Key facts
The Swiss Association for Standardization (SNV), represented by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO), safeguards Switzerland’s standardisation-related interests at the international level on behalf of the Confederation. It is responsible for providing information to stakeholders. The SNV’s annual turnover exceeds CHF 11 million and it has reserves of more than CHF 7 million. SECO pays the SNV compensation of around CHF 1.9 million p.a. on the basis of a contract dating from 1997. The SNV manages over 26,500 standards and is directly represented in or chairs numerous international standards organisations and bodies. The SNV generates commercial revenue from third parties by selling standards and providing training courses.
The Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO) audited the SNV’s use of funds and its financial statements, as well as the supervision carried out by SECO. It identified shortcomings in the quality and comprehensibility of the accounts and in SECO’s financial supervision of the SNV. Furthermore, the contract needs to be revised.