📋 Tender Overview
{
detected_language: French,
translated_text: The Commission for the Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy of the National Council (CEATE-N) proposes to approve a commitment credit in favor of global environmental protection. For the period 2027-2030, it is expected that the Confederation will allocate a total of approximately 176 million francs to international environmental protection projects. Given the tense situation of federal finances, the commission believes that the proposed reduction of approximately 22 million francs by the Federal Council compared to the previous period (2023-2026) is appropriate. With 15 votes against 10, the CEATE-N proposes to adopt the commitment credit for global environmental protection for the years 2027 to 2030 (26.063) as planned in the Federal Councils draft. The framework credit includes contributions to various international funds. The largest portion of the funds concerned is intended for the Global Environment Facility (GEF), established in 1991, which aims to finance environmental protection projects in developing countries. In the commissions view, the requested credit of approximately 176 million francs is adequate. Given the tense budgetary situation of the Confederation, the Federal Council has planned to reduce the amount of resources made available by approximately 22 million compared to the previous period (2023-2026). Emphasizing that other donor countries have also reduced their contributions, the CEATE-N believes that Switzerlands role as a reliable and committed partner in the field of global environment is not compromised. A minority proposes not to consider the project, as, given the delicate financial situation, it opposes new expenditures for international projects. Two other minorities propose to adjust the amount of the credit. The first proposes to maintain the Swiss contribution to the replenishment of the GEF at its current level of 155.4 million francs and to forgo the planned reduction of 15%. It considers that the GEF is an effective instrument for climate and biodiversity protection and that, given the urgency of global challenges, sufficient funding should be ensured. The other minority proposes to limit the contribution to the GEF to 60 million francs, deeming this amount sufficient compared to that provided by other countries. Acceleration of national soil mapping With 14 votes against 10 and 1 abstention, the commission submitted motion 26.4703 Map Swiss arable land by 2031. Through this motion, it wishes to charge the Federal Council with accelerating national soil mapping. Furthermore, it invites it to ensure that a uniform methodology is established more quickly than planned and that priority is given to mapping arable land so that it is established by 2031. The motion also requests that the mapping of all useful agricultural land be completed by 2034 and that the mapping of all soils at the national level be completed by 2040. A minority rejects the motion, arguing that there is no constitutional basis to consider mapping as a task of the Confederation. Soil mapping is part of the Swiss Soil Strategy, adopted on May 8, 2020. It aims to systematically inventory soil properties, such as their humus and clay content, their pore space, and their water regime. This information should allow for the optimization of soil use. Intermunicipal local electricity communities With 13 votes against 9 and 3 abstentions, the commission decided to develop a parliamentary initiative entitled Adapt local electricity communities to technical realities (26.473). The aim of this initiative is to allow the creation of local electricity communities, even beyond the territorial limits of municipalities. Local electricity communities allow their members to source locally produced renewable electricity while benefiting from a reduction in network costs. These communities can be established from January 1, 2026, and, under current legislation, they can only exist within the same municipality. The other conditions for the creation of such communities will not be modified. In particular, participants must be connected to the same electrical network and be in close proximity to each other. Uniform regulation regarding compensation for damage caused by wildlife With 16 votes against 9 and 1 abstention, the commission followed up on parliamentary initiative 26.422, which aims for damages caused by wild animals to be compensated by cantonal or national means, and for the related costs not to be passed on to hunters. The majority of the commission supports the establishment of uniform national regulations regarding compensation for damage caused by wildlife and wishes to alleviate the financial burden on hunters in light of the increasing costs associated with these damages. Reimbursement of the surcharge on mineral oils The commission followed up on parliamentary initiative 25.467, without contrary proposal. This initiative calls for the removal of the time limitation on the reimbursement of the surcharge on mineral oils in agriculture, forestry, natural stone extraction, passenger transport by Confederation-concessioned navigation companies, or professional fishing. The commission wishes to avoid these sectors being subjected to a heavier tax burden than before starting in 2031. Simplifying access to information regarding property restriction information The commission unanimously adopted the draft amendment to the Geo-information Act (26.035) in the version of the Federal Council. This draft aims to eliminate redundancies between the cadastre of public law restrictions on land ownership (cadastre RDPPF) and the land register. It provides for the registration, in the RDPPF cadastre, of contaminated sites, forest edges, groundwater protection zones, or any other public law restrictions on property. Furthermore, the project aims to remove existing legal uncertainties and to complete the RDPPF cadastre with the planned property restrictio
