Brussels, 20/10/2003 (Agence Europe) - On Monday the European Union and Switzerland began to envisage a new formula for attempting to resolve the problem of extending their agreement on free movement to the ten EU accession countries as from 1 May 2004. Swiss negotiator Dieter Grossen, incoming Director of the Federal Immigration Office for Integration and Emigration (IMES). Switzerland declared itself "interested" by the European Commission proposal to grant it a safeguard clause that would allow it to take measures in case Bern thought workers arriving from new Member States were too great. Switzerland could thus also possibly introduce quotas from 2008 (the date where a priori they are supposed to be ended). Community sources point out that they are just at the beginning of the discussion on this point and that nothing has as yet been decided, notably whether this clause would be the norm or whether it would apply to specific countries. this clause was proposed based on the model which had already been negotiated for extending the agreement of the European Economic Area to the ten accession countries. the Swiss indicated that they found this interesting and could encourage them to take this road, which they regard as a "quite discretionary clause".
It was originally planned, during the signing of the free movement agreement between Switzerland and the Fifteen that quotas would be got rid of by 2008 but Switzerland cold reintroduce them until 2014 for a limited period if there is a strong increase in workers from the EU. To take into account enlargement, the safeguard clause could possibly be use to allow Switzerland to reintroduce quotas from 2008, not necessarily in exceptional circumstances.
Until now the European Union has insisted on the extension from 1 May 2004 of the access to quotas for nationals from the new Member States (15,000 per year for the moment), an increase in quotas of 20% and the absence of any discrimination towards new Member States. Switzerland, on the contrary, is insisting on the fact that it could not automatically accept nationals from the new Member States and asked for a seven year transition period during which it refuse them access to its labour market, as Member States can also do. Each side is effectively sticking to its position, but the proposal on a safeguard clause could make things move forward. The European Commission considers that the quota regulation in combination with such a safeguard clause for quota-free periods would provide ample protection against unsustainable migration movements. In any case, judging from existing studies and earlier enlargements, no such movements are expected to happen. On the Swiss side, it is not considered very likely that negotiations will be completed this year and it is stressed that, at any rate, the agreement would not be able to take effect before June 2005 given the time it takes for ratification in Switzerland. The European side insists on earlier implementation as of 1 May 2004.
For the period autumn 2001-2002, Switzerland only granted 274 one-year permits and 544 short permits to nationals of the ten acceding countries. The next negotiating session will take place on 5 November.