EU–Swiss Bilateral Package

The agreements now move into the ratification phase in both the Swiss and European Parliaments.  

After Switzerland withdrew from the earlier framework agreement talks in 2021, cooperation stalled. Both sides have now agreed to reset and modernise the relationship to ensure longterm stability and legal certainty—crucial for trade, research, and industrial cooperation.   Switzerland continues to rely heavily on the EU, which accounts for 53% of its goods and services trade, making a stable relationship strategically essential. 

What the New Package Includes 

Five core market access agreements will be brought up to date, including: 

• Free movement of persons 
• Air and land transport 
• Conformity assessment (MRAs) 
• Agricultural trade 

These updates from the agreements from 1999 ensure alignment with current EU law and clearer dispute resolution mechanisms.  

The package also adds new sectoral agrrements, such as: 

• Electricity market access for Switzerland 
• Common Food Safety Area
• Health cooperation (including access to EU early warning systems)
• Space cooperation (Galileo, EGNOS)
• Full access to EU programmes such as Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and EU4Health  

Impact on Euralarm Members 

The modernisation of the framework is expected to bring several important benefits for Euralarm members. In terms of market access and conformity assessment, it helps ensure the continued mutual recognition of testing and certification processes, which is essential for the seamless placement of products across borders.

It also strengthens opportunities for research and innovation. Switzerland’s renewed participation in Horizon Europe enables greater collaboration in research and development, particularly in areas such as fire safety, security, and smart building technologies.

In addition, the new electricity agreement contributes to a more integrated and reliable energy system. This is particularly important for ensuring the resilience and continuous operation of safety and security installations.

Next steps 

Both sides must now ratify the package. In Switzerland this may include a national referendum. Euralarm will continue to monitor the process and update members as developments occur.