Preserving the advantages of the bilateral path for Switzerland
The Swiss business community takes note of the Federal Council's decision to abandon negotiations with the European Union on the Institutional Framework Agreement. economiesuisse regrets that the consultations between Bern and Brussels did not lead to a mutually agreeable outcome. It is now up to the Federal Council to stabilise the bilateral path and minimise the damage.
The decision communicated today by the Federal Council does not come as a surprise: In recent months, there have been increasing signs that the talks on the Institutional Framework Agreement between Bern and Brussels would beabandoned. The Swiss business federation economiesuisse notes with regret that the Federal Council's efforts to clarify the three outstanding points in the framework agreement have been unsuccessful.
A long-term and stable relationship with the European Union and its member states remains of utmost importance for the Swiss economy. It must therefore remain the overriding goal of Swiss foreign economic policy to preserve the advantages of the bilateral path. To this end, following the failure of the framework agreement, it is now necessary to stabilise the existing agreements and minimise the damage.
Where the erosion of bilateral agreements leads to foreseeable disadvantages for Switzerland as a business location, targeted measures are needed to cushion the damage. The greater the expected damage to the business location, the more comprehensive the reforms should be to sustainably improve Switzerland's international competitiveness. Swiss business is prepared to cooperate in the implementation of these reforms and the necessary measures.
