Environmental report: Switzerland holds its own in European comparison

Bern, 12.05.2003 - The European Environment Agency is publishing the third European environmental report on 12 May 2003 with a view to the 'Environment for Europe' Ministerial Conference to be held in Kiev from 21 to 23 May. The state of the environment in Switzerland is comparable to that in other western European countries.

The results of the European environmental report confirm the findings of Switzerland's environmental report published in June 2002. Vast improvements have been made in Switzerland since 1990 as regards air, water and biodiversity through the efforts of business to have cleaner manufacturing processes and through increasingly ecological agricultural policy.

The increase in traffic and noise, the constant building on the land coupled with the fragmentation of the landscape as well as the emergence of new types of environmental pollution such as those due to electromagnetic radiation continue to give cause for concern. Many of the environmental problems can only be solved across borders. Switzerland is active at European level in connection with various agreements for the protection of the environment.

Address for enquiries

Information
Adrian Aeschlimann
Head of Information, SAEFL
079 277 51 83