On 14 March 2011, at a meeting held with representatives of the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI), Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard took the decision to suspend the application procedure for general licences for replacement nuclear power plants until further notice. This decision affects three general licence applications for new nuclear power plants in the cantons of Bern, Solothurn and Aargau.

In its 2011 autumn and winter sessions, Parliament adopted three motions according to which no general licences are to be awarded in the future for the construction of new nuclear power plants, but expressly waiving a ban on nuclear technology. At the same time, Parliament petitioned the Federal Council to submit a corresponding amendment to the relevant legislation (see 2050 Energy Strategy).