Federal Council supports price recommendations for Swiss timber
In its meeting, the Federal Council commented on the report by the Council of States' Committee for the Environment, Spatial Planning, and Energy and supported the parliamentary initiative "Price Recommendations for Wood from Swiss Forests." This initiative, introduced by Councilor Daniel Fässler (Center, AI), aims to amend the Federal Forest Act to enable national or regional price recommendations for raw wood from Swiss forests.
Initiative 21.463 “Price recommendations also for wood from Swiss forests” is intended to offer the approximately 250,000 Swiss forest owners better guidance on the market. The possibility of agreeing guide prices, similar to those in agriculture, allows forest owners to better align their sales prices with market conditions. This contributes to stability and transparency on the timber market and supports the sustainable management of forests.
Positive effects of price recommendations
The Federal Council sees the introduction of price recommendations as an important step towards promoting the forestry and timber industry. The publication of these recommendations is intended to support more market-oriented behaviour on the part of those involved. This leads to indirect positive effects, as the sale of timber makes a significant contribution to the financing of forest management and maintenance. As a result, all functions of the forest, including its ecological and social services, are better ensured.
Independent implementation by sector organisations
The implementation of the price recommendations should be carried out independently by the forestry and timber sector organisations. The Federal Council emphasises that the proposed regulation in the WaG does not constitute an unlawful elimination of competition under antitrust law. Individual companies are not obliged to comply with the recommended prices, and no price recommendations are set for consumer prices. This ensures that competition remains fair and that the price recommendations merely serve as a guide.
By supporting the parliamentary initiative, the Federal Council is sending out a signal in favour of strengthening the Swiss forestry industry. The introduction of price recommendations for raw timber is intended to increase market transparency, secure the financial basis for sustainable forest management and thus maintain the diverse functions of the forest in the long term.