On 20 December 2024, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the President of the Swiss Confederation, Viola Amherd, announced the successful conclusion of negotiations aimed at strengthening and deepening the cooperation between the EU and Switzerland. At the heart of this is a comprehensive package of agreements that will further strengthen and expand the existing relationship.
A key element of the package is the modernization of five important agreements that already grant Switzerland access to the EU Single Market. These agreements cover areas such as air and land transport, freedom of movement, conformity assessment, and agricultural trade. The goal is to create equal competitive conditions for businesses on both sides.
In addition, new agreements have been reached, including:
- A food safety agreement covering the entire food chain.
- A health agreement that enables Switzerland to participate in EU mechanisms for addressing cross-border health threats.
- An electricity agreement, integrating Switzerland into the EU internal electricity market.
- An agreement on financial cooperation between Switzerland and the EU, which promotes economic and social cohesion.
- An agreement for Switzerland’s association with the following EU programs: Horizon Europe, Euratom for Research and Training, ITER/F4E (Fusion for Energy), Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and EU4Health.
- An agreement that allows Switzerland’s participation in the European Space Agency (regarding the Galileo and EGNOS programs of the EU).
Ursula von der Leyen stressed that this agreement marks a “new chapter” in the cooperation, with both sides now able to fully exploit the potential of an even closer partnership. The conclusion of the negotiations marks not only the end of an important phase but also the beginning of the signing and ratification process in both the EU and Switzerland.
Sources: IHK „News International“ (1/2025) (in German), European Commission
