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.
Should Switzerland take measures to support its struggling industries?
Industrial policies are back in fashion, not only in the United States but also in the EU. Should Switzerland, where various industries are struggling, draw inspiration from such policies?
Rhine Falls is most rated Swiss location on Google Maps
This content was published on
The Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, northern Switzerland, with more than 75,000 ratings, is the Swiss place most reviewed by Google Maps users.
Asian investors sue Switzerland over Credit Suisse bond losses
This content was published on
More than 500 investors from Singapore, Japan and Hong Kong have launched claims against Switzerland in relation to AT1 bonds.
Man cleared of Geneva diplomat murder but convicted of rape
This content was published on
The Swiss Federal Criminal Court has acquitted an Ivorian-Italian dual national of murdering an Egyptian diplomat in Geneva in 1995.
Switzerland to cut funding for gala cultural events from 2029
This content was published on
Large-scale Swiss cultural events, such as the Locarno Film Festival, will lose state funding from 2029 as part of a cost-cutting drive by the administration.
Ideas to recover ammunition from Swiss lakes flood in
This content was published on
An appeal to the public to suggest ways to safely retrieve 8,000 tons of munitions from the bottom of Swiss lakes has yielded around 100 proposals.
This content was published on
Swiss public television SRF will axe 50 full-time positions by the beginning of next year as it aims to make CHF9 million in savings.
Explosion in global patents for transport innovations
This content was published on
The number of patents for transport innovations has exploded in the last 20 years, rising 700% to 120,000 by 2023, says WIPO.
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.