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

44th EU-Switzerland Interparliamentary meeting

Roberta METSOLA, EP President meets with Eric NUSSBAUMER, President of the National Council of Switzerland

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 Constitutive meeting

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

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

&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

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: 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.

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: 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

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)

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

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

EU - Switzerland (T)

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