Oviedo/Luxembourg, 15/04/2002 (Agence Europe) - During Monday evening, the General Affairs Council tackled the negotiating briefs that the European Commission had requested in order to negotiate agreements with Switzerland concerning Schengen, asylum, services and the audiovisual sector (see EUROPE of 10 April, p.13).
Speaking at the informal Ecofin Council in Oviedo, Commissioner Frits Bolkestein said he was "optimistic" about the possibility of reaching an agreement on savings taxation with Switzerland before the month of June. "I had an informal meeting with the Swiss Prime Minister and Finance Minister on 10 April, and we agreed to begin negotiations on savings taxation immediately after the four mandates proposed by the Commission are endorsed by the Council", he told the press. Switzerland has to date only agreed to begin discussions on taxation in the context of an overall negotiation, also including chapters covered by the four new mandates presented by the Commission.