The economy can not

The economy must speak "with one voice", says the Basel national councillor Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter, President of the foreign policy Commission. You asked this a year ago in an open letter to the trade associations. Since then, much has happened, in particular, the Text of the agreement is now known.

has not a uniform attitude of the economy to the agreement, the led. While Economiesuisse at the end of January a "Yes, but" announced but still up to the actual Board meeting in March will have to wait, the Swiss insurance Association announced the launch of the agreement in the present Form do not support.

Or during the UBS President Axel Weber urges the EU to third countries such as Switzerland a better deal, the Swiss bankers Association, the agreement has to be assessed "positively". Even within a single industry Association, it does not agree: While the President of Swissmem, Hans Hess, before Christmas, of a "tailor-made" agreement, adding, the Association Director, a month later, there is a need for a "legal certainty manufacturing clarification".

525 million more in costs

While the top managers of the two large pharmaceutical groups Novartis and Roche in regular intervals for the agreement weibeln, calls for the science industries, the Association of chemical, pharmaceutical and biotech companies, long an opt-out clause for Switzerland in the re-enactment of EU law. The Association fears that this could worsen the competitiveness of its members.

That this is not far-fetched, is experiencing the medical technology industry. The re-enactment of the new EU regulation according to the regulatory impact of the Federal government to follow more cost of 525 million francs per year, because the companies need to employ an additional 1000 people for regulation and Compliance. That's the equivalent of more than three percent of the annual turnover.

The different assessment of the agreement lies in the different effects which the framework agreement to the company. This was an event of Avenir Suisse as of last Friday. Roughly four groups can be distinguished. Large corporations such as Roche or Novartis are flexible enough that a EU regulation, which would increase the cost in Switzerland, to Dodge. It looks similar to the big banks and their access to the market: they are already represented in the EU (and outside) with subsidiary companies. Of the costs for the conversion to a new output location to fall no more than one. The potential Benefit of unhindered access to the market outweighs the potential harm.

Novartis-President Reinhardt for the agreement. Photo: Keystone

similar to the Situation in the machinery industry. Anyone who exports worldwide – and particularly the Major players in the industry, which also produces world's. The Transport of large machines is expensive and time-consuming. The company , therefore, with its own factories or Joint Ventures in their sales markets. The machine manufacturer, Bucher Industries, for example, has locations on four continents. The Railway manufacturer Stadler Rail is building, where he sold his trains, also Assembly halls and sold the Service of its trains, for example, three years ago in the United States. The smaller companies that produce in Switzerland, often have little sales outside of the EU. Also, the EU regulation does not harm. The EU is the "home market", said Thomas harbour, CEO of Bühlmann Laboratories, at Avenir Suisse. The orientation on non-European markets is costly. It is not surprising that he feared for the understanding of EU law is not a disadvantage.

it is a Different matter if a company exports mainly global and not only in the EU but its production is based to a large extent in Switzerland. The most prominent example of this is the Ems group, SVP-national Council member Magdalena Martullo-Blocher. The high-performance plastics and specialty chemicals, the Ems group to be manufactured around the other half in Switzerland. A re-enactment of the EU rules on the competitiveness of firms weaknesses the compete with companies from outside the EU. The industry fought back as successfully against the re-enactment of the EU regulation on chemicals.

And then there's still the domestic economy, those of small and medium-sized enterprises, which export little or nothing. They are not affected neither by the risk to their global competitiveness through the re-enactment of EU law, of sanctions by the EU, if Switzerland signed the agreement. Rudolf Minsch, chief economist of Economiesuisse, said the framework agreement was "a political question". Perhaps the policy waits in vain for a unified voice of business.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 17.02.2019, 21:56 PM