EU and Switzerland restart to talk over bilateral deals

The EU and Switzerland agreed on Thursday to reopen talks on upgrading trade and political ties, following Bern’s retreat last year on a controversial immigration quota that highlighted the difficulties Britain will face over Brexit.

At a press conference in Brussels, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that both sides had agreed to conclude a new framework agreement by the end of the year.

On trade, Switzerland will update the agreement on the removal of technical barriers to trade (MRA), which was on the informal list of blocked dossiers. This involves the mutual recognition of conformity assessments for industrial products. According to what was discussed in Brussels, the EU is now ready to resume cooperation within these dossiers.

According to the Swiss side, the EU has for some years been dependent on an institutional framework agreement on the conclusion of new treaties on access to the internal market. The deblocking of the other dossiers, announced on Thursday, will not change this either. Important parts of the internal market are within this framework, including the agreement on electricity between the two sides.

The Swiss president Doris Leuthard confirmed, in an interview with the “24 Heures” newspaper, “things are moving” in efforts to improve ties with the European Union after a Swiss referendum three years ago to limit immigration soured bilateral relations.

Leuthard underlined that Switzerland will hold out for the right agreement — even wait a year if necessary — in its efforts to patch up stalled bilateral deals.