ZURICH (Reuters) – Switzerland has made good progress on most of its negotiation with the European Union on updating economic relations, though work remains to be done on free movement of people, electricity and financial contributions, the government said on Wednesday.
Switzerland’s Federal Council said it had taken stock of talks with Brussels on the package of measures aimed at modernizing bilateral accords that govern access to the EU single market, and how they would be implemented domestically.
“In most dossiers, negotiations are well advanced,” the Federal Council said in a statement. “Negotiations on the free movement of people, electricity and Switzerland’s contribution to cohesion within the EU are continuing apace.”
The right-wing Swiss People’s Party (SVP), the biggest party in the lower house of parliament, has been pushing hard to restrict immigration, arguing that population growth risks becoming unmanageable. That has put pressure on the government to contain the numbers.
The bilateral negotiations also aim to reach a mutually beneficial deal on electricity markets as well as agree how much Switzerland should pay for access to the single market.
Since talks began in March, the Swiss delegation has held over 140 negotiating sessions with the EU, the government said.
Both Brussels and Bern have said they want a deal this year so the package can go to parliament. It is also almost certain to face a referendum in Switzerland before it can become law.
Officials and politicians say if a deal is sealed, the process could last at least another couple of years – or longer.
At the current stage of negotiations, the number of EU legal acts that Switzerland would have to adopt as part of the package is about 150, the Swiss government said.
(Reporting by Dave Graham, editing by John Revill)
