Switzerland's relationship with the EU: Like waiting for Godot

Christian Leffler, Deputy Secretary General of the European external action service, and responsible for Switzerland, hopes that signing of the institutional framework agreement in the spring of 2020. This is the EU official said on Wednesday before the foreign Affairs Committee in the European Parliament, where he spoke about the state of play between Switzerland and the EU.

Leffler pointed out that, according to the no of the Swiss Electorate on EEA in 1992, the bilateral agreements only as a temporary solution were thought of. Because at that time there had been a letter, in which Switzerland had applied for membership in the EU.

Now it was connected but by the bilateral agreements, said Leffler more. Therefore, there is a need now for a framework agreement, "which brings us together", and allow it to meet as equal partners.

criticism of Lefflers comparison

Leffler said, he assume that the first General elections of the Federal Council would have to wait for in December, so that thereafter, the still open points to be clarified, and in the spring of the framework agreement signed could be, could be.

He very much hope that the relationship Switzerland-EU now, soon forward. But sometimes he felt like in the theater play "Waiting for Godot" by Samuel Beckett, said Leffler more.

by return of post criticism of MEP Reinhard Bütikhofer (Green, Germany) came to this comparison. This is not a partnership approach, said Bütikhofer, had made in the past for the accompanying measures.

The members of the European Parliament warned Leffler in addition to expect the signing of the agreement at the beginning of 2020 and referred to the limit on the initiative of the SVP, which requires a termination of the free movement of persons and in may 2020 for the vote to come. to bring

Roadmap

To the framework agreement despite the limitation of initiative forward, had the national Council Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP/ZH), President of the Swiss EFTA/EU Delegation, and Delegation-Vice-President Eric Nussbaumer (SP/BL) made already in the beginning of October a number of EU members in Brussels.

port a man said to the news Agency Keystone SDA, they wanted to explore, "if we can get about the two parliaments of movement in the blocked calls to the framework agreement".

the goal is to design a common Roadmap for the framework agreement to be adopted by the Swiss Parliament, as well as from the EU Parliament. So you could show a way out of the cul-de-SAC and, therefore, the Federal Council, as well as the new EU Commission for the strengthen the back, said port man. (step/sda)

Created: 06.11.2019, 19:12 PM