Brussels, 16/12/2013 (Agence Europe) - The joint committee managing the EU-Switzerland bilateral trade agreement has agreed that the agreement still has a “major role” in the facilitation of bilateral trade. This year the joint committee is chaired by the EU.
The 59th meeting of the joint committee was held in Brussels on 11 December and concluded that the 1972 agreement works well in governing trade in industrial products and processed agricultural products. In 2012, the volume of bilateral trade stood at €209 billion, a 2.3% decrease in relation to 2011. However, accounting for 56% of Switzerland's exports and 75% of its imports, the EU remains Switzerland's main economic partner.
This year, the joint committee assessed issues related to reciprocal market access, and noted that the trade problems highlighted in 2011 have either been resolved, or if this is not the case, solutions are on the discussion table. The 59th committee meeting also focused on EU practices with regard to the application of anti-dumping rules, on new EU recommendations as regards production information for consumer goods, on the total revision that is planned for Swiss legislation on alcohol, and on the impact of the Swissness project (the made in Switzerland label) on bilateral trade. The Swissness project was adopted by the Swiss Parliament in June.
In addition, the parties confirmed their willingness to resolve outstanding technical issues as soon as possible on the application of the regional convention on preferential rules of origin across the whole Euromediterranean area. The convention will enable the preferential area for rules of origin that already exists in the EU, EFTA, the Mediterranean partners and Turkey to be extended to the countries of the Western Balkans.
The next meeting of the joint committee is scheduled for autumn 2014. (EH/transl.fl)