Energy Markets: New Ordinance Approved

Context

At a Glance

• October 2, 2026: The Federal Council approves the OVTE
• The law and ordinance take effect on January 1, 2027
• ElCom will receive transactions, orders, reports, and key data
• REMIT and ACER guide uniform implementation

Key Facts

• What: OVTE Ordinance
• Decision: Federal Council, October 2, 2026
• Legal basis: LVTE, adopted by Parliament in March 2025
• Effective date: January 1, 2027
• Authority: Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom)
• Threshold: annual consumption capacity exceeding 600 gigawatt-hours
• Standard: EU REMIT Regulation
• Guidelines: ACER

On October 2, 2026, in Bern, the Federal Council approved the Ordinance on Supervision and Transparency in Wholesale Energy Markets (OVTE). The ordinance contains the implementing provisions for the Federal Act on Supervision and Transparency in Wholesale Energy Markets (LVTE), which was adopted by Parliament in March 2025.

Both the Act and the Ordinance will enter into force on January 1, 2027. The OVTE establishes the technical and procedural arrangements necessary to implement the rules on transparency and supervision in wholesale energy markets in Switzerland.

Procedures Set Forth in the Ordinance

The text regulates the registration of market participants with the Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom), the publication of inside information, and the reporting of transactions, trading orders, positions, and key data to the authority. The ordinance thus defines the steps for making the required information public and for reporting it to ElCom.

It also sets forth procedures for authorizing platforms used for the publication of inside information and for reporting mechanisms. The text further specifies details regarding the use of inside information, market practices, and the collection of fees by ElCom in connection with its supervisory activities.

The scope includes companies active in the trade of electricity and natural gas, both on the European and Swiss markets. The new regulations also apply to Swissgrid, natural gas transmission system operators, operators of distribution networks or electricity or natural gas storage facilities, producers, intermediaries, suppliers, balance group managers, and large end consumers with an annual consumption exceeding 600 gigawatt-hours.

To reduce the administrative burden and promote uniform application, the OVTE is largely based on the European standards set forth in the EU Regulation on the Integrity and Transparency of the Wholesale Energy Market, known as REMIT. ElCom will provide practical guidance based on the guidelines of the EU Agency for the Cooperation of Energy Regulators (ACER). The transitional provisions call for a phased introduction and allow market participants time to adapt their systems and processes. For a separate in-depth analysis of daily expenses in Switzerland, see costo della vita in Svizzera.

Operational details

Operational Implications

The practical implications of the OVTE focus on operators’ processes. The source identifies a broad range of stakeholders: from companies that trade electricity and gas to Swissgrid, network and storage operators, producers, intermediaries, suppliers, and large end-users. For the latter, the specified criterion is an annual consumption capacity exceeding 600 gigawatt-hours.

The press release does not assign a separate obligation to each category, but rather outlines which activities fall within the scope of the new regulations. The operational overview can be interpreted as follows:

The Transition from Preparation to Implementation

The “before and after” comparison has a fixed date: January 1, 2027. Until that date, transitional provisions give affected parties time to adapt their systems and processes. After the regulations take effect, the framework will include technical and procedural requirements defined by the OVTE, with a phased introduction of the new obligations.

This approach aims to prevent each company from developing its own operational model. The reference to the European standards of the REMIT Regulation serves to facilitate implementation and minimize the administrative burden as much as possible. The practical guidelines that ElCom will provide, based on ACER’s guidelines, are intended to support uniform implementation.

The national context is therefore particularly relevant for operators active in wholesale energy markets or those providing relevant data and infrastructure. For other categories, the document does not outline specific procedures. Those interested in the corporate side of the Swiss market may supplement this reading with aziende che assumono.

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Key points

What to Prepare Before the Ordinance Takes Effect

Those operating in one of the specified categories can translate the new ordinance into an action plan even before January 1, 2027. The procedure is not the same for everyone: it depends on the role played in the market and the data processed. However, the text of the source allows us to identify five operational checks.

Five Operational Checks

1. Identify your role. You must determine whether your activity falls under market operators, trading companies, network or storage operators, producers, intermediaries, suppliers, balance group managers, or large end consumers.

2. Verify the registration process. For market participants, the OVTE regulates registration with ElCom. The first step is therefore to follow the procedure specified by the authority.

3. Map out the information. Internal systems and processes must account for inside information, transactions, trading orders, exposures, and fundamental data—that is, the elements that the new regulations link to reporting or disclosure.

4. Review platforms and reporting mechanisms. Affected companies must examine the procedures for authorizing platforms to publish inside information and for reporting mechanisms.

5. Plan for compliance. The transitional provisions call for a phased implementation. The internal timeline must therefore account for the effective date of January 1, 2027, and the practical instructions that ElCom will provide based on ACER guidelines.

For large end consumers, the threshold to verify is an annual consumption capacity exceeding 600 gigawatt-hours. For all other entities, the priority is to align their role with the procedures outlined in the ordinance, without anticipating requirements not specified in the source.

Preparations should focus on systems and processes, as provided for in the transitional provisions, and keep publication, transmission, and reporting obligations separate. To link the economic framework to personal income, try calcolatore stipendio.

Source: admin.ch