With a landmass that stretches from the North Sea and the Baltic Sea in the north to the Alps in the south, Germany has the largest population of any EU country.

Germany borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, France and Luxembourg to the southwest, and Belgium and the Netherlands to the northwest. There are 96 members of the European Parliament from Germany.

EU - Germany

The EU's passport-free travel space, known as the Schengen area, is one of the most tangible achievements of European integration. The Schengen area is one of the pillars of the European project.

The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes (anyone legally present in the EU).

Free movement of persons enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities. Schengen underpins this freedom by enabling citizens to move around the Schengen Area without being subject to border checks.

Currently, all EU member states except Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Ireland and Romania are part of the Schengen area. MEPs have called for Bulgaria and Romania to be fully admitted into Schengen on multiple occasions,

Additionally, also the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have joined the Schengen Area.

During&nbsp;the pandemics and in order to slow down the spread of the virus some temporary travel restrictions were&nbsp;necessary to establish in the EU.

Schengen area

Switzerland is not in the European Union but has signed up to many of its policies. However, in May the Swiss Federal Council decided to stop negotiations of the EU-Swiss Institutional Framework Agreement.

As an EFTA (European Free Trade Area) member, Switzerland took part in the negotiations for the EEA (European Economic Area) Agreement and signed the agreement on 2 May 1992. Immediately after that, the Swiss Government submitted an application for accession to the EU on 22 May 1992. However, following a referendum held on 6 December 1992 that yielded a vote against participating in the EEA, the Swiss Federal Council stopped pursuing the country’s EU and EEA membership. Since then, Switzerland has developed its relations with the EU through bilateral agreements in order to safeguard its economic integration with the EU. The EU and Switzerland have signed over 120 bilateral agreements, including a free trade agreement in 1972, and two major series of sectoral bilateral agreements that aligned a large portion of Swiss law with that of the EU at the time of signing. While the agreements intensified economic relations, they also created a complex and sometimes incoherent network of obligations. In order to resolve these problems, EU-Swiss negotiations for an Institutional Framework Agreement (IFA) were launched on 22 May 2014.

In May 2021 the Federal Council decided to terminate the negotiations of the EU-Swiss IFA. The European Commission took note of this decision and expressed its regrets.

EU - Switzerland

The Banking Union (BU) was created as a response to the financial crisis and is an essential complement to the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and the internal market, which aligns responsibility for supervision, resolution and funding at EU level and forces banks across the euro area to abide by the same rules. In particular, these rules ensure that banks take measured risks and that failing banks can be resolved in an orderly manner, with as little impact as possible on the real economy and public finances of the participating EU countries.

The Banking Union&nbsp;currently has two elements, the&nbsp;Single Supervisory Mechanism&nbsp;(SSM) and the&nbsp;Single Resolution Mechanism&nbsp;(SRM). The SSM supervises the largest and most important banks in the euro area directly at European level, while the purpose of the SRM is to resolve failing banks in an orderly manner with minimal costs for taxpayers and for the real economy.

The EP is currently following the recent developments on the EU and US markets with&nbsp;the failure of the Silicon Valley Bank and the implications for financial stability in Europe or the UBS’s rescue of the Bank Credit Suisse in Switzerland.

Banking sector

The EU's passport-free travel space, known as the Schengen area, is one of the most tangible achievements of European integration. The Schengen area is one of the pillars of the European project.

The border-free Schengen Area guarantees free movement to more than 400 million EU citizens, along with non-EU nationals living in the EU or visiting the EU as tourists, exchange students or for business purposes (anyone legally present in the EU).&nbsp;

Free movement&nbsp;of persons enables every EU citizen to travel, work and live in an EU country without special formalities.

Schengen underpins this freedom by enabling citizens to move around the Schengen Area without being subject to border checks.

Today, the Schengen Area encompasses most EU countries, except for Bulgaria, Croatia,&nbsp;Cyprus, Ireland and Romania. However, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania are currently in the process of joining the Schengen Area and already applying the Schengen acquis to a large extent. Additionally, also the non-EU States Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein have joined the Schengen Area.

Since the start of the pandemics and in order to slow down the spread of the virus some travel restrictions have been necessary in the EU.

Schengen area (2019-2021)

Barbara Hendricks (born November 20, 1948) is an American operatic soprano and concert singer. Hendricks has lived in Europe since 1977, and in Switzerland in Basel since 1985. She is a citizen of Sweden following her marriage to a Swedish citizen.

In 1987, she was appointed to be a UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador. Since 2000, Hendricks has been a member of the Council of the Foundation for the Refugee Education Trust (RET). The RET is dedicated to post-primary education of refugee youth all over the world. Barbara supports fundraising and is an advocate for refugees all around the world.

Barbara Hendricks is one of the eight women highlighted at the occasion of the International Women’s Day (IWD) which is held every year on 8 March.

Discover also the other portraits:

#IWD2019 - Barbara Hendricks

EP Plenary session - EU-Switzerland relations

Opening of the sitting

Negotiations ahead of Parliament's first reading (Rule 71) (action taken)

Need for a speedy adoption of the asylum and migration package (debate)

Resumption of the sitting

Formal sitting - Address by Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic

Voting time

Approval of the minutes of the previous sitting

Decent Housing for All (topical debate)

European green bonds (debate)

The proposed extension of glyphosate in the EU (debate)

Energy Charter Treaty: next steps (debate)

Energy Charter Treaty: next steps (continuation of debate)

Need to complete new trade agreements for sustainable growth, competitiveness and the EU’s strategic autonomy (debate)

The spread of ‘anti-LGBTIQ’ propaganda bills by populist parties and governments in Europe (debate)

Human rights situation in Afghanistan, in particular the persecution of former government officials

The case of Zarema Musaeva in Chechnya

Egypt, in particular the sentencing of Hisham Kassem

Scheme of generalised tariff preferences (short presentation)

Explanations of vote

Report: Lukas Mandl (A9-0248/2023) - EU-Switzerland relations

Agenda of the next sitting

Approval of the minutes of the sitting

Plenary session

Composition of political groups

Composition of committees and delegations

Interim report on the proposal for a mid-term revision of the Multiannual Financial Framework 2021-2027 (debate)

European Media Freedom Act (debate)

The 10-year commemoration since the tragedy in Lampedusa(statement by the President)

Statement by the President

Corrupt large-scale sale of Schengen visas (debate)

Medicine shortages and strategic healthcare autonomy in the EU (debate)

Question Time (Commission) - EU-China trade relations

Situation in Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan’s attack and the continuing threats against Armenia (debate)

Taking stock of Moldova's path to the EU (debate)

Recent developments in the Serbia-Kosovo dialogue, including the situation in the northern municipalities in Kosovo (debate)

EU-Switzerland relations (debate)

Uzbekistan (debate)

Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures (debate)

The 10th consecutive increase in reference interest rates decided by the ECB and its consequences (debate)

Report: Sabine Verheyen (A9-0264/2023) - European Media Freedom Act

Closure of the sitting

Delegation for Northern cooperation and for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

DEEA

Delegation for Northern cooperation and for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European  Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committe

Delegation for Northern cooperation and for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area

40th EU - SWITZERLAND INTERPARLIAMENTARY MEETING

Delegation for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

UNKN

Taxation of savings income in the form of interest payments: repealing the Savings Directive - EU-Switzerland agreement on the automatic exchange of financial account information - Mandatory automatic exchange of information in the field of taxation (debate)

AFET - Votes on Turkiye, Belarus and Switzerland

42nd EU - Switzerland Interparliamentary meeting

59th EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee

AFET  Committee - Exchange of views with Maroš SEFCOVIC, Vice-President of the European Commission for Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, on EU relations with Switzerland, and Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway

World Economic Forum 2023 Davos -  'Cooperation in a Fragmented World' - Participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the Panel discussion ‘Widening Europe’s Horizons’.

World Economic Forum 2023 Davos -  'Cooperation in a Fragmented World' - Participation of Roberta METSOLA, EP President at the Panel discussion ‘Ukraine is You’

DEEA meeting - State of play of the EU-Switzerland relations

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, meets with the Presidents of the National Council and the Council of States of Switzerland, Irène KÄLIN and Thomas HEFTI

World Economic Forum 2022 Davos - Address by European Parliament President Roberta METSOLA

40th EU-Switzerland Interparliamentary meeting assembly

EP Plenary session - The Future of EU-Swiss relations

David SASSOLI, EP President meets with Ms Isabelle MORET member of the National Council of Switzerland and Mr Hans STOCKLI member of the Council of States of Switzerland (in remote)

38th EU-Switzerland Interparliamentary meeting assembly

Constituent meeting of the Delegation for Northern cooperation and for relations with Switzerland and Norway and to the EU-Iceland Joint Parliamentary Committee and the European Economic Area (EEA) Joint Parliamentary Committee

37th EU-Switzerland Interparliamentary meeting

BROK, Elmar (EPP, DE); SCHWAB, Andreas (EPP, DE); GAHLER, Michael (EPP, DE)

AFET Committee - Exchange of views on EU-Swiss relations with Jacques DE WATTEVILLE, Swiss State Secretary and Chief EU Negotiator on institutional issues, and Christian LEFFLER, EEAS Deputy Secretary-General for Global and Economic issues

MEP s vote on the dollowing topics: Classification, labelling and packaging of substances and mixtures - Spyraki; Mobilisation of the European Union Solidarity Fund to provide assistance to Romania and Italy in relation to natural disasters in 2022 and to Türkiye in relation to the earthquakes in February 2023 - Cseh; Segregation and discrimination of Roma children in education - Motion for resolution; Harmonising the rights of autistic persons - Motion for resolution; Standardised dimensions for carry-on luggage - Motion for resolution; EU-Switzerland relations - Mandl; Uzbekistan - Kyuchyuk.

Voting session

&lt;p>Roberta METSOLA, EP President, meets with the Presidents of the National Council and the Council of States of Switzerland, Irène Kälin and Thomas Hefti, in the EP in Strasbourg. Extracts from the welcome and roundtable.&lt;/p>

Roberta METSOLA, EP President, meets with the Presidents of the National Council and the Council of States of Switzerland, Irène Kälin and Thomas Hefti: welcome and roundtable

In its 25 years of existence, the Single Market has grown from 12 to 28 EU Members and extends to Norway, Iceland and Lichtenstein (EEA countries) , and to Switzerland via bilateral agreements. Despite uncertainties and challenges, the EU's free trade area continues to exercise an unprecedented attraction across the continent.

The Single Market at 25: Many Achievements, New Challenges Ahead

On the 25th May, Roberta METSOLA, EP President participates to the 2022 edition of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She talks about Member States’ divergence on different issues.

World Economic Forum 2022 - European Unity in a Disordered World? - Part2 : Speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

On the 25th May, Roberta METSOLA, EP President participates to the 2022 edition of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. She talks about EU enlargement.

World Economic Forum 2022 - European Unity in a Disordered World? - Part 1: Speech by Roberta METSOLA, EP President

During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the Future of EU-Swiss relations.

The Future of EU-Swiss relations: MEPs debate

During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the Future of EU-Swiss relations (continuation of the debate).

The Future of EU-Swiss relations: MEPs debate (continuation)

During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the Future of EU-Swiss relations: opening statement by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight. This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

The Future of EU-Swiss relations: opening statement by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight

During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the Future of EU-Swiss relations: extracts from the debate.

The Future of EU-Swiss relations: extracts from the debate

During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the Future of EU-Swiss relations: closing statement by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight.

The Future of EU-Swiss relations: closing statement by Maroš ŠEFČOVIČ, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional relations and Foresight

Exchange of views at the EP Committee on Foreign Affairs (AFET) in association with the Delegation for Northern cooperation and for relations with Switzerland on the decision of the Swiss Federal Council to terminate the negotiations of the EU-Swiss Institutional Framework Agreement: statement by Urmas PAET (Renew, EE), Vice-Chair of the AFET Committee who reminded that Switzerland is the fourth important trade partner for the EU including around 120 different agreements. Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE), Chair of the EP Delegation for Switzerland, stressed (remotely) that it is in the mutual interest of both sides to stabilise and further develop European-Swiss cooperation and a multi programming agreement is needed. Michael KARNITSCHNIG, director of external relations at the Secretariat General of the European Commission, mentionned (remotely) that the issue of a level playing field is fundamental.

Exchange of views on the decision of the Swiss Federal Council to terminate the negotiations of the EU-Swiss Institutional Framework Agreement: statement by Urmas PAET (Renew, EE), Vice-Chair of the AFET Committee

David SASSOLI, EP President, makes a statement during the Davos World Economic Forum 2020.

EP @ Davos World Economic Forum 2020: address by David SASSOLI, EP President

During the plenary session of the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs vote on “Cum Ex scandal". Recently revealed by investigation media, a year-long tax scam potentially drained 55 billion euros from national treasuries in Europe, affecting eleven countries: Germany, France, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Austria, Finland, Norway and Switzerland. It allowed owners of shares to claim multiple times over refunds for tax they paid only once on dividend pay-outs.

Cum Ex Scandal; financial crime and the loopholes in the current legal framework: extracts from the vote

Meeting of the Committee on Foreign Affairs on&nbsp;EU - Switzerland relations, during the EP Plenary session (13-16/02) in Strasbourg. Exchange of views with Jacques de WATTEVILLE, Swiss State Secretary and Christian LEFFLER, Deputy Secretary General for Economic and Global Issues (EEAS), Elmar BROK (EPP, DE),&nbsp; Ivo VAJGL (ALDE, SI), Cristian Dan PREDA (EPP, RO), and Andreas SCHWAB (EPP, DE).

EU-Switzerland relations: extracts from the exchange of views with Jacques de WATTEVILLE, Swiss State Secretary and Christian LEFFLER, EEAS Deputy Secretary-General

This infoclip illustrates the Galileo and EGNOS satellite navigation programmes which provide positioning, navigation, and timing information worldwide; the Copernicus Earth observation programme which provides Earth observation data and information. In addition, the Horizon 2020 programme also focuses on research into space technologies, applications, and other space related topics. With thanks for the provision of archive material to the European Space Agency (ESA) and the European GNSS Agency (GNA). Use for information and communication purposes only.

Infoclip: EU Space Programmes

Meeting of the Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA)&nbsp;on the Panama papers, in the EP in Brussels.&nbsp;Statements by Werner LANGEN, Chair TAXE Committee, Bastian OBERMAYER, S&uuml;ddeutsche Zeitung [based in Washington DC], Kristof CLERIX, Knack magazine, Belgium, Oliver ZIHLMANN, Sonntagszeitung | Le Matin Dimanche, Switzerland, Jan STROZYK, Norddeutscher Rundfunk/ NDR, Germany,&nbsp; Petr JEŽEK (ALDE, CZ), Co-rapporteur, and Julia STEIN, Norddeutscher Rundfunk/ NDR, Germany.

The Panama papers – Discussion with the investigative journalists behind the revelations: extracts from the Public Hearing at the Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion (PANA)

Visit of&nbsp;Simonetta SOMMARUGA, President of the Swiss Confederation and Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President&nbsp;the EC to the EP in Brussels. Arrival and&nbsp;roundtable.

Martin SCHULZ, EP President meets with Simonetta SOMMARUGA, President of the Swiss Confederation and with Jean-Claude JUNCKER, President of the EC: arrival and roundtable

The card provides free access to medical care during the temporary stay of EU citizens in a Member State as well as Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland.

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