04/09/2019 (Agence Europe) – Some nine EU regions bordering Switzerland (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Valle d'Aosta, Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Burgundy-Franche-Comté, Bolzano - South Tyrol, Grand Est, Tyrol and Vorarlberg) sent a joint letter on Monday 2 September to the outgoing President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, expressing their concern about the framework agreement between Switzerland and the European Union. In essence, they ask the President to maintain the dialogue with Bern despite the deadlock in the negotiations on the Switzerland-EU Framework Agreement (see EUROPE 12318/12), recalling how important Switzerland is to their economic dynamism and competitiveness and vice versa. They insist that the European Commission work jointly with the regions to convince the Swiss population and regret that the equivalence for the Swiss scholarship has not been renewed by the European Commission (see EUROPE 12286/20). (PH)