This Thursday, the European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee approved a series of agreements signed in March between Switzerland and the European Union, the fruits of lengthy negotiations, which should enable them to strengthen their cooperation and extend it to new areas.
The rapporteur of this text, French MEP Christophe Grudler (center, Renew) said on Wednesday in front of the press that he hopes for final adoption by the European Parliament “before the end of the year.”
These agreements are intended to allow “updating the common rules and preventing the emergence of new obstacles between Switzerland and the countries of the European Union,” Mr. Grudler noted. They cover notably the free movement of people, trade, and transport.
As a reminder, they were signed in March after lengthy negotiations that began in 2014, but which were interrupted in 2021 and relaunched two years ago.
In another framework, Switzerland has committed to charging EU students the same tuition fees as local students in most public universities, and to contribute 375 million euros to an EU social cohesion fund.
A “common food security area” will also be established, harmonizing the rules in the matter and enabling Switzerland to participate in the European internal electricity market.
Admittedly, they remain subject to the usual ratification processes, with notable uncertainty about the outcome of the procedure on the Swiss side. The federal government will have to persuade Parliament of the merits of this strengthening of ties with the EU and, above all, the people, who will have the final say in a popular referendum, expected in 2027.
