The European Commission has advanced a key initiative to renew and deepen ties with Switzerland, proposing that the Council approve a new package of agreements.
This move represents a major milestone in updating the bilateral relationship and setting a modern framework for cooperation.
What’s in the package?
At its core, the proposal modernises five longstanding agreements originally signed in 1999. These cover key areas where Switzerland accesses the EU’s internal market:
- Air and land transport
- Free movement of people
- Mutual recognition of product standards (conformity assessment)
- Trade in agricultural goods
The updates will align these agreements with current EU law, ensure Switzerland continues to adapt to EU regulations dynamically, and introduce clearer dispute resolution processes. Crucially, EU state aid rules will also apply to transport sectors, helping maintain fair competition across borders.
New areas of cooperation
In addition to updating existing agreements, the package introduces several new accords to expand cooperation:
Food Safety Agreement: Establishes a shared food safety zone aligned with EU standards.
Health Cooperation: Enhances joint responses to cross-border health threats and gives Switzerland access to EU health bodies such as the ECDC and the Early Warning and Response System.
Electricity Market Access: Allows Switzerland to join the EU electricity market under aligned rules, including state aid disciplines.
Financial Contribution Agreement: Sets a fair and regular Swiss contribution to EU efforts for economic and social cohesion.
EU Programmes Participation: Grants Switzerland access to key EU programmes, including Horizon Europe, Erasmus+, Digital Europe, and EU4Health. Swiss organisations have already been participating under transitional arrangements since January 1, 2025.
Space Cooperation: Enables Swiss involvement in the EU Space Programme, especially Galileo and EGNOS projects, through the European Union Agency for the Space Programme.
Strengthening institutional ties
A protocol on parliamentary cooperation will create a Joint Parliamentary Committee made up of members from both the European Parliament and the Swiss Federal Assembly. A joint declaration will also launch a high-level dialogue to guide the implementation of the package and explore future cooperation.
Background
This initiative follows the conclusion of negotiations announced on 20 December 2024 by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Swiss President Viola Amherd. The framework was built on a Common Understanding reached in October 2023, and formal negotiations began on 18 March 2024, under Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič. The agreements were initialled by chief negotiators on 21 May 2025.
What’s next?
Both the EU and Switzerland will now begin the ratification process through their respective procedures. The European Commission has reiterated its full commitment to seeing the modernised agreement framework successfully adopted.