For the purpose of fulfilling its statutory obligations and observing developments in the financial markets, the Swiss National Bank collects the necessary statistical data. Reporting institutions are called upon by the SNB to take part in surveys and are required to provide information using one of the methods prescribed by the SNB. See below for further information, especially on how to structure and transmit statistical data reports.

For reasons of presentation, separate sections have been created for the associated topics 'Delivery formats' and 'Transmission of data files'.

The SNB informs the institutions about their reporting obligations, and which survey documents are needed. Please use the release as indicated in the letter (i.e. the published release relevant for the reference date for which you are reporting).

Downloading survey documents via surveys webpage (EMI)

Most survey documents are available on the surveys webpage.

The individual documents can be accessed via the list of all surveys.

Here you will find survey documents for data deliveries and pdf files with notes and additional information. The survey documents are packaged in ZIP files containing all the documents relating to a particular survey. We recommend downloading the ZIP files and then extracting to a folder. This ensures that any links between Excel files continue to work.

If you only require one document, this can be downloaded from the subpage on the survey in question.

If you are unable to download the documents, the requisite survey documents can be ordered by email.

Obtaining survey documents via eSurvey (SNB's online reporting system)

Institutions registered in eSurvey can also download the Excel survey documents there. Further information in pdf format is not available in eSurvey, but there is a link to the survey documents on the EMI webpage.

For surveys based on web tables, it is possible to access the web tables via eSurvey. Further information on these surveys is available on the EMI webpage.

The SNB News Alert mail service allows you to keep track of changes to individual webpages:

The SNB mostly uses email to communicate with reporting institutions when conducting surveys. Certain information is additionally sent by letter to the companies' executive management.

Administrators play a key role as the link between a reporting institution's executive management and the SNB. For instance, they pass on information to their executive management and manage access to eSurvey for their company. Administrators are appointed by the executive management. Exchanging information with reporting institutions may involve further eSurvey roles, depending on the topic.

The document 'Key points on eSurvey' provides an introduction to eSurvey and also sets out the responsibilities of executive management, administrators and other eSurvey roles.

The following overview shows who the SNB will contact on which topics, and how.

Overview of communication in connection with surveys

The following list is not exhaustive and deviations are permitted in justified cases.

* In rare cases, contact may be made by telephone, particularly in the case of questions concerning explanations received or the submission process via eSurvey.

Data deliveries that are incomplete, that cannot be processed for technical reasons, that do not comply with the specifications or that contain validation errors are deemed to be faulty. In such cases, a follow-up - i.e. corrected - delivery may be required. Follow-up deliveries must be designated as such and must contain the entire survey.

If the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or public holiday recognised under federal law or by the canton of Zurich, it will be postponed until the following working day.

If a submission deadline for a survey is not complied with, the reporting institution will receive a reminder. In the event of a failure to report, penalties are provided for by law.

Figures may not be rounded and can contain an unlimited number of digits after the decimal point.

Confidentiality and data protection are governed by the National Bank Act (NBA) and the National Bank Ordinance (NBO) as well as by the Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP).

The data collected are used by the SNB exclusively for the purpose of fulfilling its statutory tasks (art. 5 NBA), observing developments on the financial markets (art. 14 para. 1 NBA), or for analysing developments on the financial markets, obtaining an overview of payment transactions and preparing the balance of payments or the statistics on Switzerland's international investment position (art. 15 para. 2 NBA). It may transmit data to the competent offices (art. 14 para. 2 and art. 16 para 4 NBA). If the duty to provide information is breached, the SNB will file a complaint with the Federal Department of Finance (art. 22 para. 3 NBA), which may result in a penalty according to art. 24 NBA. The right to information pursuant to art. 25 et seq. FADP is guaranteed.