Federal popular initiative "For a ban on the export of war material"
The federal popular initiative “for a ban on war material exports” was a popular initiative that was submitted by the Alliance against War Material Exports in 2007 with 109,224 valid signatures. She called for two new constitutional articles, which should establish a general export ban on war material and the obligation of the federal government to promote international efforts for disarmament and arms control. The bill was rejected on November 29, 2009 by 68.2% of the Swiss electorate and all of the stands .
A similar popular initiative “for more arms control and a ban on arms exports” narrowly missed the popular majority in 1972 with 49.7% yes votes. Another initiative “for a ban on the export of war material” was rejected on June 8, 1997 with 77.5% no votes.
In response to the 1972 initiative, Parliament passed a "War Material Act" which banned the export of weapons to countries in which an armed conflict was raging or threatened to break out or where tensions were high. It was revised in 1996 - again due to a popular initiative - and also in 2008. In 2014, in contrast to the previous changes, the export regulations were relaxed for the first time. Virtually all export applications were approved in 2016.
history
The initiative committee, to which around forty parties, aid organizations as well as church and peace-political organizations belong, speaks of the "business with death" when it comes to war material exports. Following the publication of the export statistics for war material for the 2005 reporting period by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs , the group for a Switzerland without an army announced that action was needed and that a general arms export ban should be sought. The group found that Switzerland was supplying war material to countries involved in the so-called "war on terror". In addition, Swiss arms companies would benefit from the conflict in the Middle East. As a result, people grouped together to form the “Alliance against War Material Exports” and launched the initiative.
The preliminary examination of the initiative was completed by the Federal Chancellery on June 13, 2006, so the groups could begin collecting signatures on June 27, 2006. On September 21, 2007, the initiators were able to submit 109,530 signatures around three months before the end of the collection period, 109,224 of which were valid after verification. On October 5, 2007, the initiative was declared in place.
The Federal Council recommended in his message of 27 August 2008 rejecting the initiative. He gave various reasons for his rejection: On the one hand, Switzerland would be dependent on foreign countries in the event of war; Although the production of armaments for use in Switzerland would be permitted, the requirements of the Swiss Army were too low for production to be profitable. The second reason given by the Federal Council was the economic impact: the armaments industry is responsible for 0.49% of all exports and has a gross value of CHF 485 million. The arms industry in the cantons of Nidwalden , Zurich , Thurgau , Bern and Lucerne are particularly affected , which could result in regional labor problems if the initiative is accepted. According to the industry association Swissmem, around 10,000 jobs are at risk throughout Switzerland . A study commissioned by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs , on the other hand, speaks of 3,335 employees in the armaments industry and 1,797 employees in supplier companies who would be affected by the initiative. The initiative provides support measures for these regions and employees. The federal government and the cantons would have to reckon with around CHF 10 million tax losses per year.
Initiative text
(I) The Federal Constitution of April 18, 1999 is amended as follows:
Art. 107 para. 3 (new)
- It [the federal government] supports and promotes international efforts for disarmament and arms control.
Art. 107a (new) Export of war material and special military goods
- The export and transit of the following goods are prohibited:
- a. War material including small arms and light weapons and the associated ammunition;
- b. special military goods;
- c. Intangible goods including technologies that are essential for the development, manufacture or use of goods according to letters a and b, provided they are neither generally accessible nor serve basic scientific research.
- Devices for humanitarian demining as well as sporting and hunting weapons that are clearly recognizable as such and are not also combat weapons in the same design, as well as the associated ammunition, are excluded from the export and transit ban.
- The export of goods under paragraph 1 by federal, cantonal or communal authorities is exempt from the export ban, provided that they remain the owner of the goods, that the goods are used by their own service providers and then re-imported.
- The brokering of and trading in goods in accordance with Paragraphs 1 and 2 are prohibited if the recipient is domiciled or domiciled abroad.
(II) The transitional provisions of the Federal Constitution are amended as follows:
Art. 197 no. 8 (new)
- Transitional provision to Art. 107a (export of war material and special military goods)
- For ten years after the federal popular initiative “for a ban on the export of war material” was adopted by the people and the cantons, the federal government has been supporting regions and employees who are affected by the prohibitions under Article 107a.
- After the acceptance of Articles 107 paragraph 3 and 107a by the people and the cantons, no new authorizations for activities under Article 107a may be issued.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ NZZ Online, War Material Initiative massively discarded , November 29, 2009.
- ↑ admin.ch: referendums of September 24, 1972
- ↑ admin.ch: referendums of June 8, 1997
- ↑ Florian Imbach: War Material Exports: The Unblackened Arms Export Report In: srf.ch, September 5, 2018, accessed on September 5, 2018.
- ↑ List of organizations in the initiative committee
- ↑ admin.ch: BBl 2006 5575 (Federal Gazette, preliminary examination; PDF file; 480 kB)
- ↑ admin.ch: BBl 2007 7219 (Federal Gazette, creation; PDF file; 472 kB)
- ↑ BAK Basel Economics: Analysis of the macroeconomic effects of an export ban on armaments (PDF file; 215 kB)
- ↑ admin.ch: BBl 2008 7521 (Federal Gazette, Federal Council Message; PDF file; 573 kB)