Amherd gives the go-ahead for negotiations with von der Leyen
Published: Monday, Mar 18th 2024, 19:30
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Am Montag haben der Bundesrat und die EU-Kommission Verhandlungen über ein neues Abkommen über die künftigen Beziehungen aufgenommen. Bundespräsidentin Viola Amherd reiste zu diesem Anlass nach Brüssel, um EU-Kommissionspräsidentin Ursula von der Leyen zu treffen.
Much remains to be done in the negotiations for a new agreement and the teams must find solutions, Amherd said at a joint media event in Brussels on Monday. For Switzerland, it is important to maintain access to the European market for domestic companies. At the same time, immigration must be geared towards the labor market and wages must be protected.
The aim is to stabilize and further develop the partnership. Companies should be able to export their products to the European Union without any hurdles, said Amherd. Around half of all Swiss exports - CHF 298.77 billion - went to the EU in 2022, according to a publication by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA).
Amherd added that Switzerland and the EU were not only linked by interests, but also by values and goals: the commitment to peace, democracy and the rule of law.
Protecting the rights of EU citizens
Von der Leyen called for swift negotiations. The momentum must be used and work should continue at full speed. "Our goal is to conclude the negotiations before the end of the year," said the EU Commission President. The EU wants to strengthen relations with its closest economic partners. She spoke of a package of ten agreements.
Von der Leyen emphasized the "good protection" of the rights of European citizens working in Switzerland: "For us, it is crucial that all EU citizens are treated equally in Switzerland - regardless of which member state they come from."
Resumption after almost three years
With the start of negotiations, researchers in Switzerland are now eligible for the European Research Council's ERC Advanced Grants 2024 calls for proposals, as the President of the Swiss Confederation said. Proposals from Switzerland will be treated in the same way as proposals from an associated country.
The participation of researchers from Switzerland in certain European programs is important so that "our bright minds" can work together, emphasized both presidents. Switzerland lost access to EU programs such as Horizon Europe in the course of 2021.
At that time, talks on an institutional framework agreement were deadlocked. The Federal Council ended the negotiations with the EU unilaterally in May 2021. Following this failure, both parties held exploratory talks, which led to a "common understanding". Based on this, Switzerland and the EU adopted their respective negotiating mandates this March.
First round of negotiations on Tuesday
The negotiating parties now want to conclude new agreements or update existing ones in areas such as electricity, the free movement of persons and land transport. Institutional elements such as the dynamic adoption of law and the involvement of the European Court of Justice for dispute resolution are also part of the negotiations.
Chief negotiator Patric Franzen will lead the negotiations for Switzerland. His counterpart is Richard Szostak, Franzen said recently. According to the agreement, both negotiating parties have set themselves the goal of concluding the negotiations by the end of 2024. The first talks will be held on Tuesday.
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