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The "payments for production systems" are intended to encourage environment-friendly or animal welfare-friendly methods of production. This DP category contains four pre-existing measures and one new incentive. The "payments for organic agriculture" (SwF 200-1,600/ha, depending on the crop) are linked to farming methods that comply with the Organic Farming Ordinance (RS 910.18). About 13% of the agricultural area was eligible in 2014. The "payments for extensive cereal and rapeseed production" have been maintained at SwF 400/ha. The "payments for pasture-based dairy and meat production" (SwF 200/ha) is a new measure to provide an incentive for pasture and roughage-based livestock systems. The animal welfare payments for outdoor systems and livestock housing systems have been retained.

The "biodiversity payments" comprise three pre-existing environmental measures which have been re-arranged under this DP category with enhanced incentives in some cases (SwF 450-3,800/ha). The incentives cover, for example, the extensive use of pastures and meadows; hedges; or fallowing (SwF 3,300/ha).

The "resource efficiency payments" comprise three new incentives for emission-reducing application techniques of manure; precision application of pesticides; and reduced tillage methods. The pre-existing incentives for resource protection projects (water conservation) have been maintained.

The general eligibility criteria for direct payments include a set of environmental performance standards (proof of ecological performance), including a 7% bio-diversity area requirement. The maximum direct payment is SwF 70,000 per annual work unit. Direct payments are degressive by farm size, income, and assets.

Table 4.1 Direct payments, 2012-15
(SwF 1,000)
2012 2013 2014 2015
Ecological direct payments (AP 2011) 641 667 n.a. n.a.
Payments for production systems n.a. n.a. 439.5 450.1
Payment for organic agriculture 40.4 42.5
Animal welfare payments (outdoor) 186.8 188.2
Animal welfare payments (housing systems) 75.6 78.1
Biodiversity payments n.a. n.a. 364.1 386.6
Quality payment 284.0 296.1
Payment for bio-diversity networks 80.1 90.5
Resource efficiency payments n.a. n.a. 6.3 17.3
Payment for emission-reducing application techniques of manure 2.1
6.2
Payment for reduced tillage 3.8 10.4
Payment for precision application of pesticides 0.3 0.7
Payments for water protection and sustainable use of natural resources 31.0 25.5
(...)
Note: Payments for water protection and sustainable use of natural resources are not direct payments but another type of financial support. Since they are financed by the federal direct payments budget (and co-financed by the cantons), they are included in this table.

Table 4.2 Liechtenstein's direct payments, 2013-15
(SwF million)
2013 2014 2015
Environmental and animal welfare payments 5.2 5.0 5.1
(...)

The Swiss Confederation assists Swiss farmers' organizations and inter-professional organizations to promote their agricultural products on the internal market and abroad. In 2015, approximately SwF 60 million were granted to around thirty promotion and marketing organizations. A large part of the financial support is dedicated to the promotion of cheese, meat, milk, fruit and potatoes. The marketing campaigns for organic products and for PDO/PGI products are also co-financed. Each year, the organizations have to apply for financial support of their promotional activities for the following year. Their activities can be co-financed by the Confederation up to a maximum of 50% of the costs, but only for market research and the following communication instruments: advertising (print, TV, radio, online, etc.), new media (homepage, social media, etc.), sales promotion (tastings, advertising material, training, etc.), public relations, events, fairs, sponsoring, and direct-marketing. Price-related activities (for example, a price reduction on products) and distribution costs are not eligible for financial support.

Switzerland's total primary energy supply (TPES) totalled 25.9 million tonnes of oil equivalent (MTOE) in 2015: oil (42.3%), nuclear (22.2%), hydroelectricity (13%), natural gas (11%), and biofuels and waste (11.10%).

To a large extent, the main energy-related regulatory changes during the period under review were limited to the electricity sector and, to a lesser extent, to related environmental measures.

In 2015, electricity represented 25.1% of total energy consumption. Electricity consumption reached 58.2 billion TWh in 2015 (+1.4% from 2014), or 62.6 billion TWh taking into account the losses due to transport and pumping for pump-storage plants. On the supply side, national production amounted to 66 billion KWh (-5.3% as compared to 2014) and there was a net export surplus of 1 bn KWh (against 5.5 bn KWh in 2014). Hydro-electricity represented 59.9% of production, nuclear plants 33.5% and conventional thermal plants and renewable energy 4.5% (of which 1.9% renewable waste, 1.8% photovoltaic, 0.5% biomass, 0.2% biogas, and 0.2% wind).