MEP Pervenche Berès is apprehensive of the journey ahead for EU-Swiss relations following as a Yes vote for immigration quotas undermines European freedom of movement.

Swiss immigration referendum: What stand will the EU take?

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for a 'withdrawal into itself', as some say,  do you agree with this assessment?

Yes, I think that what's just happened  in Switzerland is very worrying.

Of course there is the crisis  in Switzerland too,

so although the official unemployment  figure is 3.5% of the population,

the reflex reaction is  to become inward-looking.

It's the opposite of everything  that human history has taught us.

So, I think it is very important for us  to be able to withstand

this ominous wave  coming over from Switzerland.

We must also take stock  of what this means for the Swiss,

because when Europeans are suffering,  so do the members of the EU,

for one, because there are tax practices  between the EU and Switzerland

I believe that this will no longer  go on unchecked- this does not bode well.

Beyond the social and human  sides of the argument,

there are hard-won bilateral agreements  between Switzerland and the EU.

Will Sunday's decision, the vote, call these  Swiss bilateral agreements into question?

I think that even the President of the  Commission and Commissioner Reding

made their stances clear  before the referendum even took place.

You can't pick and choose little bits  from the overall cooperation agreements

The conscious choice made by the Swiss  has undoubtedly raised alarm.

But also, it sends out a message which we,  for our part, cannot leave without reply

and for our part, we cannot accept  such cherry picking from the agreements.

So the issue raised by the Swiss  could call into question EU-Swiss relations

But to call these agreements into question,  all Member countries must be unanimous.

Do you think that it's possible  that this Guillotine Clause

Yes, but one cannot presume  that that this break in relations

over freedom of movement -  which is at the very heart

of the free trade in the single market  that Switzerland also wants to benefit from -

will not have an impact  on the rest of EU-Swiss relations.

What does this concretely entail  today, and tomorrow?

What are you, as Chair of a committee  in the EP, going to do

to push for a clear-cut response from the  Commission, the EU's executive arm?

I think that in the next EP session,  we should challenge the Commission

on what it it's action plan will be  following this referendum in Switzerland.

Most importantly, I would like to ensure  that this does not plague the debate

in Europe at a time  when we're trying to take action

precisely in order to create the optimal  conditions for freedom of movement

which are acceptable to all within the EU.

Going back to the word "plague", we have  heard Mr Fillon, for example, in France

clearly state that to an extent  he understood the Swiss choice,

and that in Europe we must recognise that  if we asked Europeans the same question

we would very likely have  the same response in many cases.

Do you agree with this analysis,  or is this simply part

of a populist movement  which has emerged since the referendum?

The nature of the Swiss referendum was  mediated by an extremely populist party,

we know the approach they take,  one which I absolutely do not share.

It's the UDC, it was Mr Blocher's party,  -Yes, someone who frankly isn't very open.

I don't know any population in history  who have overcome difficult times

by closing their borders  and refusing trade.

What we need, and what the Swiss,  my Socialist friends, are calling for -

but so far the government and the Swiss  Federal Council have always refused -

are what are known as  'supporting measures',

to support the right conditions for freedom  of movement in precisely the same way.

We can have free movement of capital,  but there must also be a taxation of savings.

We should have freedom  of movement for people,

but there must also be a Posting of Workers  Directive which is ambitious

and allows us to organise  this free movement.

Thank you very much for this interview.  -Thank you.