¶ Course of Negotiations

Source: Dispatch 26.023, Chapter 1.3 (pp. 42--52)
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¶ Summary

The negotiations on the Switzerland-EU package extended over several years: from the exploratory talks starting in February 2022 through the formal negotiations from March 2024 to the signing on 2 March 2026. A total of 197 negotiating sessions were held, accompanied by a broad domestic involvement process.

¶ Chronology

¶ Exploratory phase (February 2022 -- October 2023)

• 23 February 2022: Federal Council decides to engage in exploratory talks with the EU on the package approach
• From July 2022: First technical discussions between Switzerland and the competent Directorates-General of the European Commission
• 31 August 2022: Federal Council establishes a project organisation under the leadership of the head of the FDFA (steering group, core group, sounding board)
• 8 November 2023: Federal Council notes that a sufficient basis exists for the opening of formal negotiations

¶ Negotiating mandate (December 2023 -- March 2024)

• 15 December 2023: Federal Council adopts the draft negotiating mandate
• Consultation of the foreign affairs committees, other parliamentary committees, cantons, economic and social partners
• 8 March 2024: Definitive adoption of the negotiating mandate
• 12 March 2024: EU adopts its negotiating mandate

¶ Formal negotiations (March -- December 2024)

• 18 March 2024: Official opening by President of the Confederation Viola Amherd and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
• Chief negotiators: Patric Franzen (Switzerland), Richard Szostak (EU)
• 14 negotiating groups: Institutional elements, state aid, free movement of persons (immigration), free movement of persons (wage protection), land transport, MRA, air transport, food safety, electricity, health, programmes, space, Swiss contribution, cross-cutting elements
• Approximately three sessions per month at chief negotiator level, plus frequent ad hoc contacts
• Regular contacts at political level (Amherd--von der Leyen, Cassis--Sefcovic)
• 20 December 2024: Federal Council notes with satisfaction the successful material conclusion; 197 negotiating sessions in total

¶ Initialling and signing (2025--2026)

• 2 April 2025: Chief negotiators initial the EU programmes agreement (EUPA); approved by the Federal Council on 10 April
• 21 May 2025: Remaining agreements and protocols initialled in Bern
• 13 June 2025: Federal Council opens the consultation procedure (until 31 October 2025)
• 24 June 2025: Joint declaration on the scope of the partnership signed (Cassis--Sefcovic, Brussels)
• 10 November 2025: EUPA signed by FC Parmelin and EU Commissioner Zaharieva in Bern; provisional application retroactive from 1 January 2025
• 2 March 2026: Signing of the entire package in Brussels (FC Parmelin -- Commission President von der Leyen)

¶ Involvement of stakeholders

¶ Parliament

• Regular information via the Foreign Affairs Committees (FAC), more than 13 sessions during the negotiations
• EFTA/EU Delegation of Parliament involved
• Subject-specific committees (EAER, FDJP, DETEC, TC, EC, PIC, FC) informed of the draft mandate and state of negotiations

¶ Cantons

• Representation in 8 of the 14 negotiating groups through directors' conferences
• 27 European dialogues and 28 sounding board sessions until the adoption of the dispatch
• The Conference of Cantonal Governments supported the negotiating lines (24 of 26 cantons in favour)

¶ Social and economic partners

• Approximately 140 sessions of the specialised domestic bodies
• Sounding board under the leadership of department heads (SGB, Travail.Suisse, SAV, SGV, economiesuisse)
• 28 sounding board sessions in total

¶ Negotiating outcome

The negotiating outcome corresponds to the package approach of 23 February 2022:

¶ References

[1] Dispatch 26.023, Chapter 1.3 (pp. 42--52)

[2] FDFA: Switzerland-EU package