In the so-called conclusions, Brussels determines how to deal with states such as Switzerland in the future. But at the meeting of the EU working group of EU member states responsible for Switzerland, the EU member states’ conclusions on Switzerland were no longer even on the agenda, the Keystone-SDA news agency reported, citing an EU diplomat.
The reason for the lack of the Swiss conclusions is the insufficient progress in the exploratory talks between our country and the EU.
New line was planned
The Czech Presidency of the EU Council actually planned to adopt the new EU Council conclusions on Switzerland before the end of the year.
With the new conclusions, the EU’s course vis-à-vis Switzerland could therefore have been adjusted – for example, through Switzerland’s association with the EU research program “Horizon Europe”.
Continue as before
But because the conclusions were not even on the agenda, the European Union should not shy away from its pinprick policy. Since the end of the framework agreement with the EU, Brussels has repeatedly made Switzerland feel its displeasure. The Swiss Cohesion Contribution did not change that. (SDA/pt)