Chemicals Ordinance (ChemO)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 1 Aim and scope
1 This Ordinance regulates: a. the determination and assessment of dangers and risks that substances and preparations may pose to human life and health and to the environment; b. the conditions under which substances and preparations that may endanger people or the environment are placed on the market; c. the handling of substances and preparations that may endanger people or the environment; d. the way in which data relating to substances and preparations is processed by the enforcement authorities. 2 This Ordinance applies to biocidal products and the active substances contained therein, and to plant protection products and the active substances and co-formulants contained therein, insofar as they are referred to in the Ordinance of 18 May 2005 on Biocidal Products or the Ordinance of 20 August 2025 on Plant Protection Products. 2bis This Ordinance applies to tobacco products and electronic cigarettes in terms of Article 3 letters a–f of the Tobacco Products Act of 1 October 2021 and
Para. 2 — SR 813.12 Para. 2 — SR 916.161 Para. 2 — Amended by Annex 10 No II 2 of the Plant Protection Products Ordinance of 20 Aug. 2025, in force since 1 Dec. 2025 (AS 2025 565). Para. 2bis — SR 818.32 Para. 2bis — SR 818.321 Para. 2bis — Inserted by Annex 4 No II 5 of the Tobacco Products Ordinance of 28 Aug. 2024, in force since 1 Oct. 2024 (AS 2024 491). Para. 4 — SR 817.02 Para. 4 — Amended by No I of the O of 31 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 801). Para. 5 let. c — Amende
Art. 2 Definitions and applicable legislation
1 By way of clarification of the definitions given in the Chemicals Act, in this Ordinance: a. substance means a chemical element and its compounds in the natural state or obtained by any manufacturing process, including any additive necessary to preserve its stability and any impurity deriving from the process used, but excluding any solvent which may be separated without affecting the stability of the substance or changing its composition; b. manufacturer means: 1. any natural or legal person domiciled in Switzerland or with a registered office or branch in Switzerland, who manufactures, extracts or imports substances, preparations or objects in a professional or commercial capacity, and 2. any person who obtains substances, preparations or objects in Switzerland and supplies them on a commercial basis, without altering their composition: – under his own name, without specifying the name of the original manufacturer, – under his own trade name, – in packaging other than that provided
Para. 1 let. b let. 2 — Amended by No I of the O of 11 March 2022, in force since 1 May 2022 (AS 2022 220). Para. 1 let. b let. 3 — Amended by No I of the O of 31 Jan. 2018, in force since 1 March 2018 (AS 2018 801). The correction of 4 Oct. 2024 relates to the French text only (AS 2024 536). Para. 2 let. f — Amended by No I of the O of 11 March 2022, in force since 1 May 2022 (AS 2022 220). Para. 2 let. f — Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 Decembe
Art. 3 Dangerous substances and preparations
Substances and preparations are dangerous if they fulfil the criteria for classification of physical, health, environmental or other hazards specified in the technical provisions referred to in Annex 2 number 1.
Art. 4 Persistence, bioaccumulation and toxicity
1 Substances are considered persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic (PBT) if they fulfil the criteria defined in Sections 1.1.1–1.1.3 of Annex XIII to the REACH Regulation. 2 Substances are considered very persistent and very bioaccumulative (vPvB) if they fulfil the criteria defined in Sections 1.2.1 and 1.2.2 of Annex XIII to the REACH Regulation.
Para. 1 — See footnote to Art. 2 para. 4. Para. 2 — See footnote to Art. 2 para. 2 let. f. Name in accordance with Annex No1 of the O of 15 Nov. 2023, in force since 1 Jan. 2024; this amendment has been made in the provisions mentioned in the AS.
