Politics National Council wants to subject energy plants to the "Lex Koller"

The National Council wants to continue to subject energy plants to the "Lex Koller". On Wednesday, it upheld an earlier decision on the subject.

By 120 votes to 67 with no abstentions, the large chamber followed the majority of its Committee for the Environment, Energy and Spatial Planning (Urek-N). An alliance of the SVP, SP and Greens thus prevailed.

Now it is back to the Council of States. In February, it voted in favor of non-adoption. If it sticks to its position, the amendment to the law will be off the table.

The amendment to the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad was drafted by the Urek-N. The impetus for this came from a parliamentary initiative by Zurich SP National Councillor Jacqueline Badran. The aim is to protect strategically important Swiss power plants and electricity and gas grids from being sold abroad. Sales abroad would be prohibited in principle and only possible under certain conditions and with approval.

The supporters of the bill argued that the protection of important energy plants was essential for Switzerland's security.

The Federal Council and a minority of the FDP, Center Party and GLP in the committee argued that the Lex Koller was unsuitable as an instrument. They did not want a separate solution for the energy sector, especially as a cross-sectoral regulation existed in the form of the Investment Control Act.

The Commission minority also saw the subordination to the Lex Koller as an unjustified encroachment on economic freedom.