In December 2024, the Federal Council welcomed the substantive conclusion of the negotiations between Switzerland and the EU and took the necessary steps to formally finalise the texts (legal scrubbing and translation). The agreements were initialled today in Bern in their original English versions by the chief negotiators of Switzerland and the EU, Patric Franzen and Richard Szostak, as well as the Swiss co-negotiators from the federal offices concerned. Initialling means approving the text of a treaty by adding one's initials. In doing so, the negotiators confirm that the text corresponds to the results of the negotiations.

On 2 April 2025, the chief negotiators of the two parties already initialled the EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA), in Brussels. At its meeting on 9 April 2025, the Federal Council approved the EUPA and authorised Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin to sign it in November 2025. This will enable Switzerland to be associated, retroactively from 1 January 2025, to Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme and the Digital Europe Programme.

The Federal Council will decide before the summer whether to approve the agreements initialled today and open consultations on the package which aims to stabilise and further develop the bilateral path. The agreements are currently being translated into Switzerland's official languages. The consultation documents that the Federal Council will publish will include the original version of the agreements together with the translations and Switzerland's domestic legislative measures. Subject to the Federal Council's decision, the agreements are expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2026.

Address for enquiries:

FDFA Communication Bundeshaus West 3003 Bern +41 58 460 55 55 kommunikation@eda.admin.ch