Path is cleared for successful Swiss exporters
On July 28th 2017, Switzerland and the EU updated the agreement on the mutual recognition in relation to conformity assessment. economiesuisse welcomes this important step which maintains the unbureaucratic market access across all sectors of the economy. For Swiss exporters the path to their most important market thus remains open.
The Joint Committee established under the Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on mutual recognition in relation to conformity assessment (abbr. MRA, Mutual Recognition Agreement) adjusted the so-called annex 1. By updating the agreement the two contract parties ensured the continued unbureaucratic exchange of goods within the European single market. This step was needed because both the EU and Switzerland had revised their rules for seven product sectors. This agreement, no surprisingly, is of major significance for Swiss companies in the affected product sectors.
For local businesses the MRA greatly facilitates exports to the EU. Thanks to the MRA products covered by this agreement require but a single inspection by an authorized agency. The resulting assessment or certificate is valid for both the EU and the Swiss markets. The activation of the MRA as a significant part of Bilaterals I removed a number of technical barriers between Switzerland and the EU. Due to the elimination of unnecessary formalities Swiss exporters annually save up to CHF 300 million. No wonder panel members faced considerable pressure to adjust protocol 1 in a timely manner to avoid market access restrictions.
Jan Atteslander, head of foreign trade at economiesuisse, is relieved to see the blockage caused by the MEI vote removed at last: «This agreements increases legal security for both Swiss and EU companies and contributes to the competitiveness of the european industrial sector.»
Of course the MRA is of major importance for European businesses, too, considering they export CHF 70 billion worth of industrial products affected by this agreement. economiesuisse also supported the effort and is relieved that a potential stumbling block between Switzerland and the EU was removed today, ensuring continued open access to the most important export market for Swiss business. The path is now clear for another set of record breaking export numbers!
More information about MRA on the website for a strong + networked Switzerland.
As an export nation Switzerland depends on excellent access to foreign markets. The main tools to ensure this are free trade agreements and the bilateral agreements.
