Swiss Expert Committee for Biosafety
About us
The Swiss Expert Committee for Biosafety (SECB), a permanent federal advisory committee, advises the Federal Council and the federal agencies on the drafting of laws, ordinances, guidelines and recommendations.
It advises the federal and cantonal authorities on the enforcement of these regulations.
It issues statements on licence applications and publishes recommendations on safety measures for studies using genetically modified, pathogenic or alien organisms.
Topics of the SECB
- Contained systems (laboratories, greenhouses ...) and genetically modified, pathogenic or alien organisms
- Experimental releases of genetically modified organisms (wheat, maize, potatoes, apples)
- Marketing of genetically modified, pathogenic or alien organisms and of gene therapy products
- Gene therapy (trials and marketing authorisations)
- Transport of biological substances containing pathogenic or genetically modified organisms
Further information
- Biological Risks in Switzerland - Evaluation, Comparison and Prioritisation. SECB 2019
- Flyer describing the SECB
- Eidgenössische Kommission für ABC-Schutz KomABC (in German, French and Italian only)
- Federal Ethics Committee on Non-Human Biotechnology
- Federal Office for the Environment: Soil and Biotechnology Divison
- Federal Office of Public Health: Biosafety