The EU calls for the framework agreement to be signed quickly

Ursula von der Leyen wants “soon” to contact Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga and congratulate her on the clear result.

Pool / Reuters

The EU Commission insists on the speedy signing and ratification of this framework agreement. Ursula von der Leyen, chair of the Commission, said this in a video message on Sunday night after the results of the limitation initiative became available. She welcomed the rejection of the initiative and saw it as a positive sign.

Von der Leyen wants “soon” to contact Federal President Simonetta Sommaruga and congratulate her on the clear result. She is pleased that the Federal Council can now act “quickly” to sign and ratify the framework agreement that was “fully negotiated” in 2018. She informed Sommaruga of her attitude at their meeting in Davos in January, and nothing has changed, von said. der Leyen.

EU MPs would like more courage from the Federal Council

The result of the referendum is proof that Swiss citizens wanted to continue working with the EU, German EU MP Andreas Schwab of the CDU said on Sunday. He is the chairman of the Swiss parliamentary delegation. He also calls for the framework agreement to be “signed soon”. This creates legal security for both parties. “I would like the Swiss government to defend and explain the outcome of the negotiations with the EU with more courage,” Schwab went on to quote.

Charles Michel wants to better protect the internal market

The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, also welcomed the result of the vote on the short message service Twitter on Sunday. We look forward to closer cooperation.

On Friday he caused a stir with the declaration that access to the EU internal market would no longer be sold. Michel expressed himself in a video message on the occasion of the United Nations General Assembly. The intention is to enforce the same competitive conditions for everyone in the future. That affects those who would leave the EU, but also those who want to get closer.

It was referring mainly to Great Britain and China. But this statement reflects a general mood in the EU. You want to show strength and give fewer gifts.

The EU joins the framework agreement

The EU adheres to the framework agreement and works to ratify it quickly. However, Brussels has already promised that it is ready to discuss the clarifications required by the Federal Council. Responsible Commissioner Johannes Hahn confirmed this again on Twitter on Sunday night.

The Commission will have to decide whether to bet on the carrot or the stick.

The carrot would be if Brussels made broad concessions at the Berne talks. Using this approach, the commission would help the Federal Council to make the bill more popular with the Swiss electorate and improve the chances of success in the referendum. But Bern shouldn’t expect too many presents. The Commission’s scope for action is also limited by the decision of the Council of the 27 EU Member States of February 2019. It states that the conclusion of the framework agreement “on the basis of the current text” is an important prerequisite for future contracts.

Are there more pressure attempts from Brussels?

The whip would then be pressure from Brussels for the Federal Council to sign (quickly) this text.

In principle, however, bilateral agreements remain valid. But the EU may continue to refuse to update these treaties.

The medical technology industry would be directly affected. In reality, the new rules for the approval of medical technology products should have been applied in the EU since the end of May. To ensure that Swiss suppliers have largely unhindered access to the EU internal market, the bilateral agreement on trade barriers (MRA) would need to be updated. This threatened to fail due to the lack of progress on the framework agreement. However, in the Covid 19 crisis, Brussels showed its understanding and postponed the application of the rules until May 2021. Without updates, the industry will lose direct access, as the Swiss Association for Medical Technology wrote on Sunday.

An agreement on the participation of Swiss researchers in the EU’s “Horizon Europe” research framework program is also pending. Currently, it appears that Switzerland will be in a slightly worse position than before, especially financially. However, a solution comparable to a full partnership should be possible through negotiation. And that’s what Bern is looking for. However, the punctures of the EU are also to be feared.

And finally, the EU continues to view the Swiss stock market as no longer equivalent to the EU trading venues. The reasons for this are political and not content related. The lack of progress in the framework agreement is also cited in the case of the denial of equity. In response, the Swiss parliament blocked the 1 billion cohesion promised to the EU.

The matter is delicate. The Federal Council hardly wants to give the impression that it is being blackmailed by the EU and does not want to enter the referendum campaign with a proposal that has no chance. At the same time, the EU can hardly be very generous in the face of Brexit.

In this delicate situation, much depends on what the Federal Council in Brussels now demands of the EU.