EU and Switzerland start talks on deepening bilateral ties
Kyiv • UNN
The European Union and Switzerland have begun negotiations to deepen bilateral relations aimed at ensuring a level playing field for companies, protecting the rights of EU citizens working in Switzerland, and facilitating Swiss participation in EU programs and financial contributions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd began negotiations today, March 18, on a broad package of measures to deepen and expand relations between the EU and Switzerland. The European Commission's press service told UNN how European and Swiss citizens and entrepreneurs will benefit from this cooperation.
Details
According to the European Commission, the negotiations are aimed at ensuring equal conditions for competition between EU and Swiss companies operating in the EU internal market and guaranteeing the protection of the rights of EU citizens working in Switzerland, including non-discrimination between citizens of different member states.
The European Commission reaffirmed the common desire of both sides to conclude negotiations this year and added that a meeting of the negotiating teams is scheduled for tomorrow.
The following arrangements have been preliminarily agreed upon:
- Institutional provisions to be included in existing and future agreements with Switzerland related to the EU internal market, providing for dynamic alignment with EU law, its uniform interpretation and application, and dispute resolution;
- State aid provisions in several existing and future internal market agreements with Switzerland;
- An agreement allowing Switzerland to participate in EU programs, including Horizon Europe;
- An agreement on Switzerland's regular and permanent financial contribution to the social and economic cohesion of the EU as a complement to its participation in the internal market;
- Resumption of negotiations on agreements on electricity, food safety and healthcare, as well as on Switzerland's participation in the European Union's space program and railways agencies.
- Once the negotiations start, the Commission will open the possibility for Swiss organizations to apply for European Research Council calls for proposals to be announced in 2024. Swiss applicants will be treated as if Switzerland were an associated country, from eligibility and relevance to evaluation, right through to the preparation of grant agreements.
Optional
The agency noted that these agreements were reached after the adoption of negotiating mandates by Switzerland and the EU on March 8 and 12, 2024, respectively. These two mandates authorize the Commission and Switzerland to negotiate the package set out in the Joint Agreement approved by the Swiss Federal Council and the European Commission in November 2023.
The EU and Switzerland are close neighbors with strong cross-border ties. The EU is Switzerland's first trading partner and Switzerland is the EU's fourth largest partner. About one and a half million EU citizens live in Switzerland, and about 450,000 Swiss citizens live in the EU. Several hundred thousand EU citizens cross the border every day to work.
Between March 2022 and November 2023, the EU and Switzerland held exploratory discussions on the future of their bilateral relationship. On December 15, 2023, the Commission and the Federal Council published the General Agreement, which contains a written record of the results of the exploratory talks.
The EU mandate has been agreed in accordance with this Joint Understanding, as reflected in the Commission's recommendation on the mandate presented on December 20, 2023.
The mandate builds on the 2014 mandate on the institutional framework agreement, as well as on previous mandates on electricity, health, food safety and Switzerland's participation in the European Union's space and railways agencies
