Brussels gives green light for talks on Horizon Europe

The declaration will form the basis for negotiations between the EU and Switzerland on a package of agreements © Keystone / Peter Klaunzer

The EU Commission has approved the joint declaration drawn up with Switzerland. It is also prepared to hold technical talks with Switzerland on the EU research programme Horizon Europe.

However, Valdis Dombrovskis, a vice president of the EU Commission, made it clear in response to a question from journalists in Strasbourg on Tuesday that the definitive negotiations on the EU programmes could only begin as part of the official negotiations on the package of agreements.

In a statement, the ETH Board welcomed “this positive development” and argued in favour of “Switzerland’s association with Horizon Europe as quickly and fully as possible”.

It also hoped that agreement would soon be reached on the institutional issues, the ETH Board continued, “because Switzerland as a centre of science benefits from the stable and reliable bilateral agreements” between Switzerland and the EU.

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According to Dombrovskis, the EU Commission had taken note of the Swiss government’s announcement at the beginning of November that it intends to draw up a mandate by the end of the year.

On November 8, the government instructed the foreign ministry to draw up a negotiating mandate. It intends to decide whether to accept the mandate before the end of the year.

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The EU Commission is also endeavouring to draw up a mandate and then submit a recommendation to the EU states for the opening of negotiations, Dombrovskis added.

Šefčovič delighted

Maroš Šefčovič, a vice president of the European Commission, expressed his delight at the joint declaration. “This is a welcome and important step in our bilateral relationship,” he tweeted.

The declaration will form the basis for negotiations between the EU and Switzerland on a package of agreements, said the EU Commissioner responsible for the Swiss dossier.

Diplomats from Switzerland and the EU have been holding exploratory talks since April 2022. The last round took place at the end of October this year.

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Broad package approach

In addition to institutional issues such as dispute settlement and the dynamic adoption of legislation, these talks also included new agreements on electricity, health and food safety.

The envisaged package of agreements also includes Switzerland’s readmission to the EU research and education programmes Horizon Europe and Erasmus+. The regular payment of a cohesion contribution is also to be regulated.

The free movement of people and wage protection for posted workers have been particularly contentious issues in the talks with the EU to date. However, according to the government, most of the issues have been satisfactorily resolved.

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