Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications explained

Agency Name:	Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications
Native Name:	Eidgenössisches Departement für Umwelt, Verkehr, Energie und Kommunikation Département fédéral de l'environnement, des transports, de l'énergie et des communications Dipartimento federale dell'ambiente, dei trasporti, dell'energia e delle comunicazioni Departament federal per ambient, traffic, energia e communicaziun
Jurisdiction:	Federal administration of Switzerland
Headquarters:	Bern
Employees:	2,500^[1]
Budget:	Expenditure: CHF 9 billion Revenue: CHF 815.3 million (2009)
Minister1 Name:	Albert Rösti
Minister1 Pfo:	Federal Councillor

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 comunicazioni, Romansh: {{Audio|Roh-Departament federal per ambient, traffic, energia e communicaziun.ogg|Departament federal per ambient, traffic, energia e communicaziun) 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:^[2]

• 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 Office (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:

• Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (STSB, formerly Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau and Investigation Bureau for Railway, Funicular and Boat Accidents).
• Federal Communications Commission (ComCom): Regulates the telecommunications market, awards service licences, rules on interconnection disputes and approves frequency and numbering plans.
• Federal Electricity Commission (ElCom): monitors electricity prices, rules as a judicial authority on disputes relating to network access and payment of cost-covering feed-in of electricity produced from renewable energy, monitors electricity supply security and regulates issues relating to international electricity transmission and trading.
• Federal Postal Services Commission (PostCom): Regulates the Swiss Post and Swiss postal market.
• Rail Transport Commission (RailCom): Arbitrates in disputes over access to the rail network and the calculation of fees for the use of infrastructure.
• Independent Complaints Authority for Radio and Television (ICA): Decides on complaints related to radio and television programmes.
• Safety Office (formerly known as the Civil Aviation Safety Office, CASO): supports the development of safety in land, sea and air transport, in the use, transport and distribution of energy, and for communications infrastructures
• Reporting Office for Just Culture in Civil Aviation (ROJCA): strengthens Just Culture through the protection of the information source of an occurrence reporting in Swiss Civil Aviation.
• Federal Inspectorate for Heavy Current Installations (ESTI): Responsible for inspecting low and heavy-current electrical installations.
• Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI): 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.

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

See also

• Energy in Switzerland

External links

• Official website

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Swiss Confederation – a brief guide 2009. Swiss Federal Chancellery. 4 August 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20130514013106/http://www.bk.admin.ch/dokumentation/02070/index.html?lang=en. 14 May 2013. dead.
2. Web site: DETEC . Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications . Organisation . 2023-09-11 . www.uvek.admin.ch . en.