In general, the EU sanctions decided against Russia and taken over by Switzerland were quickly and effectively applied, said the director of the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Helene Budliger Artieda in an interview. on the program Rundschau of the Germanic radio SRF.
But trade with Russia, at least in part, is not recorded separately in customs statistics, she explained. For example, it lacks figures on the number of jobs and the tax base of the raw materials sector. A study aims to clarify the situation.
Improve statistics
In addition, the federal administration, via its raw materials platform, will act actively to improve its statistics. Helene Budliger Artieda specifies that not all commodity traders have Russia as their exclusive or majority partner.
Traders have “credibly” confirmed to SECO that they have recently reduced their activities with Russia, notes the Secretary of State.
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To implement the “complex” sanctions package that has been decided against Russia, SECO also relies on other services, whether in the federal administration, within the cantons or the banks. “Infringements concerning the sanctions are the subject of prosecution and denunciations on our part or on the part of the cantons”, affirms Helene Budliger Artieda.
Ensure compliance with sanctions
To ensure compliance with the sanctions, SECO works in collaboration with the Federal Customs Administration. SECO does not have a police role and does not itself have any authority in this area.
“We must rely on the idea that companies operating in Switzerland respect Swiss law,” adds the Secretary of State. The European neighboring countries and the United States attest, according to her, to the good work of the Swiss authorities in the application of the measures.