When exporting to the EU, Swiss food producers must, on the one hand, comply with the general regulations that apply to all suppliers of consumer goods in the EU, such as the rules on consumer protection, environmental protection and packaging or the protection of customer data. On the other hand, however, specific sets of rules for foodstuffs apply, such as the rules in bilateral treaties on customs exemptions or the mutual recognition of specific regulations, for example for foodstuffs of animal origin.
In addition to numerous product-specific vertical provisions, such as the directive on cocoa and chocolate products, there are a large number of horizontal provisions in EU food law, such as Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers (Food Information Regulation, LMIV).
Swiss food law is regularly adapted to European law within the framework of autonomous implementation. Because of this, food law regulations that already have to be observed in the domestic market are compatible with Europe to a large extent. Nevertheless, there are some special features that need to be taken into account when entering the EU market. Find out more about the obligations when exporting to the EU and which declaration regulations apply in our factsheet.
