On Friday 15 December, the European Commission welcomed the progress made on the “common understanding” of their new sectoral approach by package of bilateral agreements (see EUROPE 13298/22), which should serve as a framework for negotiations between Switzerland and the European Commission, which is negotiating on behalf of the EU.
The document no longer provides for an institutional framework agreement, but a set of institutional modules that would be included in the agreements relating to the internal market.
The Commission considers that the proposed package is balanced. It could be accompanied by an agreement that would serve as a basis for Switzerland’s contribution to the EU’s social and economic cohesion.
On the same day, the Swiss Federal Council approved the draft negotiating mandate and must now consult the Swiss Parliament and cantons. Reciprocally, the Commission will present the Council of the EU with a recommendation for a decision authorising the opening of negotiations.
No binding timetable has been set. However, on the European side, it is hoped that each of the parties will have a negotiating mandate on the package as a whole for the first quarter of 2024.
The aim is to complete negotiations by the end of 2024.
Associations for European programmes
If the negotiations are successful, Switzerland could at least be associated with Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, ITER, DigitalEurope, Erasmus+ and Copernicus.
Exploratory work has begun. However, formal negotiations will only begin once the parties have the necessary mandates to negotiate all the elements of the package.
A transitional system has been set up for research programmes. Legal entities established in Switzerland will therefore be able to participate in the European Research Council’s 2024 calls as soon as negotiations begin.
The transitional regime will be extended to calls under the Horizon Europe 2025 work programmes, provided that the Association Agreement relating to EU programmes is signed.
However, the association will have to be effective for Swiss entities to receive funding under Horizon Europe.
Link to the document: https://aeur.eu/f/a5x (Original version in French by Émilie Vanderhulst)