Sefcovic: “Free movement of persons is the most difficult issue”
Published: Tuesday, Oct 15th 2024, 16:10
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"The issue of the free movement of persons and the cohesion contribution are the two outstanding issues where we still need a solution," said EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on Tuesday in Luxembourg. Overall, however, progress has been considerable.
There is no EU support for a unilateral safeguard clause on the free movement of persons, the Vice President of the European Commission told Swiss media representatives. This message had already been communicated to the "Swiss partners" on several occasions, including at political level.
Prior to this, Sefcovic informed the European ministers of the member states about the ongoing negotiations between Switzerland and the EU at a meeting in Luxembourg. The discussion lasted around 45 minutes and was "profound".
The Swiss negotiating team is working "very hard" to find solutions. The aim is still to reach an agreement by the end of the year. This must also take into account the interests of the European Union.
The aim is to expand and update relations between Switzerland and the EU. These would still be largely based on the 1972 free trade agreement.
"One of my most intensive negotiations"
"These negotiations - and I have conducted many in my diplomatic career - are among the most intensive I have ever seen," Sefcovic continued. This year, 120 negotiating sessions were held on overarching issues and creative solutions were sought, the Slovakian diplomat explained.
"It shows that we are really very accommodating, that we understand the specifics of our Swiss colleagues and that we are working together at the same time to ensure that we will also be successful in this last mile," explained Sefcovic.
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