Switzerland and the EU are trying to reorganize their relationship. After six rounds of talks, there is obviously progress in terms of atmosphere and content. Whether that is enough for a new negotiating mandate is still unclear.
Livia Leu is negotiating bilateral cooperation with the EU on behalf of Switzerland.
On Friday, State Secretary Livia Leu spoke for the sixth time with representatives of the EU Commission in Brussels about the development of the bilateral relationship after the end of the framework agreement. While the small number of Swiss correspondents had to stand in front of the Commission building at the beginning of these soundings in order to get Leu to say something about the talks before leaving, the State Secretary is now informing the press as a matter of routine and of her own free will Swiss mission.
To #InstA-From today new “exploratory drilling” in Brussels. finds @SwissMFAStatSec Livia Leu the vein of gold? or just granite? pic.twitter.com/EGpu5mMpvf
— Remo Hess (@remohess) March 31, 2022
Accordingly, a more relaxed relationship has apparently developed between Leu and her counterpart at the Commission, Juraj Nociar, the head of cabinet of EU Commissioner Maros Sefcovic.
La secretaire d’État ??Livia Leu @SwissMFAStatSec rencontre la presse suisse après ses entretiens avec la Commission européenne à Bruxelles #SwissEUrelations pic.twitter.com/ZOC7OtxPCI
— Swiss Mission to the EU (@SwissmissionEU) November 11, 2022
It was an open and solution-oriented discussion, said Leu. And: “We have a common understanding of the package.” The package increases the scope for compromises and solutions. In this way, central interests of Switzerland in the areas of wage protection and immigration can be better addressed, said Leu. She emphasized that Bern needed exceptions in these areas.
As is well known, the Federal Council is aiming for a kind of Bilateral III, which goes beyond the institutional issues contained in the framework agreement and could also include an electricity agreement and a regulation on participation in the research framework program Horizon Europe.
Such ideas already existed, but they were dropped again. Now Leu praised the package approach and emphasized that progress had been made. But there are still open questions.
Ultimately, the Federal Council will have to decide whether the progress is sufficient to formally give Leu a negotiating mandate and what is included. At the same time, the EU must clarify whether to negotiate on the basis of the mandate for the framework agreement or whether to obtain a new mandate from the member states.
There is still no new date for further talks, said Leu. But the exchange continues. There are also signs of relaxation in the important relationship with France. Leu was in Paris for talks on Tuesday, and Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis met French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday.
A spokesman for the Commission said that the talks were constructive and brought additional clarification in certain areas such as the free movement of people. There is now a better understanding of where we stand and what needs to be discussed in more depth. The work will continue.