No breakthrough in Swiss-EU immigration stalemate

Switzerland and the European Union have ended summer talks without finding a way to break a deadlock over immigration, Swiss media reported on Monday. As a result, Switzerland likely will have to re-introduce quotas as required by a national vote. The quotas for limiting influxes of foreigners risk destroying a set of EU treaties vital to the Swiss economy. Swiss and EU negotiators tried this summer to smooth over differences that resulted from a narrowly approved right-wing measure to curb immigration in a 2014 nationwide vote. The vote put at risk other Swiss-EU agreements on a wide range of issues such as movement of workers, trade and transport. The talks were delayed until late June through July because the EU did not want to negotiate with Switzerland before knowing whether the United Kingdom would leave the EU, Swiss negotiator Jacques de Watteville told the Swiss newspaper NZZ am Sonntag. August deadline The government had until August to prepare a ...