Parliament enables target prices for Swiss wood
Published: Tuesday, Sep 10th 2024, 09:00
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In future, forest owners and purchasers of raw timber will be able to agree on target prices and publish them. After the Council of States, the National Council also approved a corresponding bill on Tuesday.
The large chamber approved the amendment to the Forest Act by 152 votes to 11 with 16 abstentions. The no votes came from the SVP and FDP. The matter is now ready for the final vote.
The amendment to the law was initiated by Daniel Fässler, a member of the Innerrhoden Council of States, with a parliamentary initiative. The responsible Council of States committee then drew up a bill.
The amendment is intended to enable the approximately 250,000 Swiss forest owners to sell raw timber from their forests at market prices without having to fear legal proceedings, Fässler explained in the Council of States debate in June. Such guide prices also exist for other agricultural products.
For many forest owners today, the demand for raw wood is difficult to estimate, said Christophe Clivaz (Greens/VS). There is therefore a risk that too much wood will be taken from the forest.
The Federal Council agreed with the amendment to the law. It also took the view that without transparent market prices, the incentive to maintain the forest would decrease. At the same time, the antitrust regulations would be complied with, as individual companies could not be forced to comply with such target prices.
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