Remit and legal mandate

Federal law ((H3))

The following tasks are set out in the Federal Act on Meteorology and Climatology (MetG) as part of the MeteoSwiss remit in Switzerland:

MeteoSwiss shall

• collect meteorological and climatological data on a continuous basis for the whole of Switzerland.
• participate in the collection, exchange and analysis of international meteorological and climatological data.
• issue weather warnings.
• make meteorological information available for aviation and air-traffic safety over Switzerland.
• provide climatological information and implement measures to secure a healthy environment for the long-term future.
• monitor radioactivity in the atmosphere and provide a meteorological basis for calculating the distribution of air pollutants.
• promote theoretical meteorology and climatology and carry out application-oriented research and development projects.
• provide additional meteorological and climatological services to meet the needs of the general public.

The close collaboration and coordination at Federal level and with the cantonal authorities ensures that MeteoSwiss is able to fulfil its remit even in extraordinary circumstances.

Ordinance

MeteoSwiss gathers data on weather and climate 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The charges for these data are specified in the Meteorology and Climatology Ordinance (MetV).

MetV details the legal mandate and the competencies of MeteoSwiss, and regulates the charges for weather and climate-data services. The Federal Council ratified the complete revision of MetV in November 2018.

Further information

• Federal Act on Meteorology and Climatolog
• Meteorology and Climatology Ordinance
• News release on the Federal Council decision

On 30 November 2018, the Federal Council approved the “Strategy for open administrative data in Switzerland, 2019–2023” (Open Government Data Strategy, OGD Strategy). In accordance with this strategy, administrative offices from the central Federal administration will generally publish their new data as OGD from 2020, unless legitimate personal interests or legal provisions preclude this (open by default).

The starting point for MeteoSwiss

Under the current Meteorology Act, the unlimited introduction of OGD is not possible for weather and climate data. This means that most weather and climate data from MeteoSwiss continue to be subject to a fee. The fees are regulated in the Meteorology and Climatology Ordinance (only German).

For the purpose of the Federal Council’s OGD Strategy, a limited set of data can be found on opendata.swiss. This enables users to familiarise themselves with the characteristics of our meteorological and climatological data.

Establishing the legal foundation

The draft bill of the “Swiss Federal law on digitalisation for the fulfilment of administrative functions” (EMBAG) is intended to lay the legal foundation for the implementation of OGD in the context of the Federal administration and, by extension, that of MeteoSwiss.

EMBAG includes a provision stipulating that the Federal administration should, in principle, make its data openly available for the public to use and reuse free of charge.

Linked to this is the revision of the Federal Act on Meteorology and Climatology, which, among other things, will abolish the general obligation to pay fees for meteorological and climatological data.

We summarise the current EMBAG developments here: (only German).

• News release of 30 November 2018:
  Federal Council wants to further promote the use of open administrative data.
• Between 11 December 2020 and 25 March 2021, all stakeholders in the consultation process were given the opportunity to contribute their opinions on the draft text of the EMBAG bill.
• News release of 04/03/2022:
  Federal Council approves dispatch on EMBAG. The bill has therefore been referred to the Swiss parliament.

Subject to the outcome of the parliamentary debate, EMBAG would come into forcein 2024. A maximum transition period of five years will apply to allow MeteoSwiss to implement the changes.

Weather events play a decisive role when it comes to dealing with technological and natural disasters as well as military operations. The aim of the “Coordinated Organisation Weather” is to provide all interested civilian and military agencies with weather data and weather information for every situation. MeteoSwiss coordinates this cooperation with the Armed Forces and the Federal Office for Civil Protection (FOCP). This work includes:

• Ensuring that weather information is provided to civilian and military command levels in special or extraordinary circumstances.
• Collecting the requisite weather data for producing the various weather service products.
• Securing the sharing and exchange of the existing civil and military weather infrastructure, weather data and associated resources.
• Coordinating specialised training in the military and civilian domains.

Further information on the Coordinated Weather Service

As part of the Federal Administration’s management model, MeteoSwiss is managed in a performance and impact-oriented manner. At the heart of the model is the budget with its integrated activity and financial plan. Activities are bundled into performance groups, with measurable targets set for each group. The agency has a degree of operational freedom, since its expenses are bundled in a global budget. The performance and impact targets from the budget, along with additional specifications, are set out in the annually-reviewed service agreements.