Why does Switzerland need an agreement at all?: The 7 most important answers to poker with the EU

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Now Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis (62) wants to go to Brussels: Switzerland must negotiate with the European Union. But what and why? These are the most important questions and answers.

The Federal Council has once again decided how Switzerland wants to start actual negotiations with the EU. Once the EU has also adopted its mandate, things should start. It could happen as early as March.

New rules will be inserted into five existing agreements in which form Switzerland will adopt European law. In this way, the agreements, some of which are decades old, are kept up to date.

Switzerland can still decide independently whether it wants to adopt EU law, the Federal Council writes. You can still vote. However, if Switzerland does not adopt the law, it would have to accept compensatory measures.

If a dispute arises, an arbitral tribunal will decide where Switzerland and the EU are equally represented. However, the arbitral tribunal may consult the European Court of Justice, which interprets EU law.

New agreements must also be made on electricity and food safety. Switzerland should be able to participate in research and education agreements, and there should also be a cooperation agreement in the field of health.

This means that we have to decide how much access to the EU – with the so-called cohesion contribution – should cost us.

After parliamentary committees, parties and other interest groups were able to comment on the mandate, the Federal Council has now made some adjustments where it wants to get more out of it. For example, compensatory measures may only be taken after the arbitral tribunal has made a final award. Or with immigration, where Switzerland confirms that there should be no immigration in the social security system.

The EU will elect a new parliament at the beginning of June. This must then be determined by a new committee. In fact, a solution should be found in advance, i.e. in the autumn of 2024. But that seems unrealistic. It should take considerably longer. Foreign Minister Cassis did not want to give a timetable on Friday.

Switzerland is not a member of the EU. But she maintains close relations with her. Because the EU is its most important trading partner. Switzerland is part of the European Single Market, a common market for free trade. To participate, it has concluded various contracts with the EU.

The new EU deal aims to clarify how these rules are developed, monitored and interpreted. It also governs how disputes are resolved when there are differing opinions.

Since Switzerland broke off negotiations on a framework agreement, the EU has been planting needles wherever it can. For example, there are no new agreements. But these would also be important for Switzerland. Without a solution to the institutional issues, there will probably be no new contracts. Collaboration in research is also likely to become even more difficult. Swiss universities can no longer lead Horizon projects. Researchers and projects are therefore moving to EU countries.

After Cassis published the negotiating mandate on Friday, he was already criticized. The SVP speaks of ‘submission’. The trade union federation is also critical: the negotiating mandate threatens “painful regression”. This shows that even though a centre-left coalition has secured a majority on European issues so far, the mood remains skeptical.

And even if there is a deal, it still needs to be ratified in parliament. After that there would have to be a referendum. It will take a lot of persuasion before the agreement is reached.

Source:Blick