Switzerland and EU want to negotiate, but optimism is limited

It took three years, 11 exploratory rounds and 46 specialised meetings. Now the official negotiations on the future relationship between Bern and Brussels are to begin. Here’s what you need to know. The smoke signals are set: on March 8 the Swiss government adopted the mandate for the negotiations with the EU, and a few days later the EU also gave the green light. This clears the way for a new agreement on future relations: On the one side, neutral Switzerland, endeavouring to maintain political independence and interested in international trade; on the other is the European Union, the largest economic area in the world, which is becoming ever deeper politically and will presumably continue to grow. What exactly is at stake? Switzerland’s access to the European single market has so far been regulated by a large number of bilateral agreements. The government’s declared aim is to stabilise and expand this bilateral approach. This is in response to pressure from the EU, which wants to ...