Outrageously high, but: Council of States against regulation of magazine prices
The Federal Council should not take any measures against the high prices of foreign magazines in Switzerland. On Monday, the Council of States rejected a motion from the National Council's Economic Affairs Committee.
The small chamber voted in favor of its committee by 28 votes to 13 with 1 abstention. The motion has thus been dealt with. The National Council wanted to instruct the Federal Council, together with the Competition Commission and the price watchdog, to find a solution to the large differences between domestic and foreign magazine prices (Werbewoche.ch reported).
According to the price watchdog, German magazines are on average 74 percent more expensive in Switzerland than in Germany. French magazines are 79 percent more expensive than in France and Italian magazines are up to 158 percent more expensive than in Italy.
In the Council of States, committee spokesman Pirmin Bischof (CVP/SO) conceded that the price differences were offensive. However, all magazines are available throughout Switzerland at the same time and at the same price.
Regulation would call the offer into question, said Bischof. It would also represent a considerable encroachment on economic freedom. Furthermore, it is questionable whether there is a constitutional basis for such regulation. Economics Minister Guy Parmelin also pointed this out.
Filippo Lombardi (CVP/TI) stated that the motion was contrary to the system. Foreign magazines would be used to cross-subsidize domestic products. It would also ensure the survival of sales outlets in peripheral regions.
Anita Fetz (SP/BS) spoke out in favor of the motion. She argued that the price differences were so large that they could not be justified. In recent years they had not decreased, but increased. This pricing policy was not only annoying, but simply indecent. The privilege of fixed prices was being abused.
It would be the task of the Competition Commission (ComCo) to do something about this. However, it does not want to act any more than the Federal Council. A mandate from parliament is therefore needed. (SDA)
