These changes come into force in Switzerland in December
Published: Sunday, Dec 1st 2024, 10:40
Updated At: Sunday, Dec 1st 2024, 09:40
العودة إلى البث المباشر
Lower drug prices, a new information system for civilian service, an updated exchange agreement for young professionals and a large Federal Council jet: these new provisions will come into force in Switzerland in December or are coming our way.
MEDICINE PRICES: The federal government has decreed lower prices for almost 300 medicines. This corresponds to 55 percent of the original preparations reviewed by the Federal Office of Public Health. On average, these medicines will be twelve percent cheaper. According to the federal government, this should lead to estimated savings of at least ninety million francs. The medicines reviewed in the current year are used, for example, to treat skin diseases and diseases of the nervous system and blood. A price reduction is not necessary for the remaining 45 percent of the reviewed original preparations because their price was economical in comparison with the reference countries and other medicines. The decreed price reductions apply from December 1.
RAIL TRANSPORT: The SBB timetable change on December 15 will bring improvements for commuters. The Lausanne suburb of Renens will become a long-distance stop. Two daily long-distance services will stop in Bern Wankdorf on weekdays. There will also be new night-time connections on long-distance and regional services and around 1,600 extra trains for major events such as the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Basel, the Uefa Women's Euro 2025 and the Swiss Gymnastics Festival in Lausanne.
CIVIL SERVICE INFORMATION SYSTEM: In October, the Federal Council approved the total revision of the Ordinance on the Civilian Service Information System. It has thus created the data protection basis for the processing of personal data in the context of civilian service with the new specialist application ZiviConnect, which replaces the previous E-ZIVI application. ZiviConnect is in line with the Digital Federal Administration strategy and has a microservices-based system architecture with the necessary interfaces to the connected authorities involved in the execution of civilian service. As before, persons subject to civilian service obligations and deployment companies can access each other's data online to organize their civilian service assignments. The revised ordinance comes into force on December 1.
EXCHANGE PROGRAMME: A new agreement between Switzerland and the United States of America on the exchange of trainees and young professionals is intended to facilitate the mobility of these individuals between the two countries for a limited period of time. This will enable them to expand their skills in their field of study or profession and deepen their specialist knowledge. The agreement replaces the existing one from 1980 and will enter into force on November 30, 2024. It applies to Swiss nationals between the ages of 18 and 35. Participants must either be in training or have a professional or university degree. People who do not meet these requirements are also eligible for an exchange, provided they can prove that they have a certain amount of professional experience.
FEDERAL COUNCIL JET: The federal government will receive a new Federal Council aircraft in December. The Bombardier Global 7500, the new state aircraft, is expected to be used by the federal air transport service for the first time in spring 2025. The new jet will replace the then 23-year-old Cessna Citation Excel 560XL, theoretically has space for up to twenty seats and has a range of 14,000 kilometers - roughly equivalent to the distance from Switzerland to Australia. The Bombardier Global 7500 is one of the world's largest business jets. According to previous information, the procurement will cost over 100 million Swiss francs. In the course of 2025, the jet will be equipped with a self-protection system. This is intended to reduce the risk posed by portable air defense systems.
©كيستون/إسدا
Arabic 
English 
German 
French 
Spanish