1. Swiss Cooperation with the EEA and within EIONET
Nicolas Perritaz
International Affairs Division
Slovenian EIONET national network meeting
Ljubljana, 2 October 2013

2. Confoederatio Helvetica (CH)
Swiss context
Confoederatio Helvetica (CH)
Location: landlocked alpine country
Area: 41,290 km2
Population: (Dec. 2012)
Political system: Federal state (Swiss confederation) consisting of semi-autonomous (the cantons) and about 3000 municipalities (the communes)
Status: member of the UN and the EFTA, various bilateral agreements with the EU

3. Swiss environment under pressure
Switzerland’s environment is subject to severe pressures (pollution, use of natural resources, urban sprawl) due in particular to industry, agriculture, transport, households and tourism.
These pressures stem from very high population densities, a high level of economic activities and high incomes. The mountain environment, especially fragile to climate change, is under threat of landslides or floods.
Source: FOEN 2012

4. Relations with the European Union (EU) Bilateral agreements Switzerland-EU

5. Relations with the European Union (EU)
Switzerland-EU
Environment- relevant aspects
Source: FOEN 2012

6. Federal Office for the Environment FOEN
The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN is:
the federal government’s centre of environmental expertise
part of the Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications DETEC
The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN has in its core duties:
A ministerial role (preparing legislation, representing Switzerland abroad)
An agency role (knowing the facts, assisting implementation)

7. Switzerland as EEA member country
Switzerland became the 32nd EEA member country on 1st April 2006
Source: EEA 2013

8. Switzerland as EEA member country
The Federal Office for the Environment FOEN is the Swiss National Focal Point to the EEA (located at the International Affairs Division).
As a full member, Switzerland participates without restriction in the EEA activities, has direct access to all data and information that is disseminated through the European Information and Observation Network (Eionet).
Source: EEA 2012

9. Swiss Eionet Node (EIONET-CH)
The Swiss NFP is responsible for coordinating the network of the Swiss National Reference Centres (NRCs), bringing altogether around 40 experts
In their mandate, Swiss NRCs are responsible for coordinating the work in their field of expertise (Swiss federal administration, regional level, research community and private sector)
About 50 national institutions and other bodies dealing with environmental information are involved with the Eionet - CH
Eionet-CH: centralised structure (FOEN), in cooperation with relevant Swiss institutions
Ressources CH-NFP: between 0.8 to 1.2 person/year (new in ); about 1 mio. CHF/year for projects in relation with Eionet-CH and Swiss participation in EEA work

10. Switzerland as EEA member country
Added value of the Swiss membership to the EEA
Alignement to our environmental reporting system with European and EEA standards
Harmonisation of the data, indicators, assessment conceptual and methodological framworks
As the results, Switzerland is able:
to answer to its international reporting obligations
(delivered once for multiple purposes)
to share comparable data
Switzerland delivers 100% (83 % in 2013) of the EEA priority
data flows. These data are used for EEA information products.
Source: EEA 2012

11. Swiss SoE reports Published by FOEN since 1990…
….some editions prepared together with FSO
State of the Environment
1990
State of the Environment 1993
Environment in Switzerland
1997
Environment Switzerland
2002
Environment Switzerland 2007

12. Swiss SoE reports
Since 2007, SoE reports are produced on a regular basis; an indicator-based mechanisms is used
Environment Switzerland 2009 ?
Environment Switzerland 2011
Environment Switzerland 2013
Environment Switzerland 2015

13. Institutional mechanisms
In 2004, FOEN adopted a general concept in Environ-mental Reporting (updated in 2007 and 2011).
Environmental information systems are strengthened to reach the key clients
Specific products are properly disseminated to target groups through the most appropriate information channels
Main target groups are the general public and the policy-makers

14. Institutional mechanisms
The state-of-the-environment reports are linked with the policy-cycle and launched according to key sessions of the Parliament.
These reports are designed to provide systematic information about the state of the environment and its development according to the latest knowledge and the data available.
They are primarily directed at decision-makers and the general public
They outline the position in Switzerland compared with that of several other European countries.

15. Use of environmental indicators
Indicators are basically used for two purposes:
Steering environmental observation (DPSIR flowers)
Setting the Agenda: What must be measured?
Distribution of financial means
Environmental Reporting: Products for the public and policy makers

16. Use of environmental indicators
Print products
Environment Switzerland
Thematic reports

17. Environmental reporting: SoE online
Status reports (topics, short overview,DPSIR, includes indicators
Indicators (as shown before)

18. Links with other assessment reports
At national level:
Environmental status reports online
Thematic reports
Forward-looking information
At international level:
As a member country of the EEA, OECD and UN (UNECE, UNEP), Switzerland participates in the publication of international SoE reports.
EEA SOER reports, UNECE Europe’s Environment report, OECD Environmental Outlooks, UNEP GEO reports
International SoE reports link to the FOEN web page
EEA SoE report

19. Conclusions
Switzerland is participating actively in the EEA Strategy and work programmes
Switzerland takes part on a regular basis in the EEA meetings (Management Board, NFP, Eionet meetings and workshops)
Switzerland organises some EEA meetings:
2009 Eionet Waste and SCP workshop, Fribourg
2012 UNECE TFEIP meeting - Task Force on Emission inventories and projections”, Berne
2013 NRCs Communication workshop, Geneva
Switzerland is also part of the EEA governance (Management Board member, Observer from non-EU Member States in the Bureau, Steering Committee of the EEA five-year evaluation)

20. Conclusions
As member since 2006 of the European Environment Agency, Switzerland takes part to the EEA Work programme. Nevertheless even Switzerland is member of EFTA, it is not an EU Member State neither within the European Economic Area Agreement. Consequently Switzerland has no legal reporting obligation towards the EU and follows an active and pragmatic approach in terms of activities and financing.
Some issues like the data centers, the EEA’s role in Copernicus and the GIO Land service need to be clarified in terms of data access and use
The sole information channel for countries as Switzerland are DIMESA, Eionet, and Management Board meetings.
Data deliveries to European institutions others than EEA are based on „gentlemen agreement“
No overview on the Swiss data not managed by the EEA; little Swiss data available. We ask the EEA to be more supportive.