Ignazio Cassis meets Maros Sefcovic in Bern on Wednesday

Switzerland's negotiations with the EU are apparently close to completion: next Wednesday, Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis will meet European Commission Vice-President Maros Sefcovic in Bern. According to the agreement between the two parties, the talks should end this year.

Negotiations are in full swing, as the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs (EDA) announced on Friday. In the past few days, various media outlets have been speculating about this meeting.

In fact, the conference should be held in the summer. However, the agreement was canceled at short notice as it became apparent that negotiating positions were still far apart.

Talks between Cassis and Sefcovic next Wednesday are likely to focus specifically on the size of the cohesion contribution. One person familiar with the matter said such discussions would have to take place at a political level. Switzerland pays dues to the EU for partial access to the European internal market.

The EDA announced at the request of the Keystone-SDA news agency that the working meeting will be held at the Lohn estate near Bern. We will then have dinner together. Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis was accompanied by chief negotiator Patrick Franzen and state secretaries Alexander Fassel, Helen Badliger and Christine Schraner Burgener.

Participate in the Horizon European Research Program

Concrete progress has been made since the summer in the area of ​​the EU program Horizon Europe. The committee allows Swiss researchers to apply for certain grants from this research project. The Commission has always maintained that these steps were taken in good faith.

The topic of free movement of people raises more difficult discussions. The Federal Council wants a more precise definition of the protection clauses already included in the agreement. Today's formulation is considered a “rubber paragraph.” In October, the EU firmly rejected a unilateral backstop clause that would have enabled Switzerland to regulate immigration from EU countries.

Progress on institutional elements

Previous negotiations between the two partners failed due to resolution of institutional elements. These have now been renegotiated. Two aspects must be considered: dynamic legal transfer and dispute resolution procedures. Progress on both fronts is rapid.

These positions also converge in the area of ​​Mutual Recognition of Conformity Assessment (MRA). An agreement was reached last week, according to two independent sources in Brussels. MRA can be used to remove trade barriers. This is particularly important for export-oriented industries.

intense negotiations

Federal President Viola Armheld and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen signaled the start of negotiations in Brussels in March. The two sides have previously reached consensus on determining the negotiation framework. On this basis, both parties adopted their respective authorizations.

In principle, existing contracts should be updated and expanded. Specifically, it concerns agreements in areas such as land transport, electricity, health, state aid and the free movement of people. For Sefcovic, the negotiations were, as he recently put it, “the most intense of his career.”

domestic political debate

In addition to the negotiations between Bern and Brussels, domestic political discussions are also taking place to regulate the implementation of a possible new treaty. For example, social partners are discussing complementary measures to ensure wage protection. Some 30 necessary legal changes and 40 regulations will also be enacted.

The U.S. Department of State's Foreign Policy Council (APK-S) discussed the matter with Cassis on Friday, as the committee announced. They overwhelmingly told the Federal Council that new agreements in the fields of electricity, health and food security must be discussed separately in parliament.

Once negotiations between the EU and Switzerland start, the Federal Council will submit the agreement to parliament. If they agree to the agreement, the file will be placed before the people. A referendum is not expected to be held until autumn 2026 at the earliest. (Standard Data Authority)

On Monday morning, a truck drove into Lorze in Unterägeri ZG. The driver was not injured and managed to escape.