Brussels, 14/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - Speaking at a press conference with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso responded to the announcement made by the Swiss government on Wednesday 12 February that draft legislation on immigration would be ready by the end of this year. Barroso warned that Switzerland would become deprived of all access to the EU single market. “It's true that I'm a friend of Switzerland. I lived there a long time. It's a country that I admire and that I like very much. That said, as president of the European Commission, I must of course defend the general European interest. And the truth is that we offer Switzerland an exceptional situation”, he said. “Switzerland has unlimited access to our single market. The Swiss can set up home anywhere in Europe. There are about 430,000 Swiss nationals in the EU, who are living and working here. It is not fair, therefore, that Europe offers Switzerland these conditions and that Switzerland does not offer the same conditions in return. There is an international agreement between Switzerland and the EU which must be respected”, Barroso stated.
“It is Switzerland that must now come with solutions. That's why it's not up to me, nor the Commission, to offer solutions. We are now in a situation where Switzerland will find it difficult to respect the agreement that it has signed with the EU. And the agreement on free movement is really an essential part of the single market agreement.”
In Barroso's view, the situation is clear - “There must be no illusion. We are not going to negotiate the principle of free movement of people. This is an integral element and it can't be negotiated. We are not prepared to rebundle the package or do some quick DIY. The federal Council must now take a decision and afterwards we can, of course, discuss it, but in respect of the principles that are essential.”
Barroso believes that the Swiss government's decision to prepare draft legislation on immigration by the end of the year “causes problems - and serious problems”.
As planned, the committee of permanent representatives of the EU member states (Coreper) postponed the adoption of the mandate, in Brussels on Thursday 13 February, regarding the institutional framework agreement between the EU and Switzerland. Despite uncertainties, the Commission had actually called for this mandate to be approved. Its postponement is not, however, for an indefinite period, says a source from the Council, and Coreper could return to the question quickly. Discussions with the Swiss authorities could take place next week.
In the European Parliament, Michel Dantin (EPP, France), Lari Comi (EPP, Italy), Othmar Karas (EPP, Austria) and Andreas Schwab (EPP, Germany) have sent a letter to High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, underlining the serious consequences of the referendum result for cross-border workers from Switzerland. “The Swiss referendum, approved by a very small majority, is symptomatic of strong emotion on the subject of immigration, but its consequences could be dramatic for Swiss citizens - as for European Union citizens - particularly those coming from bordering countries like France”, states Dantin in a press release.
“French citizens working in Switzerland contribute to the economy of a country which suffers from a lack of qualified workers. That is why the free movement of workers is interesting. It's a pillar of the agreement between the European Union and Switzerland”, Dantin stated. “I call on Catherine Ashton and the representatives of each of the European institutions to do everything to preserve the European Economic Area”. (SP/transl.fl)