Switzerland and EU sign memorandum of understanding on second Swiss contribution

30.06.2022 — Press release EDA
Switzerland and the EU signed earlier today in Brussels a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the second Swiss contribution to selected EU member states. State Secretary Livia Leu, who was in Brussels for exploratory talks, signed the MoU on behalf of Switzerland. The signing of this MOU marks another important milestone towards a swift implementation of the contribution.

State Secretary Martina Hirayama in Brussels

28.06.2022 — Press release DEA
On 28 June, Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, opened the SwissCore Annual Event in Brussels. During her visit, the State Secretary also held talks with Flemish Minister Jo Brouns and representatives of the Faroe Islands.

State Secretary Martina Hirayama attends Eureka Ministerial Conference

23.06.2022 — Press release DEA
Martina Hirayama, State Secretary for Education, Research and Innovation, attended the Eureka Ministerial Conference in Lisbon (Portugal) on 22 June. Eureka is an initiative of 47 countries aimed at fostering cross-border cooperation projects in market-oriented research and development independent of the EU’s framework programmes. State Secretary Hirayama also took the opportunity to talk with German education minister Bettina Stark-Watzinger, UK science minister George Freeman and South Korean deputy trade minister Soosung Hwang.

Confederation arranges for implementation of OECD minimum tax rate in Switzerland

23.06.2022 — Press release DEA
In order to implement the OECD/G20 project on taxing the digital economy, the Federal Council is proposing a supplementary tax. Based on the results of the consultation, the Confederation should receive 25% of the receipts from the supplementary tax and use the funds for the benefit of Switzerland as a business location. The remaining 75% will go to the cantons and communes.

President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis meets the Minister-President of Baden-Württemberg in Stuttgart

23.06.2022 — Press release EDA
During his visit to Stuttgart, the President of the Confederation met with the Minister-President of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann. The meeting focused on Switzerland's relations with the European Union and their impact on close cross-border relations between Switzerland and Baden-Württemberg. The war in Ukraine was also discussed.

EFTA-Ministerkonferenz in Island

18.06.2022 — Press release DEA
Die Staatssekretärin für Wirtschaft Marie-Gabrielle Ineichen-Fleisch wird am 20. Juni 2022 an der Ministerkonferenz der Europäischen Freihandelsassoziation (EFTA) in Island teilnehmen. Hauptgesprächsthemen auf Ministerebene sind aktuelle und zukünftige Freihandelsprozesse sowie die militärische Aggression Russlands in der Ukraine, die seit Langem ein Freihandelspartner der EFTA ist.

Federal Council intends to step up exploratory talks with the EU

17.06.2022 — Press release EDA
At its European policy retreat on 17 June 2022, the Federal Council was briefed on the status of the exploratory talks between Switzerland and the EU. The Federal Council decided on this basis to step up the exploratory talks with the EU. It also took note of the final report on the removal of regulatory differences between Swiss and EU law. The scope for action and possible solutions identified in the final report will be taken into consideration in further exploratory talks with the EU.

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová on a State Visit to Switzerland

19.05.2022 — Press release DEA
On Thursday, 19 May, President Zuzana Čaputová became the first head of state of the Slovak Republic to pay a State Visit to Switzerland. The Swiss government, headed by President Ignazio Cassis, welcomed the Slovak president at the start of the visit on Bundesplatz in Bern. Besides bilateral relations, official talks focused in particular on the war in Ukraine. Other topics on the agenda included European policy and climate and environmental issues.

Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová to pay state visit to Switzerland

13.05.2022 — Press release EDA
President Zuzana Čaputová of Slovakia will pay a state visit to Switzerland next week. Switzerland and the Slovak Republic share many similarities and enjoy a close relationship. President Čaputová is the first Slovak head of state to visit Switzerland and will be received with full military honours. The Federal Council hopes that the visit will further strengthen ties between the two countries.

Swiss president visits the Vatican to meet the Pope and attend swearing-in of Swiss Guard

02.05.2022 — Press release EDA
President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis will travel to the Vatican on 6 May 2022, where he will take part in the swearing-in of the new Swiss Guard and meet Pope Francis and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the secretary for relations with states. The Swiss president's visit will also be an opportunity to present the new Swiss embassy to the Holy See.

Zurich – Lugano – Milano: trip of Switzerland's President Ignazio Cassis champions sustainable innovation

29.04.2022 — Press release EDA
Today, President of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis, accompanied by authorities from Zurich and Ticino, launched Innovation Day, which spotlighted the network of innovation within Switzerland and beyond its borders as part of a train trip. Pursuing the axis of Zurich, Ticino and Milan, he visited Innovation Park in Dübendorf and Tecnopolo Ticino in Manno. At the end of the trip, the president was received at House of Switzerland Milano for its inauguration. There, he had an exchange with Italy's foreign minister, Luigi di Maio, and minister for technological innovation, Vittorio Colao.

Switzerland and the UK deepen partnership

28.04.2022 — Press release EDA
On Thursday, 28 April, President Ignazio Cassis met with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Foreign Secretary Elizabeth Truss in London. President Cassis was also invited to pay a courtesy visit to Queen Elizabeth II. Switzerland and the United Kingdom signed a joint declaration on the further development of their bilateral partnership and agreed to deepen cooperation in the field of science. They confirmed the launch of exploratory talks to modernise the existing trade agreement. Key topics of discussion included Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine and its consequences, as well as Switzerland's and the UK's relations with the European Union.

Withholding tax agreement with Austria to be terminated

11.11.2016 — Press release DEA
The withholding tax agreement between Switzerland and Austria will be terminated on 1 January 2017. The agreement between Switzerland and the EU on the automatic exchange of information in tax matters will enter into force on that date. On 11 November 2016, Switzerland and Austria signed a corresponding agreement in Bern to ensure a smooth transition between the two models.

Visit of the Kosovar Minister of Foreign Affairs: focus on stability

09.11.2016 — Press release DEA
Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA, Didier Burkhalter, received today his Kosovar counterpart Enver Hoxhaj in Bern as part of an official visit. The two ministers addressed a number of questions related to the close bilateral relations between Switzerland and Kosovo, specifically from the perspective of the two countries' mutual interests in migration and development cooperation. The agenda also featured both the regional context – relations with neighbouring states and the normalisation of relations with Serbia – and international and multilateral issues.

Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer attends meeting of EU and EFTA economics and finance ministers in Brussels

08.11.2016 — Press release DEA
On Tuesday, 8 November 2016, Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer attended the annual meeting of the economics and finance ministers of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) and the European Union (EU), the so-called Joint ECOFIN, in Brussels. The meeting focused on investing activity in Europe.

Tax system for EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse: agreement initialled between Switzerland and France

04.11.2016 — Press release DEA
During political consultations between France and Switzerland, State Secretary of the FDFA, Yves Rossier, and the General Secretary of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development, Christian Masset, have initialled the text of an intergovernmental agreement on the tax system applying to EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse (EAP).

Norwegian Foreign Minister Børge Brende makes official visit to Switzerland

24.10.2016 — Press release DEA
President of the Swiss Confederation Johann N. Schneider-Ammann, Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter, and Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard received Norway's Foreign Minister Børge Brende for working meetings on 24 October 2016. The talks focused on bilateral political and economic relations and European policy. Further topics were cooperation between Switzerland and Norway in international forums such as the UN and issues in connection with current international events. Foreign Minister Brende also made a courtesy visit to Christa Markwalder, President of the National Council.

Slovak President Andrej Kiska pays official visit to Switzerland

21.10.2016 — Press release DEA
The Slovak president, Andrej Kiska, arrived in Switzerland for an official visit on Friday, 21 October. In the morning he toured the ETH Zurich with President Johann N. Schneider-Ammann. Later the Slovak president was received with military honours at the Lohn country residence. The official talks focused on the themes of European policy and bilateral relations, particularly from an economic perspective, and also covered education, research and innovation. Slovakia currently holds the presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Federal Councillor Ueli Maurer receives Slovakian Finance Minister

19.10.2016 — Press release DEA
This afternoon, Finance Minister Ueli Maurer received his Slovakian counterpart, Peter Kažimír, in Bern. The talks focused on an exchange on the macroeconomic situation in Europe and the most important international financial and tax issues.

Federal Council receives Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa

17.10.2016 — Press release DEA
On Monday, 17 October, President Johann N. Schneider-Ammann greeted Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa in Geneva at the start of his state visit to Switzerland. The two presidents then went on to visit the Campus Biotech research centre. In the afternoon Portugal’s head of state was received by the full Federal Council in Bern. The main themes covered during the official discussions included cooperation in the fields of education and research, energy, environmental and climate policy, and European policy issues.

Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter receives Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström

11.10.2016 — Press release DEA
Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Didier Burkhalter received the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström for a working visit today. The talks, held at Hôtel DuPeyrou in Neuchâtel, covered bilateral relations and EU policy. Cooperation between Switzerland and Sweden in international forums and topical international issues were also on the agenda for discussion.

Implementation of the Mass Immigration Initiative: quick ratification of the Croatia protocol possible

30.09.2016 — Press release DEA
At its meeting on 28/29 September 2016 the ETH Board made key decisions in order to invest in strategic research areas which are crucial for Switzerland. It also discussed the current implementation status of the Mass Immigration Initiative. In the view of the ETH Board, the National Council’s recent decision lays the foundations for the Croatia protocol to be quickly ratified by the Federal Council so that Switzerland could remain within Horizon 2020.

Federal Council amends Heavy Vehicle Charge Ordinance

23.09.2016 — Press release DEA
During its meeting today, the Federal Council amended the tariffs for vehicles which are subject to the mileage-related heavy vehicle charge (LSVA). The new tariffs will enter into force on 1 January 2017. In this way, the decisions to promote the shift of transalpine goods transport which the Federal Council took in principle with the 2015 report on the transfer of traffic will be implemented.

President Schneider-Ammann meets European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in Zurich

19.09.2016 — Press release DEA
President Johann N. Schneider-Ammann met with the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, in Zurich on Monday to discuss the current state of relations between Switzerland and the European Union. One of the main topics was the implementation of Article 121a of the Federal Constitution on immigration. In the evening, the two presidents attended an event to mark the 70th anniversary of the historic speech on Europe given by Winston Churchill in Zurich.

EU and Swiss regulators sign confidentiality arrangement

22.07.2015 — Article DEA

Arrangements will improve oversight of medicines for better protection of public and animal health.

Contribution to the enlarged EU: signing of bilateral framework agreement with Croatia

30.06.2015 — DEA
On 30 June 2015 in Zagreb, Switzerland and Croatia signed the bilateral framework agreement which regulates the substance and implementation of the Swiss enlargement contribution to Croatia. Switzerland has allocated CHF 45 million to support projects in Croatia, in particular in the fields of water treatment, supply of drinking water, research and vocational education and training.

Popular vote Ecopop

30.11.2014 — Article DEA

In a popular vote held on 30 November 2014, 74.1% of the Swiss people and all the cantons have rejected the popular initiative «Stop overpopulation – safeguard our natural environment» (Ecopop initiative).

Switzerland takes further step towards introduction of automatic exchange of information

19.11.2014 — DEA
Today, the Federal Council approved a declaration on Switzerland joining the multilateral agreement on the automatic exchange of information in tax matters. This international agreement, which was developed within the framework of the OECD, forms a basis for the future introduction of the cross-border automatic exchange of information. The question regarding the countries with which Switzerland should introduce this exchange of data is not affected by the signing of the multilateral agreement; it will be presented to Parliament separately at a later stage.

French President François Hollande to pay a state visit to Switzerland in 2015

30.10.2014 — DEA
During President Didier Burkhalter’s working visit to Paris on Thursday, the French president, François Hollande, accepted the Federal Council’s invitation to pay a state visit to Switzerland. The visit will take place next year. During their discussions, the two presidents addressed the status of Basel-Mulhouse airport. Mr Burkhalter and Mr Hollande stressed the importance of the airport’s binational character for the region as a whole.

Federal Council approves the Horizon 2020 package

22.10.2014 — DEA
In its meeting today, the Federal Council approved the agreement on Switzerland’s participation in the Horizon 2020 research programme. The agreement covers Switzerland’s partial association to the programme between 15 September 2014 and 31 December 2016. It allows researchers from Switzerland to take full part in selected parts of Horizon 2020 and to apply for the sought-after grants provided by the European Research Council. The agreement provides for Switzerland’s full association to Horizon 2020 between 2017 and 2020, provided a solution can be found to the issue of the free movement of persons.

Automatic exchange of information in tax matters: Federal Council adopts negotiation mandates with partner states

08.10.2014 — DEA
During its meeting today, the Federal Council adopted definitive negotiation mandates for introducing the new global standard for the automatic exchange of information in tax matters with partner states. The competent parliamentary committees and the cantons were consulted on the mandates in recent months. Negotiations with partner states should commence shortly.

German Chancellor Merkel assures President of the Swiss Confederation Burkhalter that Germany will play a constructive part in the dialogue on EU policy

18.02.2014 — DEA
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Mr Didier Burkhalter, informed German Chancellor Angela Merkel today about the outcome of the popular vote on the mass immigration initiative and the next steps to be taken by the Federal Council to implement the new constitutional provision on immigration. Ms Merkel assured Mr Burkhalter that Germany would play a constructive part in the aspects of the discussions that touch on EU policy. The meeting with German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier centred on the situation in Ukraine and the possible role of the OSCE, which is chaired by Switzerland in 2014, in defusing the crisis. Mr Burkhalter will travel from Berlin to Paris, where he will meet with French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius this evening.

Fourth Round of Swiss-EU Negotiations on Linking of Emissions Trading Systems

09.07.2013 — DEA
The fourth round of negotiations between Switzerland and the European Union on the linking of their respective CO2 emissions trading systems was held in Zurich on 8 July 2013. Further progress was made at the negotiations. The aim of completing the technical negotiations by the end of the year was corroborated.