{"slug":"switzerland-federal-council-ai-regulatory-approach-2025","title":"Federal Council decision on the regulation of artificial intelligence: ratification of the Council of Europe Convention and sector-specific adjustments","short_title":"Federal Council AI regulatory approach (2025)","jurisdiction":"switzerland","instrument_type":"policy","status":"adopted","is_binding":false,"issuing_body":"Swiss Federal Council","summary_plain":"On 12 February 2025 the Federal Council decided how Switzerland will regulate AI: it will ratify the Council of Europe Framework Convention on AI and implement it mainly through targeted changes to existing law where needed (for example transparency, data protection and non-discrimination), avoid a horizontal AI act, and complement legislation with non-binding measures such as self-regulation and agreements with industry. Federal departments were tasked to prepare a consultation draft by the end of 2026.","adopted_on":"2025-02-12","in_force_on":null,"applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-104110.html","last_verified_at":null,"review_status":"pending_review","confidence_level":"high","updated_at":"2026-09-11T14:53:07+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/switzerland-federal-council-ai-regulatory-approach-2025","status_note":null,"scope_summary":"Sets direction for federal law-making; creates no obligations until implementing legislation is adopted.","who_it_applies_to":null,"key_dates_summary":"2025-02-12: Federal Council decision; end of 2026: consultation draft due.","penalties_summary":null,"what_organizations_must_do":null,"published_on":null,"date_notes":"Dates are taken from the linked official source; a reviewer should confirm in-force and application dates before relying on them.","taxonomy":{"actor":["public_authority"],"sector":["cross_sector"],"use_case":["public_services"]},"sections":[],"obligations":[],"applicability_rules":[],"deadlines":[{"title":"Consultation draft on ratification and legal amendments","due_on":"2026-12-31","date_precision":"year","date_label":null,"display_date":"2026","description":"Deadline set by the Federal Council for the consultation draft.","source_reference":null,"official_source_url":null,"status":"scheduled","confidence_level":"medium"}],"versions":[],"enforcement_events":[],"procurement_rules":[],"sources":[{"title":"Federal Council wants to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on AI","publisher":"Swiss Federal Council","url":"https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-104110.html","document_date":"2025-02-12","document_type":"press_release","tier":1,"tier_label":"Official primary source (government, legislature, regulator, court, standards body, intergovernmental)"}],"related_policies":[],"related_frameworks":[],"faq":[],"source":{"official_source_url":"https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-104110.html","source_title":"Federal Council wants to ratify the Council of Europe Convention on AI","source_publisher":"Swiss Federal Council","source_document_date":"2025-02-12","source_reference":null,"source_tier":1,"last_checked_at":"2026-09-11","last_verified_at":null,"review_status":"pending_review","confidence_level":"high","content_version":1,"change_summary":"Added in the September 2026 global coverage expansion from the official source listed; reviewer to confirm dates, status and scope against the source text.","reviewed_by":null}}