With EU deal stuck, Switzerland courts other partners
Swiss Economics MInister Guy Parmelin speaks at a press conference during the 2022 edition of the World Economic Forum.
Keystone
Switzerland is seeking out stronger partnerships with other nations, including the United States, in the absence of an agreement with the European Union.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Italiano
it
Con l’accordo UE bloccato, la Svizzera corteggia altri partner
“This whole strategy was launched partly because of the deadlock with the European Union,” said Swiss Economics Minister Guy Parmelin in an interview published on Saturday in the Le Temps newspaper. “We cannot sit idly by.”
“As long as the situation is blocked, we must look for other solutions to maintain our prosperity in terms of research, science and the economy,” Parmelin said.
A starting point for that effort was the World Economic Forum held in January in the elite resort of Davos. Discussions are underway with the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States, he says. Bern already inked a pharmaceuticals agreement with Washington in January.
Parmelin is also keen to see whether an agreement on Mercosur, a common market project involving several Latin American nations, can finally be reached.
He said the EU made a mistake by excluding Switzerland and Great Britain from programmes like Horizon Europe. “It weakens the European continent, it does us a disservice and ultimately benefits North America or Asia,” he said.
Lost research funding
Switzerland broke off negotiations with Brussels on an institutional framework agreement in May 2021. The EU then classified Switzerland as a third country, not associated with Horizon. As a result, Swiss researchers and companies can no longer coordinate European projects. And research can no longer obtain grants from the European Research Council.
Horizon Europe in 2020 was the second most important public source of funding for Swiss researchers, after the Swiss National Science Foundation.
Electricity woes
Researchers are not the only ones impatiently waiting for an end to the impasse in Swiss-EU relations. The chairman of industry association Swissmem calls for an agreement in the field of electricity by spring 2024. According to Martin Hirzel, quoted in the NZZ newspaper, the government should resume formal negotiations no later than March.
Time is off essence, according he president of the leading association of the machinery, electrical equipment and metal industry. Swissmem wants to ensure that issues are resolved before the European Parliament is renewed in 2024 and the mandate of the current European Commission comes to an end.
Market access
If Switzerland had to wait until 2025 to conclude an agreement, Hirzel fears electricity imports will become difficult. Securing electricity supply is the second most important issue in the EU dossier, after unhindered market access, he said. With an export share of more than 55%, Europe is by far the most important customer of the MEM sector.
More
More
Will Switzerland sort out its differences with the EU in 2023?
This content was published on
The EU wants to govern relations with Switzerland with a packet of sectoral accords, but Switzerland is dragging its feet.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Rhine could warm by up to 4°C by 2100, scientists warn
This content was published on
The water temperature of the Rhine River could rise by up to 4.2° degrees Celsius by the end of the century due to the warming planet, scientists warn.
This content was published on
The Federal Council wants to explore the possibilities of joining the European Union’s €800-billion rearmament programme without compromising Swiss neutrality.
Defence Minister Pfister stresses importance of Swiss mission in Balkans
This content was published on
During a visit to the Balkans region last week, Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister met Swisscoy peacekeeping troops in Kosovo.
Premiere for Swiss Air Force on French National Day
This content was published on
On July 14, the Swiss Air Force will take part in the traditional air parade in Paris to mark the French bank holidays with an F/A-18 fighter jet. This is a first for Switzerland.
Swiss launch competition for memorial to Nazi victims
This content was published on
The victims of Nazi Germany are to be commemorated on the Casinoterrasse in Bern. A competition will be held to determine what the site will look like.
This content was published on
The cantonal police of Graubünden in eastern Switzerland have arrested and convicted five cocaine dealers in Chur within a week.
This content was published on
The Swiss business umbrella organisation Economiesuisse and the employers' association broadly support the package of agreements negotiated with the European Union.
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 president launches global alliance for building culture
This content was published on
Around 30 European ministers of culture have founded the Davos Baukultur Alliance at the annual gathering of the World Economic Forum (WEF). The alliance aims to promote exchange and cooperation between the private sector, civil society and politics for sustainable building culture.
Report favours bilateral path with the European Union
This content was published on
According to a government report, the bilateral route is most advantageous for Switzerland in its relations with the European Union (EU).
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.