EU-Switzerland: Council adopts mandate for negotiations on future relationship

13 March 2024

Institutional provisions to be included in existing and future agreements with Switzerland related to the internal market, providing for dynamic alignment with the EU acquis, uniform interpretation and application, and dispute resolution

The Council today authorised the Commission to negotiate, on behalf of the EU, a broad package of measures with Switzerland as the basis for future EU-Switzerland relations. It also approved the corresponding directives for the negotiation.

The aim of the negotiation is to modernise and deepen bilateral relations between the EU and Switzerland, to ensure fair competition between EU and Swiss companies operating within the internal market, and to guarantee the protection of the rights of EU citizens in Switzerland, including preventing discrimination between citizens of different member states. The mandate also addresses Switzerland’s concerns by allowing limited exceptions to alignment with EU rules in the areas of free movement of persons, the posting of workers, and rail and road transport.

The EU and Switzerland have a close relationship, based on shared values and strong economic ties. The negotiating mandate we have approved today will allow us to develop our partnership and achieve its full potential. I am looking forward to swift progress in the negotiations.

Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs of Belgium

The key elements of the package include:

• institutional provisions to be included in existing and future agreements with Switzerland related to the internal market, providing for dynamic alignment with the EU acquis, uniform interpretation and application, and dispute resolution
• state aid provisions to be included in existing and future agreements related to the internal market
• an agreement allowing for Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes, including Horizon Europe
• an agreement on Switzerland's permanent financial contribution to social and economic cohesion in the EU as a counterpart to its participation in the internal market
• relaunch of negotiations on agreements on electricity, food safety and health

Negotiations on the different elements of the package will be conducted in parallel.

Council

© Council of the European Union