President says Switzerland has invested heavily in the EU
Parmelin, in New York this week for the United Nations General Assembly, told reporters that Switzerland had already made important financial investments to the benefit of all of the European Union.
Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
President Guy Parmelin said high-level talks with the European Union must resume, after the vice-president of the European Commission for Inter-institutional Relations, Maroš Šefčovič, suggested that outstanding Swiss contributions to the Cohesion Fund were a stumbling block to dialogue.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/gw
Parmelin, who is in New York this week attending the United Nations General Assembly, told reporters that Switzerland had already made important investments in the EU, including more than CHF20 billion ($21.6 billion) to build the New Rail Link through the Alps (NRLA), which he said benefits all of Europe.
“Once [high-level] meetings are organised, we can put on the table everything that we have done in favour of the European Union,” said Parmelin.
Šefčovič, who this week took over the Swiss dossier for the EU, said Brussels “wants to have the best possible relations with Switzerland” but that “fundamental issues” need to be clarified, including outstanding contributions to the union’s Cohesion Fund – designed to financially support member states with gross national incomes below the EU average.
However, the Slovak also expected Switzerland to make additional payments. Other countries outside the EU, such as Norway, make regular transfers in exchange for access to the single market, he pointed out.
Last May Switzerland walked away from negotiations on a draft framework agreement designed to regulate bilateral relations with the EU, citing “substantial differences”. A deal to release cohesion fund contributions to the 27-member bloc is under discussion in the Swiss parliament.
More
More
What is this EU framework deal?
This content was published on
An institutional framework would simplify future ties between Switzerland and its biggest trading partner.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
Swiss federal prosecutor bemoans shortage of investigators
This content was published on
The Swiss Office of the Attorney General complains of unresolved shortage of investigators that hinder its efforts to prosecute serious criminals.
ECHR condemns Swiss failure to protect woman from violence
This content was published on
Switzerland did not provide a woman with sufficient protection against her partner who had been violent in the past, rules the ECHR.
This content was published on
In Switzerland, 2.2 million people are affected by non-communicable diseases, partly because people are not eating a balanced diet.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss reject framework agreement deal with EU
This content was published on
Citing “substantial differences”, the government has decided not to move ahead with a controversial institutional agreement on relations with the EU.
Switzerland-EU: a complicated relationship that puts Swiss research at risk
This content was published on
The rift between Bern and Brussels over the framework agreement is causing frustration among Swiss researchers who depend on EU funding.
Axing of framework deal was unconstitutional, says professor
This content was published on
Cottier, a professor emeritus of international economic law at the University of Bern, claims the government “overstepped its competencies”, the SonntagsZeitung newspaper reports. At the end of May, the government ended seven years of negotiations with the EU on a framework deal which would have replaced the over 120 bilateral deals which have regulated Swiss-EU relations for the past…
‘EU-Swiss relations have sunk to their lowest point since 1992’
This content was published on
Switzerland prefers to work with dictators like Xi Jinping instead of with democrats in Europe. An interview with an expert on Europe.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.