Brussels, 05/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - At the opening of bilateral talks, on Thursday, the EU and Switzerland kicked off in four fields (fraud, statistics, environment, processed agricultural products), for which the Commission holds Council negotiating briefs. It is a question of closing certain issues ("early harvest") which are likely to move forward rapidly, but on condition, as the Swiss request, that the conclusion of these issues does not bring into question the balance of the final result as a whole. On 19 July, a first meeting is to be held on fraud (mainly cigarette and alcohol smuggling but also the smuggling of portable phones), which would represent "several billion euros per year" for the Community budget and for that of Member States, according to one European official. Negotiations on savings taxation could begin as soon as the Council has given the Commission a mandate, on 16 October, but it will be necessary to wait for those concerning cooperation in justice, police matter and asylum policy, as well as services.