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In 2021, the Swiss Parliament passed a revision of the Film Act introducing quota and investment obligations for linear and non-linear audiovisual services [see IRIS 2021-9:1/3]. The law was challenged in a public referendum and adopted on 15 May 2022 with 58% approval. On 6 September 2023, the Federal Council adopted the ordinance on the Quota for European Films and Investments in Swiss Film Production (FOIO, FQIV in German) which will enter into force on 1 January 2024. The ordinance implements the law and defines the conditions that the investment obligation must meet. Audiovisual services...

In a position paper published on 10 January 2023 with the title “Zukunft der Schweizer Medienförderung - Impulse für eine technologieneutrale Unterstützung privater journalistischer Angebote” (The future of Swiss media support – impulses for technology-neutral support of private journalistic offerings), the Eidgenössische Medienkommission (Swiss Media Commission – EMEK) called for the restructuring of media support in Switzerland. In view of the radical changes to media production, distribution and usage in the digital era, media support could no longer...

With a 58.42% majority and a turnout of just over 40%, the Swiss electorate voted to amend the Bundesgesetz über Filmproduktion und Filmkultur (Federal Act on Film Production and Culture – FiG) in a referendum held on 15 May 2022. The amendment had previously been agreed by the Swiss legislative bodies, the Nationalrat (National Council) and the Ständerat (Council of States), in October 2021. The referendum had been instigated by opponents of the amendment, but their initiative failed when the majority of voters rejected their proposal that the amendment of the Act should be cancelled. Under...

In a referendum with a 44.23% turnout held on 13 February 2022, the Swiss population approved the popular initiative “Yes to protecting children and young people from tobacco advertising (No tobacco ads for children and young people)” with a 56.61% majority. The initiative makes direct provision for an amendment of the Federal Constitution of the Swiss Confederation. In Chapter 3 (Social Objectives) of the Constitution, Article 41(1)(g) will stipulate that the Confederation and the cantons shall, “as a complement to personal responsibility and private initiative”, no...

In a referendum with a 44.13% turnout held on 13 February 2022, the Swiss population rejected, with a 54.56% majority, a Federal Act on a package of measures to benefit the media that had previously been adopted by the Swiss Parliament. As a result, the level of annual state aid for the media sector will remain at CHF 136 million. The package of measures would have provided an additional injection of around CHF 150 million per year. CHF 90 million per year had been earmarked for subscription-based newspaper delivery, instead of the current CHF 30 million. Trade union newspapers would have received...