Cantons expect better outcome to negotiations with EU
Published: Monday, Nov 18th 2024, 00:50
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The President of the Conference of Cantonal Governments, Markus Dieth, has set clear conditions for the negotiations with the EU with regard to the adoption of legislation and the free movement of persons. In an interview with the "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" (NZZ), he expressed his conviction that Switzerland will achieve a better result than the failed framework agreement.
An automatic adoption of the law is out of the question for the cantons, emphasized the Aargau cantonal councillor and centrist politician in Monday's edition of the NZZ. But Switzerland is already familiar with the dynamic. Within the framework of the air traffic agreement, Switzerland has been adopting the same provisions as those in force in the European Union since 2002, "always in compliance with our legislative process".
"I can understand why many people are afraid of the free movement of persons," said the President of the Conference of Cantonal Governments (KdK). It is therefore important to the cantons that the free movement of persons remains limited to gainfully employed persons even with the new negotiations. This would prevent immigration into the social systems.
"We are also calling for the fulfillment of integration criteria, the exclusion of previous convictions, the right to expulsion, all of which are exceptions to the free movement of persons," the KdK President continued. There is also no dynamic adoption of law for these exceptions. In this way, Switzerland could ensure that its own rules are not changed.
Temporary restriction
Commenting on a safeguard clause, Dieth said: "In theory, Bern and Brussels could define criteria that justify a temporary restriction or suspension of the free movement of persons, for example in the event of rising unemployment and a simultaneous increase in net immigration."
The EU itself is also familiar with such models. Spain, for example, was also able to invoke a safeguard clause and suspend immigration from Romania until the end of 2012 because the economic problems had become too great.
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