Geneva, Dec 18 (AFP/APP):After years of negotiations, Switzerland’s government appeared poised to approve a package of agreements with the European Union, though Swiss lawmakers and a likely referendum could still sink the deal.
Non-EU member Switzerland and its largest trading partner are seeking to stabilise and develop their relations, which are currently governed by more than 120 agreements.
For nearly two decades, the two sides have been discussing the need to simplify and harmonise ties, but relations soured in 2021, when, without warning, Bern slammed the door on the negotiations.
The talks tentatively resumed in March, with both sides saying they hoped to conclude a deal by the end of the year.
Unlike previous attempts to seal an overarching framework agreement, the current negotiations have sought to update the existing bilateral agreements and conclude new ones on issues like electricity, health and food safety.
Swiss media have in recent days cited diplomatic sources saying that all issues had been agreed upon, with the exception of the amount Switzerland should pay into the EU’s Cohesion Fund, which is aimed at reducing economic and social disparities in the bloc.
A fresh round of discussions on Tuesday “took place in a very positive atmosphere”, a European diplomatic source said.
“Now that an agreement is in sight, we hope that Switzerland will be ready to go ahead. We believe we have reached what is a very delicate balance, and should be appreciated as such by all parties.”
- 'Sword of Damocles' -
While there have been no official announcements so far, media reports suggest that the Swiss government is prepared to approve a deal on Friday, ahead of an expected pre-Christmas visit to Bern by European Commission president Ursula Von der Leyen.
Reaching a deal that will stick will remain an uphill battle in any case, with any agreement forced to pass muster not only with Switzerland's parliament but also with voters in a likely referendum.
"The signing of this agreement is only one step," explained Gilbert Casasus, a European studies professor at the University of Fribourg.
The end point, he told AFP, would not come until "2027 at the earliest... with the risk that by that date, the agreement will already be obsolete".
A Swiss referendum, he warned, remained "the biggest sword of Damocles hanging over the fate of this agreement".
The Swiss Trade Union Federation (USS), the country's largest union umbrella organisation, has already called for further negotiations, warning that the agreement as it currently stands risks hitting Swiss wages.
Unions have also voiced concern at the potential impacts on Switzerland's rail and electricity sectors.
The Swiss business federation Economiesuisse meanwhile supports an agreement, saying it would "enable Switzerland to maintain the current conditions, allowing its economy to access the European market, and to develop them in important areas".
But its president Christophe Mader told the Neue Zurcher Zeitung newspaper on Wednesday that Switzerland needed to have the last word on immigration, if it "passes the tolerable limits".
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