In taking positions and undertaking political action, the CVCI does not intervene in all areas, but only on issues that have a significant impact on the economy or that are particularly important to the structural character of our canton and our country.

These principles were adopted by the CVCI Committee on 9 April 2001. They fall into three categories:

a) Taking positions and public activities

In its so-called public interventions (taking positions with regard to federal and cantonal votes, campaigns to collect signatures for the launch of initiatives or referendums, widely publicized activities having a political connotation), the commitment, or not, of the CVCI and, as the case may be, its intensity (simple taking of position, information initiatives and consciousness raising, active intervention in campaigns, participation in possible committees, press conferences, etc.), is decided upon by the Strategy Committee, on the basis of the following criteria: intervention only when the issues have an impact, if not major, at least significant, on the economy and on the political and economic climate for conducting business, or if not, when they have considerable importance for the structure of our institutions (for example, the bilateral agreements, the cantonal flat rate tax, government or constitutional reforms).

b) Lobbying Activities

In its lobbying activities (consultation procedures, the work of various commissions, actions to create awareness among elected officials, executives or administrative authorities), the Leadership of the CVCI, after consulting the Strategy Committee, if need be, defines the areas of intervention, based on criteria somewhat more flexible than those defined under a): its role as a principal organization and privileged partner for strategic matters of the government on the cantonal level, and as an important member of the Swiss economy and the Organization of Swiss Employers (Union patronale Suisse) on the federal level, the CVCI has a duty to intervene in political discussions which occur and upon which it is consulted, even if the direct impact on the economy is not fundamental (for example, basic education and training, health insurance, membership in the United Nations, escheat property policy, etc). On the other hand, certain subjects, clearly marginal to, or far from, its field of competence are left aside (for example, revision of provisions on divorce, political asylum, legislation on homosexuals).

c) Elections

As for the very particular case of legislative elections (the National Council and Council of States at the federal level and the Grand Council on the cantonal level), the CVCI will generally continue to encourage business managers to present themselves as candidates in such elections, in order to strengthen the representation of the economy in our parliaments, and, at the appropriate time, it will draw the attention of its members to the candidates representing economic interests (business managers or executives of companies which are in principle members of the CVCI). We will act in the same manner regarding candidates for the cantonal administration.