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Cookie Policy

The Federal Government uses various cookies as the administrator of this website. The purpose of this statement is to inform you about cookies, the data collected by means of cookies, the purposes for which this data is collected, how long it is stored, and how you can delete and/or disable these cookies.

What is a cookie?

Cookies are small information files which can be stored on your computer when you visit websites and contain a unique identification number. Information, such as your language preference for a website, is stored in a text file. When you visit the website again later, this cookie will be sent to the website again. This allows the website to recognise your browser and, for example, to remember your language preference.

Cookies make access to websites easier and their use faster and more efficient. They can also be used to personalise websites according to your personal preferences. Cookies also allow us to analyse the use of a website in order to identify and remove any bottlenecks. 

We distinguish the following types of cookies:

  • Origin
    • First-party cookies: these cookies are placed on the site itself by the responsible party.
    • Third-party cookies: these cookies are placed on the site by a third party with a different domain name.
  • Storage period
    • Session cookies: these cookies are automatically deleted when the user closes the browser.
    • Permanent cookies: these cookies remain on your hard drive until they are deleted or until a certain period has passed.
  • Purpose
    • Essential cookies: these cookies are necessary for purely technical reasons for the normal operation of the website. Given the technical necessity of these cookies, only an information obligation applies. These cookies are placed as soon as you visit the site and cannot be refused.
    • Functional cookies: these cookies store information about your choices and preferences on a site.
    • Analytical cookies: these cookies collect information about visitor behaviour and site performance. The information collected is processed to improve the content of the site and optimise the user experience.

Why do we use cookies?

The Federal Government uses essential and functional cookies to manage the content of its website. These cookies are necessary for the proper functioning of this website and cannot be refused if you want to visit this website. Unless otherwise specified, these cookies will be first-party cookies.

The Federal Government also uses 'MATOMO' for analytical purposes. This analysis tool places cookies that are used to measure site traffic. This enables the Federal Government to know, among other things, how many times a particular page is read. This information is only used to improve the content of the website or as a starting point for a new campaign around a particular topic of interest.

For this analysis tool, we use the Matomo cloud, an external partner that has both its organisation and the underlying data centres in Europe and is fully committed to GDPR compliance and respect for privacy. For the use of cookies for analytical purposes, your prior permission is requested. These cookies are therefore only placed on your device after you have given your permission. All data collected is stored anonymously. It will never be used to profile the citizen.

Below is a list of all cookies used:

Essential cookies

  • Name: BIGipServerF2W-…    
    • Origin: first party
    • Storage period: until the end of the session
    • Content: sequence of characters
    • Purpose: Assigns a server to process requests from the same user.
  • Name: TS01448b0 (characters after TS... vary)     
    • Origin: first party
    • Storage period: until the end of the session
    • Content: sequence of characters
    • Purpose: Assigns a server to process requests from the same user.

Functional cookies

  • Name: language    
    • Origin: first party
    • Storage period: 365 days (1 year)
    • Content: language of the last visited page
    • Purpose: The next time you visit the site, you will automatically be directed to the home page in the selected language.

How can I see what cookies have been placed on my device, and how can I delete them?

If you want to know what cookies have been placed on your device, or if you want to delete them, you can use a setting in your browser. Via the links below you can find more information on how to do this.

Are you using a different browser? Check if the procedure for your browser is included on the website allaboutcookies.org. This website exists only in English.

External links

The Federal Government has placed external links on its website that redirect the visitor to a third-party site to document certain information and share additional information. These links are always indicated by an icon or clearly marked. Consulting a third-party site is always the responsibility of the visitor. The Federal Government advises you to consult both the privacy notice and the cookie policy of the website in question, as the Federal Government has no control over the use of cookies on third-party sites.

The Federal Government has the right to amend this privacy notice. This cookie policy was last amended and revised on 2 March 2022 [V.01].