Parliament Sets Course for National Data Standards
By approving a new constitutional article for technical standards and advancing the "Once-Only" data principle, the Council of States has laid the groundwork for an integrated, "AI-ready" administration. This legislative push is a strategic cornerstone for Switzerland’s ambition to position itself as a premier global hub for trusted AI innovation.
During the spring session, the Council of States (Ständerat) cleared significant hurdles for digital administration. The focus lies on a new federal competency for uniform interfaces and the future multi-use of government data. The objective is to establish an "AI-ready" infrastructure by 2027.
The harmonization of the Swiss digital landscape is gaining momentum. In the recent spring session, Parliament made groundbreaking decisions to legally anchor technical cooperation between the Confederation and the cantons.
Constitutional Article for Technical Standards
A central outcome is the Council of States' approval of the so-called "Digitalization Article." The upper house adopted a corresponding motion from the Political Institutions Committee. This brings a new federal constitutional competency closer, which would oblige the Confederation and the cantons to speak the same technical language in the future.
Binding standards for data transfer are the fundamental prerequisite for efficient administration. Only through uniform interfaces can digital government services be implemented without media disruption (seamlessly). The matter now moves to the National Council for further deliberation.
Committee Reviews Multi-use of Data
The debate regarding Motion 25.4620 on the multi-use of administrative data proved more complex. While the Federal Council rejected the proposal based on financial considerations, the Council of States followed a procedural motion and referred the business to the relevant committee for in-depth review.
Decisive factors were reports from the Swiss Federal Audit Office (SFAO/EFK). These emphasized the necessity of creating legal foundations to utilize data more efficiently multiple times within the administration (the "once-only" principle). The committee is now tasked with analyzing the legal and structural aspects to provide a sound basis for decision-making.
These strategic shifts are not merely technical matters. Under the term "AI-ready data," they are an integral part of the national AI action plan currently coordinated by the umbrella organization digitalswitzerland.
The modernization of data infrastructure is considered a key factor for the success of the Global AI Summit 2027 in Geneva. Switzerland intends to use the summit to position itself internationally as a trustworthy hub for AI innovation. A legally anchored, high-performance administrative data base is the necessary condition for this goal.