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Business Association Chemistry Pharma Biotech |
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Newsletter
November 1st, 2012
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To whom it may concern
scienceindustries, the Swiss business association for the chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech industries, keeps you informed about the positions of our industry on current economic and societal issues. |
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The minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20/EUR will continue to be defended
The member companies of scienceindustries are suffering under the continuing upward revaluation of the Swiss franc. In light of the ongoing European debt crisis, the upward pressure on the franc will continue to remain high until a plausible concept for overcoming the crisis is presented and implemented. Public discussion regarding the possible effects of these interventions on the national economy and possible exit strategies are not helpful, as they work against the reliability of the Swiss National Bank SNB and increase the required investment amounts. In light of this, scienceindustries expressly supports the efforts of the politically-independent SNB to continue to use all suitable instruments for preserving the minimum exchange rate of CHF 1.20/EUR. |
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«Energy Strategy 2050» endangers the competitiveness of the industry
The proposed package of measures for the implementation of the «Energy Strategy 2050» will not meet the needs of the industry. Due to unrealistic assumptions, scenarios have been developed that will lead to a lack of supply security in the medium term and a disproportional increase in the electricity prices in comparison with countries abroad. This will affect the international competitiveness of Switzerland as an economic location. Some 40% of the Swiss production of electricity will be lost with the phasing out of nuclear energy that was decided by the Swiss Federal Council and Swiss Parliament. In order to be able to ensure the supply security in the future as well, new, adequate electricity production facilities are desperately required in Switzerland; otherwise, there is the threat of a massive increase in the imported electricity. In addition, the network infrastructure must also be renewed and expanded. scienceindustries is firmly convinced that the suggested package of measures for the implementation of the «Energy Strategy 2050» cannot overcome these challenges in the stated period of time. scienceindustries is calling upon the politicians to provide a realistic and implementable overall energy strategy that takes all societal and economic aspects (for example, climate policy and space planning) into consideration.
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Price inspection model for pharmaceutical products should not be based unilaterally on a foreign price comparison
In its fall session, the National Council accepted the request of the Health Commission of the National Council to revise the price inspection model that entered into force with the partial revision of the Swiss Federal Health Insurance Regulations (KVV) and Swiss Federal Patient Care Services Regulations (KLV). The price inspection model that has been valid since May of 2012 is based unilaterally on the foreign price comparison, and it will lead to unreasonable price reductions in pharmaceutical products in Switzerland due to the strong franc. scienceindustries requests that, over the course of the revision of the framework conditions for the "specialty list" for pharmaceutical products, the patient benefits be taken into greater consideration and that the dependency on countries abroad be strongly reduced when setting the prices. This is in accordance with the task given to the Swiss National Council by the Swiss Parliament of finding an amicable solution for the performance audit of medications upon their inclusion in the "specialty list," the expansion of the indications and the regular price inspections, together with the health insurance companies and the pharmaceutical industry.
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Call for a master plan to strengthen Switzerland as a research and pharmaceutical location
With the approval of the Swiss Federal Council, the Swiss Parliament has put forward three motions to further the promotion of Switzerland as a research and pharmaceutical location. The price reductions of pharmaceutical products within Switzerland are hurting the industry. The strong franc is making Switzerland much more expensive as a research and business location within a very short time. scienceindustries, together with the other pharmaceutical associations, is calling for the location quality of Switzerland to be reflected in future revisions in a comprehensive and coordinated way. This specifically involves improvements in the pricing of pharmaceutical products, the approval by Swissmedic, the framework conditions for clinical research in Switzerland and the protection of intellectual property. The objective is to provide Switzerland with the best possible and most attractive framework conditions in the worldwide competition for the best location.
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More public funds for education, research and innovation
With the ERI Dispatch 2013-2016, the Swiss Federal Council applied for approximately 26 billion CHF in funding for education, research and innovation. scienceindustries requested the ERI funds to be increased by an additional 300 million CHF. The National Council supported this position, whereas the Council of States stood behind the suggestion of the Swiss Federal Council to not increase the funds any further. In the fall 2012 session, both councils agreed to additional expenditures of approximately 157 million francs for the Swiss technical higher education schools, the cantonal universities and the universities of applied sciences. The intensive lobbying by scienceindustries on behalf of excellent institutions of higher education in Switzerland has been worth the effort.
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Extension of the GMO moratorium in agriculture damages Switzerland as a research and economic location
The third extension of the GMO moratorium by an additional four years, passed by the National Council during the 2012 fall session within the framework of the 2014-2017 agricultural policy, shows that the moratorium is rooted in agricultural policy and not justified objectively. The results of the NFP59 "Benefits and risks in the approval of genetically modified plants" confirm that genetically modified plants are just as safe as products from the coexistence between conventional and organic agriculture. Instead of empowering the Swiss agricultural economy, which is under pressure, with innovative methods such as genetic technology for international agricultural competition, the results of NFP59 have been ignored and, with the argument of ensuring the quality, a retrograde agricultural policy is pursued. With this additional extension of the moratorium, Switzerland is missing out on the chance to be the location of an innovation-based academy and industry that can assume a leading role in the worldwide food supply.
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Would you like to know more about our positions, or do you have any questions? If so, please contact our experts at scienceindustries.
Kind regards
scienceindustries
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sig. Dr. Beat Moser
Director |
sig. Marcel Sennhauser
Communication |
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