Parliament backs counter-proposal to foie gras import ban

Switzerland’s foie gras dispute is heading to voters after both chambers of Parliament backed a counter-proposal and recommended rejecting the import ban initiative. The Council of States settled the final parliamentary differences on Tuesday, September 15, 2026, aligning itself with the National Council’s earlier position.

The Council of States approved the recommendation to vote no by 28 votes to 11, with four abstentions. The National Council had already reached the same conclusion in March, voting 105 to 58, with 21 abstentions. Those figures give the parliamentary recommendation a clear majority in both chambers, although the final decision will belong to the electorate.

The indirect counter-proposal would keep foie gras imports legal while seeking to reduce consumption through new legal provisions. Parliament has therefore rejected a direct prohibition and chosen a gradual policy approach. The source does not specify the full content of those provisions or set a target for the reduction in sales or consumption. The measure would apply to foie gras and other products made from goose or duck foie gras.

Swiss consumers already face disclosure rules linked to foie gras production. Since July 1, 2025, foie gras sold in Switzerland must refer to the painful procedures used to produce it. The labelling requirement gives consumers information at the point of sale, while the new counter-proposal would use additional legal provisions to seek a gradual decline in consumption. The initiative, submitted in 2023, now moves from parliamentary scrutiny to the national campaign. Voters will decide whether to accept the proposed import ban or follow Parliament’s recommendation and reject it, with the counter-proposal forming the legislative alternative.