Federal Council puts Switzerland in a difficult position: the economy clearly rejects the counter-proposal on corporate responsibility

Just in time for Easter, the Federal Council is putting Switzerland in a difficult position. And a big one at that: In the counter-proposal presented today, the national government is proposing new liability rules that would place a massive burden on companies and significantly weaken Switzerland as a business location. The Federal Council's proposal goes far beyond the EU standard. In doing so, the Federal Council is breaking its own word, as it has previously stated that it does not want to go beyond EU standards.

An unnecessary special regulation

In February 2026, the EU removed harmonized group liability in the omnibus procedure from the Supply Chain Directive. The European Commission gave clear reasons for this: an EU-wide liability regime is not required in view of the rules and traditions that already apply in the Member States.

In light of this, the Federal Council's approach is incomprehensible: While the EU leaves the issue to its member states, the Federal Council wants to introduce new and untested rules on its own initiative and hurry away from the rest of Europe. This is despite the fact that Switzerland already has established case law in the area of corporate liability. If the national government has its way, Switzerland should now adopt rules that the EU has recently decided not to introduce. This sends out completely the wrong signal at a time when Swiss companies and their employees are under considerable pressure due to the geopolitical situation and weak economy.

Contradiction to the Bilaterals III

The planned law is a prime example of excessive bureaucracy and premature obedience by Switzerland, which Switzerland would not be obliged to do either in existing or future bilateral relations, as the Federal Council itself confirmed at the request of Parliament. The EU regulation in question (CSDDD) is neither part of the current nor the negotiated bilateral agreement package between Switzerland and the EU. This shows once again that the biggest bureaucratic burdens do not come from the EU, but are home-made in Switzerland.

Giving in to the coercion of the initiators

In 2020, the Responsible Business Initiative was rejected both in parliament and at the ballot box precisely because of the liability rules. The current counter-proposal now reintroduces this key element. This is pure coercion. economiesuisse therefore clearly rejects this counter-proposal. Switzerland now needs stability, reliability and competitive framework conditions - and no solo efforts that weaken the location.