Water protection: More leeway for cantons

The Federal Council wants the cantonal enforcement authorities to have more leeway when it comes to defining watercourse areas. To this end, the Water Protection Ordinance (GSchV) has been amended to include five new destination included. In this way, the specific local conditions can be better taken into account, according to the Federal Council.

The obligation to compensate for crop rotation areas was also specified and placed in a direct relationship with the corresponding sectoral plan. These provisions were drawn up under the direction of the Conference of Building, Planning and Environment Directors (BPUK). They supplement the regulations that came into force on January 1, 2016. This also completes the implementation of motion 15.3001 of the UREK-S, which called for more room for maneuver for the cantons in the implementation of water protection regulations.

The designation of the watercourse area is indispensable so that rivers and streams can fulfill their ecological functions and flood protection is guaranteed. This obligation was enshrined in the Water Protection Act, which was passed by parliament and came into force in 2011, together with other provisions on the renaturation of water bodies.

At the same time, the federal government has adopted amendments in the subject areas of fisheries, chemicals and polluted sites.

Fisheries: new invasive alien species and electrofishing.

With the amendment of the Ordinance on the Federal law on fishing (VBGF), five species of black sea gobies are added to the list of invasive alien species. In addition, the keeping of these gobies in ponds or aquariums will require a permit and their active spread will be legally prohibited. These fish have been spreading in the Rhine near Basel for several years and represent serious competition for native fish and crayfish. Furthermore, the amendment to the ordinance regulates the use of electric fishing gear more strictly, and the Danube trout is added to the list of native species. This trout species occurs in the Inn River basin.

Chemicals: Adaptation of the list of banned or severely restricted chemicals

According to the Rotterdam Convention (PIC Convention).exports of chemicals that are banned or severely restricted because of their effects on human health or the environment must be reported to the importing country. The changes in the Regulation to the Rotterdam Convention on the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Chemicals in International Trade (ChemPICV) concern in particular the list of substances in Annex 1, which has been adapted to the latest decisions of the Federal Council on substances banned or subject to severe restrictions in Switzerland. In addition, this list has been brought into line with the decisions of the federal authorities, according to which certain active substances are no longer permitted in plant protection products and biocides.

Polluted sites: renewed update

After 18 years of enforcement experience and several revisions, the Ordinance on the Remediation of Polluted Sites (Contaminated Sites Ordinance, AltlV) updated to include certain clarifications and technical additions. In the future, the concentrations of ammonium and nitrite will no longer be taken into account when assessing the need for remediation of a contaminated site with regard to groundwater. This change was decided in agreement with the cantons and experts. The two pollutants ammonium and nitrite are only relevant for the quality of surface waters. This change is expected to result in savings of several tens of millions of Swiss francs in remediation costs.

The four amended regulations will enter into force on May 1, 2017. An exception is the provisions on electrofishing, which will not enter into force until May 1, 2018.