Brussels, 28/01/2013 (Agence Europe) - Switzerland does not want the EU to treat it as a third country following the completion of the single energy market, scheduled for 2014.
Switzerland, called upon early in January to find a rapid institutional solution with a view to its participation in the integrated European electricity market (see EUROPE 10764), has lost no time in reacting. Meeting again in Davos on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (23-27 January), Swiss Federal Councillor in charge of the dossier Doris Leurthard and European Commissioner for Energy Günther Oettinger discussed the issue. “Without an agreement of this kind, Switzerland runs the risk of being treated as a third country, which would be harmful”, Leuthard told a press conference, acknowledging that progress was required at institutional level to move the negotiations on energy forward.
The EU and Switzerland have been negotiating a bilateral agreement on electricity to regulate the transit of electricity and reciprocal market access since 2006. While Switzerland wants sectoral agreement, providing for increased openness of the EU market without subjecting it to Community law, the EU would prefer the conclusion of an institutional framework agreement, incorporating the acquis of all sectorial agreements already concluded and requiring Switzerland to adopt the Community acquis on the single energy market. (EH/transl.fl)