Brussels, 09/02/2011 (Agence Europe) - The Association of Swiss Electricity Companies (AES) is against including a bilateral EU/Swiss agreement in the “Bilateral III” Package, sought by Berne in an effort to strengthen its relations with the EU 27. It is, instead, calling for an autonomous bilateral electricity agreement. In a press release published on Monday, the AES declares that, “including an electricity agreement in the 'Bilateral III' package would not be in the interest of consumers or the economy”. The organisation adds that “this option would complicate and delay by several years, the conclusion of such an agreement and would prevent Switzerland from participating in the EU's internal electricity market, which is developing very rapidly”. It also has fears for Switzerland's security of supply. The AES would like mutual and non-discriminatory access to the electricity market, as well as greater legal security for electricity businesses and long-term guarantees for existing import contracts.
At the end of January, the Federal Swiss Council gave its support to negotiations for a new “Bilateral III” agreements package. The EU would prefer to conclude a framework agreement that incorporates the benefits of all sectoral agreements already concluded and that agreements are automatically adapted in the future to take into account the constant developments in the Community acquis and subsequently protect the homogenous nature of the internal market.
Meeting on 8 February in Brussels, the president of the Commission, José Manuel Barroso and the Swiss president, Micheline Calmy-Rey, agreed to follow, “a joint and coordinated approach”. (E.H./transl.fl)