Switzerland

The Federal Council

Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS)
Division(s) within DDPS with a role or interest in biosecurity:

Spiez Laboratory
The Spiez Laboratory is a division of the DDPS. It is the Swiss centre of expertise for protection against nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) threats and hazards. It uses its technical >expertise to support Switzerland’s arms control and peacekeeping efforts.


Specialized Institutes/Centers:

Expert Committee for Biosafety (SECB)
The task of the SECB is to advise the Swiss authorities on the protection of people and the environment in the area of biotechnology and gene technology.

Federal Commission for NBC-Protection
The Federal Commission for NBC-Protection is tasked with ensuring Swiss preparedness in order to minimize the effects of NBC-events on human, animals and the environment. In terms of biological weapons they are responsible for observing and evaluating developments which may pose biological threats in the future and proposing measures to manage biological emergencies.


  • October 8, 2010