Tab. A-1 Description of the aims and campaign arguments of the environmental initiatives
Initiatives/referenda Aims of the initiatives/referenda Arguments in favor Arguments against
Position of the EC*
and FP**
Traffic halving 12.03.2000
To halve motorized traffic until 2010. The necessary legislation is not mention but the FP** has 3 years to legislate.
- Environmental protection - Security enhancement
- Job creation in public transportation
- Imposes a very severe legislation - Requires a large administrative work - Seems inequitable (for the rural pop.) - Requires a costly investments in public
transportation
- Detrimental to economic growth
No
Green tax reform Ic 24.09.2000
Growing taxation (up to 0.02 CHF/KWh) of the non-renewable fuels (basis: energy content)
The fiscal revenue (2.5-3 billion CHF) is used to lower social security contributions
- Environmental protection - Favor job creation - Innovation
- Large industrial consumers are exonerated
- Worsening of the competitiveness of the Swiss economy
The fiscal revenue (450 million) is used for the promotion of energy conservation, the promotion of renewable energy, the amortization of investments in hydroelectric plant
- Environmental protection
- Financial help for hydroelectric plant (in prevision of the electricity market liberalization)
- Innovation
- Large industrial consumers are exonerated
- Worsening of the competitiveness of the Swiss economy (basis: energy content). The tax is set for 25 year. The fiscal revenue is used for the promotion of solar energy and for the conservation of energy - Household expenditures will not be
higher due to energy conservation measures
- Large industrial consumers are exonerated
- Worsening of the competitiveness of the Swiss economy
- Focus only on solar energy - Tax rate too high and set for too long - Do not support hydroelectric plants - Unfair for poor household
- Subventions are inefficient instruments
No
* Swiss Federal Executive Committee, ** Swiss Federal Parliament
c: the object is a counter-proposal made by the FP. The original initiative has been withdrawn.
d: the object is a counter-proposal made by the FP to the solar initiative, which means that both could not be implemented.
Initiatives/referenda Aims of the initiatives/referenda Arguments in favor Arguments against sources and of the electricity produced by hydroelectric plan exceeding 1 MGw. The fiscal income is devoted to lower the social security contributions and the retirement age.
- Environmental protection - Job creation and innovation - The initiative plan also a redistribution
toward the non-workers
- The funding of the retirement pensions are secured
- Citizens do not want such taxation (3 initiative rejected in 2000)
- The initiative do not set tax rate, evaluation of costs and benefits are therefore not possible
- The initiative tax the hydroelectric plants which may instead need subventions
However, the State remains active as soon as the public service, the security of supplies, the economy, the environment and the job in the electricity sector are endangered. Furthermore, the State checks the electricity price, the security of the power plants and the network as well as the investment plans of the electricity producers
The well being of the consumers will be enhanced through the liberalization and competition. The state supervision insures that the electricity provision will not be left to the hazards of free markets.
Ecological information (type of production process and origin) will be available for consumers
The liberalization will raise energy prices and cause more breakdown. It also will cause unemployment and fear that the availability of the service, the security of equipment as well as environmental considerations will be jeopardized in the sake of profit.
Yes,
Nuclear ban
8.05.03 Progressive closure of all the Swiss nuclear power plants until 2014.
- Security - Nuclear waste
- Development of new and clean energy sources
- Difficulties for electricity supplies - Rise of electricity prices - Require a large investment
- The initiatives allow the construction of fuel power plant (large CO2 producer)
No
Nuclear Moratorium 18.05.03
Ban on the building and use of new nuclear power plants (or extension of existing one) during the next 10 years. Existing power plants will need an authorization from the Parliament to prolong their operating time beyond 40 years.
- Extension of existing moratorium - Security
- Electricity producers will have to indicate the origin of the electricity
- The nuclear option remains
- Actual power plants may be closed until 2014 (if the FP** does not prolong their operating time).
- Large economic costs
- The initiatives allow the construction of fuel power plant (large CO2 producer)
No
Motorless Sunday 18.03.04
Interdiction of motorized traffic during 4 Sundays (one per season) per year. The validity of this initiative last 4 years. At this time, a new vote has to take place.
Four Sundays of leisure are created during which people may (re)discover the joy of living and the nature. It may also enhance the tourist attractive-ness of Switzerland. It proposes an experiment, which may make the public aware of their behavior according to their mobility.
There is no need for a federal law since cantons and communes may already organize such events. Finally, as public transportation and cabs will be allowed, the security may not be optimal. Finally, people living in isolated region will be penalized and transport from foreign countries will be stopped at the borders and will penalize tourist activities.
No
Initiatives/referenda Aims of the initiatives/referenda Arguments in favor Arguments against
Position of the EC*
and FP**
Swiss membership to UNO
03.03.2002
Membership to UNO
- Switzerland and UNO share identical goals: promotion of peace, human right enforcements, environmental protection, economic stability and development and poverty reduction
- Switzerland will be able to defend its interests in an ever globalizing world
- Switzerland will lose its neutrality - UNO is in fact governed by the great
powers (member of the Security Council) and Switzerland will therefore loose its sovereignty.
- The U.N. charter is an old treaty which is not adapted to actual behavior of the international relations
Yes
Surplus gold reserve of the Swiss national 22.09.2002
The surplus gold reserve of the Swiss national bank will be devoted to the financing of the retirement insurance
- The surplus gold of the Swiss national bank belongs to the citizens and must be returned to them
- This money will finance the retirement insurance until 2012 without the other tax increases.
- Only the interest should be spent. The capital has to be preserved.
- The Swiss canton are excluded No