The project organization consists of a steering group with all departments and a sounding board in which the cantons, the social partners and the business community have a seat. Both agencies are headed by Federal President Ignazio Cassis, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EDA) announced on Tuesday.
The steering group was put together in September and the Sounding Board today, Tuesday. After the failure of the framework agreement with the EU on February 23, 2022, the Federal Council set the course for a negotiating package and decided on June 17 to intensify talks with the EU.
The steering committee was set up on 31 August. It met twice in September. The Sounding Board Group met for the first time on Tuesday.
Since all departments have relations with the EU, coordination of all departments at a strategic level and coordination between politics, administration and communication is indispensable. The steering group takes this into account.
The Sounding Board has a double function. It allows for discussion with key stakeholders and ensures that everyone has the same information.
Moreover, an active and direct exchange in this regard ensures that the main domestic political actors are more closely involved in the ongoing discussions with the EU. Secretary of State Mario Gattiker worked as an advisor in the Steering Committee and the Sounding Board, the FDFA further announced.
The exploratory talks with the EU are taking place at two different levels: exploratory talks on the package approach led by Secretary of State Livia Leu and technical talks led by Deputy Secretary of State Patric Franzen, Head of the FDFA’s Europe Department. (SDA)