The Cassis de Dijon principle does not apply to certain products, for example those which are subject to authorisation or for which a prior import licence is required (Art. 16a para. 2 let. a–d Law on Technical Barriers to Trade). The Federal Council may decide on further exceptions (Art. 16a para. 2 let. e Law on Technical Barriers to Trade). All exceptions must meet the requirements of Article 4 paragraphs 3 and 4 Law on Technical Barriers to Trade; this is determined by means of an internal administrative procedure.
The complete list of exceptions is reviewed (PDF, 656 kB, 31.03.2023) every five years.
A list of products that cannot be imported into Switzerland and sold under the Cassis de Dijon principle (the negative list (PDF, 355 kB, 05.01.2024)) exists as an enforcement aid. This non-exhaustive list is not legally binding.
