Federal Council hands over EU treaty package to Parliament
Keystone-SDA
The Swiss parliament is taking the lead in the EU dossier. On Friday the government approved the dispatch on the EU treaty package and passed it on to the Federal Assembly.
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With the “Stabilisation and further development of relations between Switzerland and the EU (Bilaterals III)” package, the government said it wants to stabilise the tried-and-tested bilateral approach and make it fit for the future. In addition, stable and reliable relations with neighbouring European countries are of “strategic importance” in view of the tense geopolitical situation.
The government has amended three other laws compared to the consultation draft. These relate to the participation rights of the cantons, parliament and the public in the context of so-called decision shaping, the statement continued. This refers to Switzerland’s involvement in the EU legislative process in areas in which Switzerland is to participate in future.
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According to the documents, parliament will have to deal with three new laws: on the monitoring of state aid, on administrative cooperation in the recognition of professional qualifications and on Switzerland’s contributions to strengthening cohesion in Europe. The government is also requesting four credit commitments.
Thirty-six existing federal laws need to be further amended, 15 of which are “substantial” and 21 of which are “minor”. As part of the package, 94 EU legal acts of a legislative nature are relevant for Switzerland. The government explains the details to legislators in the 1,086-page dispatch, which has been published.
As already decided in June, the government is unravelling the treaty package and submitting four federal resolutions to parliament: one concerning the stabilisation of the existing agreements and one each on the three new agreements in the areas of electricity, health and food safety.
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The government is also sticking to its decision to submit the agreements to an optional referendum. This means that in the event of a referendum, only the majority of the people and not the majority of the cantons will decide the outcome of the vote. Parliament will also make the final decision.
Link to existing bilateral agreements
According to the government, the bill will stabilise the tried-and-tested bilateral approach and make it fit for the future. It guarantees the continuity of economic, scientific and social relations with the EU, Switzerland’s “most important trading partner”.
The government also believes that the path taken remains the “best option” for shaping relations between Switzerland and the EU. The current package of agreements builds on the existing Bilateral Agreements I and II. The government therefore also refers to the package as Bilaterals III.
Adapted from German by AI/ts
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