Bern and Zurich reject amendment of the UWG

The cantonal government of Bern also spoke out against an amendment to the Federal Act against Unfair Competition on Thursday. Although the cantonal government supports the concerns of the federal government to create good framework conditions for the 2008 European Football Championship, the existing legal basis is sufficient for this. The Bernese government also criticized the fact that the bill would not create the legal certainty sought by the Confederation.
Zurich, the venue for the European Championships, has also spoken out against the change in the law. In its response to the consultation, the Zurich government took the view that it would be problematic to amend a law because of the commercial interests of a single event organizer. This would cement the market power of the organizers of major events and their sponsors. The Zurich government is also of the opinion that the existing law offers sufficient means of protecting the commercial interests of UEFA and other organizations of major events.