Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications

Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications

Agency overview
Formed	1848
Jurisdiction	Federal administration of Switzerland
Headquarters	Bern
Employees	1,848
Annual budget	Expenditure: CHF 9 billion Revenue: CHF 815.3 million (2009)
Minister responsible	Doris Leuthard, Federal Councillor
Website	www.uvek.admin.ch

The Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC, German: Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation, French: Département fédéral de l'environnement, des transports, de l'énergie et des communications, Italian: Dipartimento federale dell'ambiente, dei trasporti, dell'energia e delle comunicazionicode: it is deprecated ) is one of the seven departments of the Swiss federal government, headed by a member of the Swiss Federal Council.

Organisation

The Department is composed of the following offices:

• General Secretariat
• Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE): Coordinates area planning between the federal agencies, the cantons and the municipalities.
• Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN): Responsible for matters of the environment, including the protection of plants and animals and the protection against noise, air pollution or natural hazards.
• Federal Office for Civil Aviation (FOCA): Regulates civil aviation.
• Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM): Regulates radio and TV stations, notably the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation.
• Federal Office of Energy (FOE): Responsible for the provision of electrical energy at the federal level, as well as for the supervision of dams.
• Federal Office of Transport (FOT): Responsible for public transport at the federal level, including the development of the federal rail network and navigation on the Rhine.
• Federal Roads Authority (FEDRO): Responsible for the construction, maintenance and operation of the national highway network.

The following independent authorities are affiliated to the DETEC for administrative purposes:

• Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB): Technical investigating authority for aircraft accidents.
• Federal Communications Commission (ComCom): Regulates the telecommunications market, awards service licences, rules on interconnection disputes and approves frequency and numbering plans.
• Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI): Responsible for inspecting low and heavy-current electrical installations.
• Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (HSK): Assesses and monitors security and radiation protection in Swiss nuclear installations.
• Federal Pipelines Inspectorate (ERI): Responsible for the planning, construction and operation of fuel pipeline systems in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
• Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television: Decides on complaints about radio and television programmes.
• Investigation Bureau for Railway, Funicular and Boat Accidents: Technical investigating authority for accidents on railways, cableways, funicular railways and ships.
• PostReg: Regulates the Swiss Post.
• Railways Arbitration Commission (RACO): Arbitrates in disputes over access to the rail network.

Name of department

• 1848-1859: Department of Posts and Construction
• 1860-1872: Department of Posts
• 1873-1878: Department of Posts and Telegraph
• 1879-1962: Department of Posts and Railways
• 1963-1978: Department of Transport, Communications and Energy
• 1979-1997: Federal Department of Transport, Communications and Energy
• Since 1998: Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications

List of heads of the department

2

External links

• Official website