Census Act
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 10 Disclosure obligation
1 Anyone who is interviewed within the terms of the structure survey is obliged to provide information. 2 In the case of the thematic random sample surveys, the Federal Council may impose a disclosure obligation. 3 Natural persons are obliged to provide information on themselves and on those that they legally represent. 4 The interviewees must provide the survey offices with the information truthfully, punctually and free of charge. 5 The procedure in the event of any violation of the disclosure obligation is governed by cantonal law.
Art. 11 Inconvenience fees
1 Anyone who fails to answer the questions in full or who does so incorrectly, or who fails to return the survey forms or other documents in time despite receiving a reminder must the pay a fee to the competent authority for the inconvenience. 2 The Federal Council stipulates the hourly rate. The fee may not exceed 1000 francs. 3 Persons who are not able to answer the questions, or to process the survey forms or have them processed are exempt from the obligation to pay a fee.
Art. 12 Data control, data protection and official secrecy
1 The Federal Statistical Office has control over the data from the standard programme. 2 The Federal Statistical Office and the relevant commissioning canton have joint control over the data from additional programmes. 3 As soon as the data from the census has been reviewed, it shall be rendered anonymous and the names of persons deleted. Article 16 paragraph 3 RHA remains reserved. 4 The data from the census may be used for purposes not related to specific persons, and in particular for research, planning and statistics. The results of the survey may be disseminated only if the persons concerned are not identifiable. 5 The Federal Council shall issue more detailed provisions on data protection, and in particular on the rights of persons required to provide information and on the destruction of the survey forms after the collection of the data. 6 Anyone who is instructed to conduct the census is bound by official secrecy in terms of Article 320 of the Criminal Code.
Para. 3 — SR 431.02 Para. 6 — SR 311.0
Art. 13 Dissemination of the residential population numbers
Every four years, the Federal Council shall authoritatively establish the residential population numbers and publish them in the Official Federal Gazette. The figures from the register-related surveys that are conducted in the first calendar year following the general elections to the National Council are decisive.