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EUROPEAN UNION

Most Swiss back draft deal on future relations with EU

A total of 60 percent of Swiss voters say they are in favour of the current draft deal on the future of the country's bilateral relations with the EU, according to a new poll.

Published: 1 April 2019 10:03 CEST
Most Swiss back draft deal on future relations with EU
File photo: Depositphotos

By contrast, 35 percent of people polled are against the deal currently on the table, according to the poll commissioned by the pharmaceutical industry group Interpharma.

The controversial 'framework deal' is designed to set the ground rules for the future of bilateral relations between Brussels and Bern. These relations are currently based on around 20 main agreements and 100 secondary agreements that have come into force since 1992.

The majority of voters for all political parties, with the exception of the conservative Swiss People’s Party (SVP), said they were in favour of the proposed deal.

Read also: What you need to know about the new draft Swiss–EU deal

Meanwhile, support is stronger in the traditionally more pro-European French-speaking part of Switzerland (69 percent) than in the German-speaking part of the country (58 percent).

The survey run by gfs.bern is the first representative poll on voter opinions regarding the draft Swiss–EU deal.

“The results show that the Swiss population is aware of the meaning of the draft framework deal,” said Interpharma director René Buholzer of the results.

Reluctant support

But gfs.bern noted that Swiss voters only “reluctantly” support the proposed deal on the grounds it would ensure the Swiss economy remained strong in the future.

If given the choice, however, the top choice among Swiss voters would be for the current system of bilateral relations to remain in place. The second most-favoured option would be a simple free trade agreement between Switzerland and the EU.

The draft deal then comes in third in order of preferences among voters.

Intense political debate

The 35-page deal has been the subject of intense political debate in Switzerland in recent months.

The left-wing Socialists have expressed concerns the deal in its current form would threaten the country’s high salaries by forcing changes to the current Swiss wage protection scheme.

For their part, the SVP object to the fact that the Court of Justice of the European Union would have a decisive role in dispute resolution between Brussels and Bern.

Read also: Swiss MPs agree to pay €1 billion towards EU cohesion funds

There are also concerns over the fact that EU rules on state assistance would be introduced with a possible impact on Switzerland’s cantonal banks.

However, the new gfs.bern poll suggests pragmatic Swiss voters may be able to see past these concerns in the interests of financial and economic security.

The EU has said the deal in its current form is non-negotiable but the Swiss government announced a consultation process concerning the deal in December and is currently trying to shore up support for the arrangements.

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IMMIGRATION

Why is Switzerland spending 300 million francs to protect Schengen borders?

From August 1st, 2024, Switzerland will contribute financially to the European effort to strengthen the protection of the Schengen area’s external borders.

Published: 24 July 2024 14:15 CEST
Updated: 31 July 2024 14:08 CEST
Why is Switzerland spending 300 million francs to protect Schengen borders?

Though Switzerland is not a member of the EU, it does belong to the Schengen area — not only benefitting from the access to Europe’s borderless zone, but also participating in its funding.

Financial support is especially needed in Schengen countries with particularly extensive land and sea borders or major international airports on their territories, because they bear a heavy financial burden of securing the zone’s external borders, for the benefit of all the other members.

How will Switzerland’s 300-million-franc contribution be used?

Over the period of next seven years, it will go toward the programme called Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVl), which is part of the fund that ensures efficient management of EU’s borders.

The EU already allocated 6.24 billion euros to the BMVI for a seven-year period, and 300 million francs is Switzerland’s share.

Specifically, those funds will be used towards improving external border controls, investing in common large-scale IT systems in the area of borders management and visa policy, funding infrastructure and equipment, and deployment of immigration liaison officers, among other tasks.

Why is Switzerland contributing 300 million francs?

The BMVl’s goal is to “improve the protection of the external borders of the Schengen area and, therefore, to increase the effectiveness of border controls and prevent illegal immigration,” the Federal Council said. 

This, along with effective and integrated management of the external borders “is also in Switzerland’s interest.”

Also, Switzerland will likely receive grants from the BMVl of around 50 million francs to be allocated mainly to the establishment of new EU information systems (EES Entry and Exit System, and European Travel Information and Authorization System ETIAS) on its territory.

Furthermore, it is planned to use part of these resources to finance the expansion of the border control infrastructure at Zurich Airport.

Benefits for Switzerland

There is no doubt that Swiss citizens benefit greatly from access to the Schengen zone.

Simply put, it allows anyone who is in Switzerland legally to enjoy hassle-free travel to and from the 26 other Schengen states, visa time limits permitting.

Travellers arriving into Switzerland for the first time from a non-Schengen state like the UK or the US will have to queue up to have their passports checked, but after that they can move freely.

That means Swiss citizens, EU nationals, non-EU international residents in Switzerland, tourists, exchange students or people travelling for business can travel on to another Schengen member state, perhaps neighbouring France or Germany by car or train, without having to show their passports. (Although occasionally checks are brought back.) 

That is a definite ‘plus’ for anyone who travels within Europe. Due to Switzerland having so many land borders with other Schengen countries it would have been hugely problematic not to join.
 

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