Media conference at 3 p.m.: This is what Cassis wants to negotiate with the EU

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On March 18, Federal President Viola Amherd (61) will travel to Brussels – CH Media quotes “several reliable sources”. Reason for the trip: the official starting signal for the negotiations on Bilateral III.

This package of agreements aims to consolidate the bilateral path that Switzerland and the EU have been following for 25 years. It is the second attempt: the Federal Council broke off negotiations on the so-called ‘framework agreement’ in April 2021 – when it became clear that there would not be a majority in Switzerland for the negotiated contract.

The reasons for this were varied: the unions, but also the industry, saw the protection of Swiss wages at risk. Cantons and citizens feared that Switzerland could be forced to grant EU citizens full access to the Swiss welfare state. For most parties, there were major questions about the adoption of EU law, how disputes would be resolved and what role the European Court of Justice should have. And the country’s largest party, the SVP, was against the “colonial treaty” anyway.

EU negotiations: package instead of framework

After two years of explorations, the Federal Council presented the main parameters of a new negotiating mandate at the end of last year: instead of just defining the legal framework for the future (hence framework agreements), it is now a package approach: in addition, for the institutional issues Agreements must be made in several files, for example in the field of electricity.

After the cantons, parliament and social partners could give their opinion on the key figures, the Federal Council approved the official negotiating mandate. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (62) will present it at 3 p.m. Blick reports live.

Source:Blick