Bilateral III: An important milestone is reached
economiesuisse welcomes the conclusion of the negotiations on the third package of bilateral agreements (Bilateral Agreements III). For Swiss business, it is of central importance that bilateral relations with the EU can be both stabilised and continued. economiesuisse will assess the specific outcome of the negotiations and the proposals for domestic implementation in detail as soon as they are available.
The Federal Council today announced the conclusion of the negotiations on the Bilateral Agreements III. With this package, the Federal Council is pursuing the goal of consolidating and further developing the bilateral approach. The package includes, among other things, new Single Market association agreements in the areas of electricity and food safety, a cooperation agreement in health, the updating and further development of existing agreements, and
Switzerland's participation in EU programmes such as Horizon Europe. economiesuisse welcomes the conclusion of the negotiations. Monika Rühl, CEO of economiesuisse, emphasises: “The conclusion of the negotiations is an important milestone in securing the bilateral agreements. Stable relations and legal certainty in our dealings with the EU, Switzerland's most important trading partner, are of essential importance for our economy as a business location.” economiesuisse is pleased to note that according to the Federal Council, Switzerland was able to achieve the objectives set out in the negotiation mandate.
In addition to securing long-term market access in important areas, the economy particularly values the strengthening of supply security through the conclusion of an electricity agreement and the participation in the European research programme Horizon Europe. The conclusion of the negotiations is an important step in consolidating the bilateral approach and ensuring legally sound relations. As soon as the specific wording of the agreement is available, economiesuisse will thoroughly assess it and issue a detailed statement. The domestic implementation is also pending. For Swiss business, it is important to maintain a flexible labour market which must not be weakened.
