Negotiations between Switzerland and the European Commission have concluded

On Friday, 20 December 2024, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and Viola Amherd, President of the Swiss Confederation, announced the successful conclusion of negotiations for a new bilateral agreement. This agreement aims to deepen and expand the relations between Switzerland and the European Union.

The comprehensive package focuses on updating five agreements to bring them up to modern standards. This modernisation aims to enhance the benefits that citizens and companies can derive from the rights outlined in these agreements, which currently grant Switzerland access to the European Union (EU) internal market. The agreements specifically address air and land transport, the free circulation of people, conformity assessments, and trade in agricultural products. The agreements will include provisions for dispute settlement and, where appropriate, state aid disciplines will apply.

Among the new agreements that will need to be ratified bilaterally, one is particularly noteworthy for the Swiss academic community. This agreement will enable Swiss members to participate as beneficiaries in a variety of research and knowledge transfer programmes promoted by the European Union. However, a few exceptions exist for calls related to strategic areas, specifically in quantum systems and space. The programmes included are Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, ITER/F4E (Fusion for Energy), Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and EU4Health. The Commission will ensure that transitional arrangements are in place as of 1 January 2025 so that Swiss institutions can participate in the calls of the Work Programme 2025 and onwards.

The foundation for the negotiations was established between the two parties in October 2023. The negotiations officially began on 18 March 2024 and were conducted under the political leadership of Commissioner Maros Šefčovič, based on the mandate given to the Commission by the Council on 12 March 2024. Since then, more than 200 negotiation meetings have taken place in efforts to reach an agreement.

The official press release issued by the European Commission is available at this link, while the video of the joint press conference (with official English translation) is available at the following link.