Freedom of Information Act (FoIA)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 6 Principle of freedom of information
1 Any person has the right to inspect official documents and to obtain information about the content of official documents. 2 The documents may be inspected in situ or a copy thereof may be requested. The legislation governing copyright is reserved. 3 Where an official document has already been published by the Federal Government in paper or electronic format, the rights under paragraphs 1 and 2 above are deemed to have been fulfilled.
Art. 7 Exceptions
1 The right of access shall be restricted, deferred or refused if such access to an official document: a. significantly harms the free opinion-forming and decision-making processes of an authority which is subject to this Act, or of another legislative, administrative or judicial body; b. obstructs an authority from achieving the intended objectives when taking specific measures; c. may compromise Switzerland’s domestic and international security; d. may affect Switzerland’s interests in matters of foreign policy and international relations; e. may affect relations between the Federal Government and the cantons, or inter-cantonal relations; f. may affect the economic or monetary interests of Switzerland; g. may reveal professional, business or manufacturing secrets; or h. may result in the release of information provided voluntarily by a third party to an authority which undertook to maintain secrecy with regard thereto. 2 The right of access shall be restricted, deferred or refused wh
Art. 8 Special cases
1 There is no right of access to official documents relating to joint reporting proceedings. 2 Access to official documents is granted only after the political or administrative decisions based thereon have been taken. 3 By way of exception, the Federal Council may decide to withhold access to official documents resulting from official departmental consultation processes even after decisions have been made. 4 Under no circumstances may access to official documents about the status of pending or future negotiations be granted. 5 Access to reports on the evaluation of the performance of the Federal Administration and the effectiveness of its measures is guaranteed.
Art. 9 Protection of personal data and the data of legal entities
1 Official documents containing personal data or data of legal entities shall, wherever possible, be made anonymous prior to inspection. 2 Requests relating to official documents which cannot be made anonymous shall in the case of personal data in accordance with Article 36 FADP and data of legal entities be assessed in accordance with Article 57s of the Government and Administration Organisation Act of 21 March 1997. The relevant procedure shall be governed by this Act.
Art. 9 — Amended by Annex 1 No II 10 of the Data Protection Act of 25 Sept. 2020, in force since 1 Sept. 2023 (AS 2022 491; BBl 2017 6941). Para. 2 — SR 235.1 Para. 2 — SR 172.010