Völkerrecht

Klimawandel

Climate litigation against companies has increased significantly in the past couple of years, not only in the United States, but also in Europe. At the same time, regulation with respect to climate change is developing rapidly, such that it may be difficult for companies to identify which laws apply to them and how they should address the legal risks relating to climate change and climate…

Grenzen der Mitwirkungspflicht von Banken im Verfahren der internationalen Steueramtshilfe

The appetite of foreign authorities for tax data is steadily growing. The requests for administrative assistance related to bank clients are no longer limited to the usual account documents. Rather, a trend became apparent that the requesting states require the banks to specially process such data. Against this background, it is important to determine the limits of duty of banks and other…

Schutz von Bankmitarbeiterdaten in Amtshilfeverfahren

In a landmark decision at the end of 2017, the Federal Supreme Court stated that in administrative assistance documents the names of bank employees must always be redacted. In July 2020, it took two further landmark decisions on the legal position of bank employees and other third parties in administrative assistance proceedings. Firstly, it concluded that, in general, an intended data transfer…

Die schleichende Erodierung des Bankkundengeheimnisses

This article shows how Swiss banking secrecy, which was primarily intended to protect privacy and was enshrined in law in response to the banking crisis of 1931, has been gradually eroded under increasing international pressure and adapted to international standards. In stark contrast to this, it continues to be valid at home. However, the existing legal obligations to inform and report to the…

CSR-Berichterstattung Ante Portas: Indirekter Gegenvorschlag zur Konzernverantwortungsinitiative

In a popular vote held in November 2020, the controversially debated «Swiss Responsible Business Initiative» was rejected. As a matter of constitutional procedure, the Parliament’s Counterproposal from 2019 will now automatically come into force. Unlike the Initiative, the Counterproposal refrains from introducing a foreign direct liability of Swiss businesses for infringing human rights or…

Förderung der ökologischen und sozialen Verantwortung durch den Bund im öffentlichen Beschaffungswesen und in der Privatwirtschaft

The Federal government has committed itself to setting a good example in the Sustainable Development Strategy 2016–2019 and in the 2030 Agenda. Sustainable development is a constitutional mandate that must also be taken into consideration in public procurement procedures. The pressure from parliamentarians seems to be bearing fruit and accordingly, as part of the total revision of the Swiss…

Europareport

Im ABl. vom 14. Januar 2019 ist die neue Richtlinie (EU) 2019/1 des Europäischen Parlamentes und des Rates vom 11. Dezember 2018 bekannt gemacht worden. Diese Richtlinie enthält wichtige Harmonisierungsvorgaben für das nationale Wettbewerbsrecht der Mitgliedstaaten. Die EU-Mitgliedstaaten müssen diese Vorschriften nun bis zum 4. Februar 2021 in ihr eigenes Recht umsetzen.

Global agieren, lokal profitieren – und keine Verantwortung?

The debate about responsible business conduct has gained new momentum in Switzerland due to the responsible business initiative («Konzernverantwortungsinitiative») which triggered the drafting of a counter-­proposal by the National Council in the context of the ongoing revision of the company law. This contribution situates this debate in the relevant international con­text. The analysis’ focus…

Relevance of WTO Law for Financial Services Lessons from “Argentina – Financial Services”

In the past debates about financial markets regulations the fact that most countries are Member States of the World Trade Organization (WTO) was often neglected. Through its recent decision “Argentina – Financial Services” the WTO Dispute Settlement Body now shifted the focus to the impact of WTO law on financial services. Even if very concrete findings have not been given, the assessment of the…

Swiss Multinational Enterprises and Transnational Corruption: Management Matters

In 2016, the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland sanctioned a Swiss corporation for having bribed a Libyan Minister. The same year, it opened a criminal proceeding against the Swiss bank BSI for its involvement in the corruption scandals surrounding the Malaysian company 1MDB. Swiss corporations are also currently under investigation in the Brazilian Petrobras scandal. At the…