National economic supply

The purpose of national economic supply is ensuring supply to the Swiss population of goods and services essential to life in case of supply disruptions. For this purpose, compulsory stocks are maintained and measures are prepared for using these stocks when supplies are low as well as other control measures.
 
The Federal Office for National Economic Supply website contains general information on the scope and organisation of national economic supply.

CARBURA and national economic supply

Supplying the country with goods and services essential to life is the responsibility of private business. National economic supply is only activated if bottlenecks in the supply system occur, which the economy can no longer rectify itself. This subsidiarity principle in operation is complemented by the militia principle applied in the organisation. Specialists from the respective branches of industry carry out risk assessments and situational analyses and use these to plan the control measures to be taken and assist in their implementation if necessary.
CARBURA carries out two functions regarding national economic supply. On the one hand, it ensures, as a self-help organisation of petroleum importers, that the compulsory supplies are being stockpiled. As well as this key task of compulsory stockpiling, CARBURA also assists, pursuant to its articles of association, in the planning and carrying out of measures for national economic supply.
Various staff at the branch office and partner companies carry out executive and expert functions in the Petroleum Products Department of the Energy Division of National Economic Supply and support the respective authorities in the context of the International Energy Agency (IEA), of which Switzerland is a member.