Switzerland will exchange more tax information with the EU; a new app will help patients in medical emergences; and more news in our Wednesday roundup.
Bern and Brussels expand the exchange of tax information
Switzerland and the European Union are expanding their cooperation in the exchange of tax information.
This will involve exchanging data on electronic money, as well as strengthening enforcement assistance in the collection of value-added tax (VAT).
Both parties signed an amending protocol to the agreement on the automatic exchange of information (AEOI) in tax matters in Brussels.
The European Commission described this as an “important step in the fight against tax fraud and tax evasion.”
A new Swiss app helps in case of a medical emergency
A new app, Notfall-Finder, has been launched in Bern to help people in urgent medical situations.
It aims to guide patients and relieve the burden on the healthcare system by reducing unnecessary visits to the emergency room.
It also includes a symptom assessment function and indicates the nearest emergency services and their attendance rate. Finally, the user can be put in direct contact with the ambulance service.
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Olympic Games in Italy to bring traffic to Graubünden
In February, thousands of spectators of the Winter Olympics will travel via Graubünden to northern Italy, especially to the venue in Livigno.
A concept for traffic management is currently being developed.
The Graubünden cantonal police, the Graubünden Office for Energy and Transport, and the Graubünden Civil Engineering Office have been working for months on a concept to avoid traffic jams during this period, which also coincides with the winter vacations.
However, cantonal authorities want the Italians to pay for this extra work.
“It cannot be that they we pay and they benefit,” Graubünden officials said.
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Zurich to extend its cannabis project by two years
City authorities are planning to prolong the pilot project for regulated cannabis sales – initially scheduled to run until October 2026 – until 2028.
More than 2,300 people are participating in the “Züri-Can” study, which aims to combat the black market.
The extension of the study, requested by the Zurich City Council, will cost 800,000 francs, city officials said on Monday.
The pilot project has diverted approximately 7.5 million francs from the black market. Consumer health and protection from the risks of the black market are at the heart of the pilot study, which is being monitored by the University Psychiatric Clinic of Zurich.
In July 2025, the government authorised an increase in the number of participants from 2,100 to 3,000. The city wants to reach more occasional consumers and women who have been underrepresented until now.
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