Brussels, 9 April 2025
The EU and Switzerland are called upon to strengthen their partnership. The Commission has proposed to the Council a decision authorising the signing and provisional application of the agreement, allowing Switzerland to participate in EU programmes.
The signature and provisional application will allow EU and Swiss entities to collaborate on a wide range of EU programmes, including research, innovation and education. This will create new opportunities for Swiss researchers and entities to access EU funding and work alongside European partners. It will also enable the European research and innovation communities to benefit from a wider pool of talent and scientific excellence. Swiss participants will have the same rights as EU entities, including the possibility of receiving direct EU funding and leading research consortia.
This is another important step towards the signing of the agreement scheduled for later this year, after it was initialled by negotiators from both parties on 2 April 2025.
The provisional application will allow the two parties to start working together immediately, while finalizing the necessary steps for the ratification of all the agreements negotiated between March and December 2024. The Commission also intends to present proposals for the signature of the rest of the package and for the conclusion of the whole package in the coming months. Ratification is essential to ensure research cooperation beyond 2028.
The agreement on Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes is covered by both the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the Euratom Treaty. For this reason, the Commission has adopted a proposal for matters covered by the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and a recommendation for matters covered by the Euratom Treaty.
The texts of the two instruments and the agreement on Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes are available online.