry. Only a few energy-intensive businesses are to be relieved of the requirement to pay the «KEV», at the cost of the rest of the Swiss economy. Most of industry will not be exempted from the «KEV». At a time when the Swiss Franc is strong, each additional increase in the price of electricity puts the Swiss export industry under further unnecessary pressure.
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Updating of scienceindustries' foreign trade strategy for 2013-2018
Since the foreign trade strategy was first drawn up in 2008, the free trade negotiations with China and Hong Kong demanded by scienceindustries have now been concluded, and negotiations have also been initiated with Russia. In view of this development, scienceindustries has updated its «For a strong Swiss foreign trade policy» position paper, and revised the priorities amongst the lists of countries. The goals, concerns and basic direction of thrust of the scienceindustries' foreign trade strategy will be maintained. The supplementary technical «Objectives» paper has also been updated. The customs tariff focus has been adjusted to match that of the member companies, the paper has been directed more powerfully towards global supply chain requirements, and scienceindustries' demands with regard to the protection of intellectual property have been set out in greater detail.
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scienceindustries achieves its goal of the continuation of publicly-funded research collaboration with the EU
In its 2013 autumn session, the Council of States clearly declared itself in favour of Switzerland's participation in the «Horizon 2020» programme package, by a vote of 44 to 0. The National Council had already agreed to the same programme during its 2013 summer session. scienceindustries has supported the continuation of publicly-funded research collaboration with the EU from the very beginning. Together with the Swiss National Science Foundation, the EU framework programmes for research are the most important source of public funding for research and development. The main recipients of the funding resources within Switzerland are the ETH sector and the Cantonal Universities.
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New service: SimplyScience.ch now also provides a greater understanding of science and technology by mobile phone
The SimplyScience Foundation is an initiative from scienceindustries that aims to promote young people's understanding of scientific and technical matters, and thus guide them towards potential training and career options. As well as its own content, SimplyScience.ch also integrates and links existing commitments by industry, schools, universities, associations etc. into the initiative. In view of the rapid spread of Smartphones and iPads, the SimplyScience.ch website has now been extended by a mobile version in German and French.
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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
Communication |
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