How important are Swiss-EU bilateral agreements for Swiss nationals living abroad?
After months of negotiations, Switzerland and the European Union announced in December that negotiations on the package of bilateral agreements had been concluded. There is still a long political road ahead, as the dossier will have to be approved by parliament and probably put to a public referendum.
According to the Organisation of the Swiss Abroad (OSA), the draft agreement safeguards the rights of the 466,000 Swiss citizens living in the European Union. Thanks to the free movement of persons, Swiss people can freely choose their place of work and residence within EU countries, enjoying the same rights as EU/EFTA nationals.
What are the advantages or disadvantages of this package of agreements between Bern and Brussels in your view? How might these agreements affect your life? What would be the impact of this dossier failing in parliament?
More
Switzerland and EU reach deal on future bilateral relations
I echo and fully agree with the sentiment expressed by those advocating NO to the Swiss - EU bilateral agreement and YES to neutrality !!!
I disagree with this agreement. It would mean Switzerland would have to agree to all UU rules present and future. The EU just wants money from Switzerland. We would have to agree to foreign judges rulings Our rules could be overturned by the Brussels dictatorship. The majority of the Swiss people will vote NO to this draft agreement. Why must Switzerland pay to export to the EU when the EU sells more to Switzerland than we export to the EU. The EU wil in the middle future implode as it is ruled by unelected failed politicians and is bankrupt. This is an organization which is not for Switzerland we must remain neutral and independent
You're right, the European Union and Brussels are a dictatorship. They do what they want and impose laws on us as they see fit, often in secret and without warning, and if we don't obey they make us pay huge fines.
vous avez raison l'union européenne et Bruxelles sont une dictature ils font ce qu'ils veulent nous impose des lois a leurs convenance et bien souvent en secret sans nous prévenir et si on désobéi elle nous fait payer des grosses amandes je suis française la vie et devenue un enfer si vous avez l'occasion renseigner sur ce qu'il se passe chez nous en dehors des media subventionner par les politiques qui ne font que mentir
Increased diversity in the Swiss retail market through more competitive companies would not only lower prices, but also encourage innovation and better customer service. This competition could encourage established companies such as Coop, Migros and SBB to improve their offerings and ultimately benefit consumers. .
Eine erhöhte Vielfalt im Schweizer Einzelhandelsmarkt durch wettbewerbsfähigere Unternehmen würde nicht nur die Preise senken, sondern auch Innovationen und besseren Kundenservice fördern. Diese Konkurrenz könnte etablierte Unternehmen wie Coop, Migros und SBB dazu bringen, ihre Angebote zu verbessern und letztlich den Verbrauchern zugutekommen. .
Even if the agreement brings certain (economic) advantages, I don't want to swallow the horrible toad (foreign judges and EU interference).
If the rejection by the people is a fact, the EU will undoubtedly grovel and agree to a balanced bilateral _economic_ treaty.
Suitable solutions will also be found on other issues of interest to both sides, such as education and training.
It is also difficult to understand why the EU has recently concluded balanced bilateral trade agreements with other economically important continents and only wants to benefit so much more from Switzerland:
It is not us but the EU that is cherry-picking :-((
Auch wenn das Abkommen gewisse (wirtschaftliche) Vorteile bringt, will ich die grauslige Kröte (Fremde Richter und Einmischung der EU) nicht schlucken.
Wenn die Ablehnung durch das Volk Tatsache ist, wird die EU zweifellos zu Kreuze kriechen und einem ausgewogenen bilateralen _Wirtschafts_ Vertrag zustimmen.
Über weitere beidseits interessante Themen wie Studium und Ausbildung etc. wird man ebenfalls passende Lösungen finden.
Es ist auch gar nicht einzusehen, warum die EU kürzlich mit anderen wirtschaftlich bedeutenden Kontinenten ausgewogene bilaterale Handelsabkommen abgeschlossen hat und nur mit der Schweiz derart viel mehr profitieren will:
Nicht wir sondern die EU macht Rosinen-Pickerei :-((
Over two thousand years of evolution, good roads, for the West, good roads... stay the course.
Plus de Deux milles ans d'évolutions, bon chemins,pour l'occident,chemins fesant... gardé cap.
About 500,000 citizens live abroad, in EU countries, about another 300,000 in non-EU countries and almost 10000000 living in Switzerland. The ratio is 1 / 20 . The ratio makes it clear how much weight to give to the agreements because of the impact they have on citizens. The current agreements have been drawn up with the focus on the economy and not on other central aspects such as sociality and respect for the environment. The federal government has chosen long-term 'sustainability* as the mainstay of development, so that even in its approach towards foreign countries it should / should have considered something other than economic aspects.
Unfortunately, the path to the new bilateral package was conducted with too little consideration for the needs of the resident population, triggering controversy in the place of discussion and setting the work to bring the package to a vote, which was bound to be rejected, on a bad path. Only a part of the Left, deluded by false European promises, a Brussels engulfed by bureaucracy and shady individuals, now supports the package deal. In the vote, failure foretold.
Circa 500000 cittadini che vivono all'estero, in paesi UE, circa altri 300000 in paesi non UE e quasi 10000000 che vivono in Svizzera. Il rapporto è 1 / 20 . La proporzione fa capire quanto sia il peso da dare agli accordi per l'impatto che questi hanno sui cittadini. Gli attuali accordi sono stati elaborati con il focus sull'economia e non su altri aspetti centrali come la socialità e il rispetto per l'ambiente. La Confederazione ha scelto la "sostenibilità* a lungo termine come filone portante dello sviluppo, per cui anche nell'approccio verso l'estero dovrebbe / avrebbe dovuto considerare anche altro se non gli aspetti economici.
Purtroppo la via verso il nuovo pacchetto bilaterale è stato condotto considerando troppo poco le esigenze della popolazione residente, innescando polemica al posto di discussione e mettendo su una brutta strada tutta in salita il lavoro per portare al voto il pacchetto, destinato ad essere rifiutato. Solo una parte della sinistra, illusa da false promesse europee, da una Bruxelles fagocitata dalla burocrazia e da loschi individui, sostiene ormai il pacchetto di accordi. In votazione, fallimento preannunciato.
The bilateral agreements are useless for Switzerland and only bring paternalism to our population.
for our population.
Die Bilateralen Verträge sind für die Schweiz nutzlos und bringen nur Bevormundungen
für unsere Bevölkerung.
This is not a "bilateral treaty package" but a unilateral treaty of subjugation that severely restricts Swiss sovereignty and the constitutional rights of Swiss citizens and will never be accepted by the sovereign, the voters. Under no circumstances will we allow foreign laws and judges to be imposed on us. This was sworn on the Rütli in 1291 and has stood the test of time over many centuries.
The voters and the cantons will reject this package, which is destroying the foundations of the Swiss state, by a large majority if the Federal Council and Parliament are not capable of doing so or do not have the courage/courage to do so.
Das ist kein "bilaterales Vertragspaket" sondern ein einseitiger, die Schweizer Souveränität und die verfassungsmässigen Rechte der CH-Bürger stark einschränkender Unterwerfungsvertrag, der vom Souverän, dem Stimmbürger niemals angenommen werden wird. Wir werden uns keinesfalls fremde Gesetze und Richter aufoktrieren lassen. Das wurde bereits 1291 auf dem Rütli geschworen und hat sich über viele Jahrhunderte bewährt.
Die Stimmbürger und die Stände werden dieses Paket, welches das schweizerische Staatsfundament zerstört, mit grosser Mehrheit ablehnen, wenn Bundesrat und Parlament dazu nicht fähig sind bzw. den Mut/Courage dazu nicht aufbringen.
Agreed. The closer Switzerland allows itself to move closer to the EU, the more controlled & poorer we the people will get. Look what happened to Germany. My opinion is that the EU wants to bring all countries down to to same level and not up.
In my opinion there are pros and cons.
The cons are those generally listed by those who disagree and believe that the world for Switzerland is still similar to what it was before the 2000s.
Unfortunately, this is not the case!
Unfortunately, another quarter of a century has already passed since 2000 and the world is even more different and complex and, for a small country like Switzerland, even dangerous. Not only for the economy, but especially for defence.
Today, we depend not only on those who buy our goods and services, but also on those in Europe who, with their armies united with ours, can defend us in this new world of predators, which is increasingly based on geostrategic centres of influence and relations and balances of power (including military).
So let us welcome agreements and understandings with our four EU countries that surround our borders.
A mio parere ci sono pro e contro.
I contro sono quelli elencati in genere da chi non e' d'accordo e crede che il mondo, per la Svizzera, sia ancora simile a quello anteriore agli anni 2000.
Purtroppo non e' cosi!
Purtroppo dal 2000 ad oggi e' gia trascorso un ulteriore quarto di secolo e il mondo e' ancora piu' diverso e complesso e, per un piccolo Paese come la Svizzera, anche pericoloso. Non solo per l'Economia, ma soprattutto per la Difesa.
Oggi dipendiamo non solo da chi ci compra le nostre merci e i nostri servizi, ma da chi, in Europa, con i loro eserciti uniti al nostro, ci potra' difendere in questo nuovo mondo di predatori, semore piu basato su centri di influenza geostrategica e rapporti ed equilibri di forza (anche militare).
Quindi ben vengano accordi ed intese con i nostri 4 Paesi della UE che attorniano le nostre frontiere
My daughter lives in Amsterdam. With the free movement laws in place between Switzerland and the EU she has no problems living and studying and working there. I hope this could continue.
He could just as well have lived there without an agreement!
Avrebbe benissimo potuto viverci anche senza accordi!
This would be just as possible with or without bilateral agreements!
Auch ohne oder mit bilateralen Verträgen wäre dies genau so gut möglich!
EU is woke. EU is pro-immigration and pro-integration but has no accountability if that fails. I do not believe Switzerland have any real benefits for following EU agreements and the politicians are self-proclaiming their own importance and digging a big hole for swiss people by agreeing with EU with unchecked powers.
The EU is. Mid-20th century creation that is outdated. Switzerland is way more forward and is signing free trade agreements with China and will maintain better relationships with the US than any country of the EU, which means US companies will still invest here. In brief, these agreements are useless and the Swiss people must vote no.
Wait and hope! You will see what a great future with Trump, Putin and Xi Jinping as the world's new dictators! Myopia is always dangerous and must be corrected as soon as possible, otherwise there will be trouble for everyone!
Aspetta e spera! Vedrai che bel futuro con Trump, Putin e Xi Jinping quali nuovi dittatori del mondo intero! La miopia è sempre pericolosa e va corretta al più presto, se no saranno guai per tutti!
Any agreement with the EU is tantamount to a betrayal of neutrality.
Tout accord avec l'u-e equivaut à une trahison de la neutralité.
A pure trade agreement like the former Treaty of Rome would be unproblematic.
Ein reines Handelsabkommen wie früher die Römer-Verträge wäre unproblematisch.
Why should we simply adopt laws and regulations, even those that we don't even know and that have nothing to do with exports? Who gives orders in our country? Can we say NO to EU laws by referendum 10, 20, 30 times a month? If we actually manage to say NO by voting, the EU will penalise us with so-called compensatory measures! Do we deserve that? Which other country that exports to the EU accepts such conditions that have nothing to do with exports, the PTA, foreign judges? Not a single one! Cooperation, as we have done for decades with many states and still do with our neighbours in particular - YES, subjugated subjects as recipients of orders - NO! When will the EU turbos finally realise this?
Warum sollen wir Gesetze und Bestimmungen, selbst solche, die wir noch nicht einmal kennen, und die mit dem Export nichts zu tun haben, einfach übernehmen? Wer befiehlt in unserem Land? Können wir im Monat 10, 20, 30Mal durch Volksabstimmung zu EU-Gesetzen NEIN sagen? Wenn wir es mittels Abstimmung tatsächlich mal fertig bringen würden NEIN zu sagen, wird die EU uns bestrafen, sog Ausgleichsmassnahmen! Haben wir das verdient? Welcher andere Staat, der in die EU exportiert, übernimmt solche Bedingungen, die mit dem Export nichts zu tun haben, PFZ, fremde Richter? Kein einziger! Zusammenarbeit wie wir das seit Jahrzehnten mit vielen Staaten gemacht haben und im Besonderen mit unseren Nachbarn immer noch machen JA, Unterjochte als Befehlsempfänger NEIN! Wann begreifen das endlich die EU-Turbinnen und die EU-Turbos?
Mrs Amherd did not speak for Switzerland but only for the Federal Council, and possibly not for the whole Federal Council, and Mrs Van der Lyen did not speak for the whole of Europe but for the countries that belong to the EU. The two ladies ignored this in their grand speeches. As long as all the details are not clear to the Swiss people, no more money should go from Switzerland to the EU. Yes, the EU desperately needs more revenue and Switzerland is the cow to milk. The EU has already taken in so many corrupt countries, it's a complete mockery. Why does Switzerland want to be under their yoke?
Frau Amherd hat nicht fuer die Schweiz gesprochen sondern nur fuer den Bundesrat und da möglicherweise nicht fuer den ganzen Bundesrat und Frau Van der Lyen hat nicht fuer ganz Europa gesprochen sondern fuer die Länder die der EU angehören. Die beiden Damen haben das glimpflich ignoriert in ihren grossen Reden. Solange nicht alle Details fuer das Schweizer Volk einsichtlich sind sollten keine weiteren Gelder von der Schweiz an die EU gehen. Ja, die EU braucht bitter nötig mehr Einnahmen und dafuer ist die Schweiz die Kuh zu melken. Die EU hat bereits so viele korrupte Länder aufgenommen, es ist ein kompletter Hohn. Warum will sich die Schweiz unter deren Joch geben?
If you are under the illusion that Switzerland could do without the EU, you are really out of history!
Se ti illudi che la Svizzera potrebbe fare senza l'UE, sei proprio fuori dalla storia!
Switzerland will be in a much better position without the treaty!
Your phrase "manage without the EU" is far too vague :-(
Die Schweiz wird ohne Untewerfungsvertrag sehr viel besser da stehen!
Ihre Formulierung "ohne die EU auskommen" ist viel zu vage :-(
The bilateral agreements are certainly important for Switzerland too, but the concerns of both negotiating partners must be taken into account in an appropriate manner. On this point, I believe that the EU is not acting as a partner and is treating Switzerland in one way or another, and often as a little "beggar". That's why no agreement is better than a bad agreement. When it comes to payments to the EU, they eagerly wait for the transfers to arrive. And the EU's blackmail should be criticised and rejected by Switzerland with the utmost clarity. Switzerland may be small and a little 'squeamish', but it is a sovereign country, and a prosperous one at that. We must not let the EU do everything to us.
last but not least!
Switzerland is proving time and again that it is capable of negotiating and that it is not always "stubborn". Little Switzerland was able to sign a "free trade agreement" with China. To the satisfaction of both parties. And this agreement is based on solid foundations. We are well on the way to doing the same with India. All Switzerland has to do is make sure that our friends don't always meddle in our affairs and impose conditions on us too.
"The most courageous act is still to think for yourself. And out loud".
Bilaterale Abkommen sind sicher auch für die Schweiz wichtig, aber es sollen und müssen die Anliegen beider Verhandlungs-Partner angemessen berücksichtigt werden. Hier denke ich, dass die EU nicht partnerschaftlich agiert und die Schweiz irgendwie und oft als einen kleinen "Bittsteller" behandelt. Deshalb, besser kein Abkommen als ein schlechtes Abkommen. Wenn es um Zahlungen an die EU geht warten sie gierig bis die Überweisungen eintreffen. Und, die Erpressungen der EU sollten von der Schweiz mit aller Klarheit kritisiert und zurückgewiesen werden. Die Schweiz mag klein und etwas "bockig" sein, aber sie ist ein souveränes und erst recht ein erfolgreiches Land. Wir müssen und von der EU nicht alles bieten lassen.
last but not least!
Die Schweiz beweist immer und immer wieder, dass sie verhandlungsfähig und eben nicht immer "bockig" ist. Die kleine Schweiz hat mit China ein "Freihandels-Abkommen" unterzeichnen können. Zur Zufriedenheit beider Seiten. Und dieses Abkommen steht auf soliden Füssen. Mit Indien ist man auf gutem Weg, das gleiche zu tun. Die Schweiz muss nur aufpassen, dass uns die AMIS nicht immer dreinreden und ebenfalls auflagen machen.
"Die mutigste Tat ist immer noch, selbst zu denken. Und zwar laut."
Yes, there would only be advantages with free trade with China, which is still a totalitarian country with no guarantee of the most basic freedoms How many companies and factories have closed down all over Europe and the USA because of trade agreements with a huge low-wage country that does not even respect patent law? The West, by letting all our patents be copied, has made China experience an unprecedented economic boom, while we continue to decay with wages stagnating. We no longer even have steel mills in Europe (!) and in the event of an international crisis, we would have to import everything essential from the Chinese, who would then dominate the whole world!
Si, ci sarebbero solo vantaggi col libero scambio con la Cina, che è tuttora un paese totalitario senza garanzia delle libertà più elementari Quante ditte e fabbriche hanno chiuso in tutta Europa e USA a causa degli accordi commerciali con un paese enorme a bassi salari che non rispetta nemmeno la legge sui brevetti? L'occidente, lasciando copiare tutti i nostri brevetti, ha fatto sì che la Cina conoscesse un boom economico mai visto prima, mentre noi si continua a decadere coi salari fermi al palo. Non abbiamo più nemmeno le acciaierie in Europa (!) e in caso di crisi internazionale, dovremmo importare tutto quanto di essenziale dai cinesi che così domineranno il mondo intero!
Join the conversation!