Environmental Liability in Switzerland - Selected Aspects

The Swiss environmental liability system is based on several provisions in a range of public and civil law statutes. This contribution focuses on the Swiss Environmental Protection Act (EPA) and its central liability provisions. Furthermore, these findings will be compared to other Swiss liability provisions which may also be applicable to environmental damage, followed by a brief discussion on the postponed proposal of a uniform liability system. After an overview of the relevant international agreements, the article will close with a comparison between the Swiss regime and the Directive 2004/35/EC.