On Monday 8 October, the European Commission and its European External Action Service (EEAS) expressed hope at the European Parliament’s foreign affairs committee that the EU and Switzerland would manage to finalise the negotiations on an institutional agreement by the middle of the month. They warned Bern, after more than four years of discussions on the future framework, that the window of opportunity would soon close and political will was now needed to make a success of the final lap.
Closing the negotiations is possible because all the parameters are there, commented Christian Leffler, who steers this issue at the EEAS. He said all that was lacking was the political will and the EU, which hopes for a successful conclusion in mid-October, was prepared to make extra effort to this end.
Asked to address MEPs, Swiss negotiator Roberto Balzaretti restated his country’s interest in maintaining close relations with the EU, but that it was in Switzerland’s interest to sign a good agreement.
The two sides have concluded the essential technical work in recent months, managing to finalise details on a court of arbitration, state aid, and closer viewpoints on the surveillance mode. But the time is trickier for protection measures on the Swiss labour market, which are veritable red lines for the country, but of which the European Commission challenges the validity, finding them often too burdensome and discriminatory for European workers wishing to work in Switzerland. The latter conceded that a good solution had been found since March on every problem but now, at the end, it was the most difficult issues that were left. The EU says agreement is needed on all three sections.
Following the traumatic episode of stock market equivalence at the end of 2017, which was only renewed for one year, the talks resumed in March, but are still stumbling over Swiss worker protection measures. The Commission has suggested to Bern that it use the directive on seconded (posted) workers, but Switzerland wants to keep measures such as eight days’ prior notice before inspections are made.
If they want to conclude the talks, the two sides will have to make concessions to each other. The Commission and the negotiator will meet on Tuesday for new talks. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)