Council gives green light to signing of package of agreements with Switzerland

On 24 February, the Council gave the green light to the signing of a comprehensive package of agreements between the EU and Switzerland aimed at deepening and broadening their bilateral relationship.

This comprehensive package of bilateral agreements with Switzerland includes a wide variety of elements:

• the updating of four agreements that already give Switzerland access to the EU’s internal market (air transport, land transport, free movement of persons and conformity assessment);
• the updating of the agreement on trade in agricultural products;
• three new agreements on food safety, health and electricity;
• a new agreement on Switzerland’s permanent and fair financial contribution to the EU’s economic and social cohesion;
• a new agreement allowing Switzerland to participate in several EU programmes;
• another agreement on Switzerland’s participation in the EU Agency for the Space Programme in activities relating to the Galileo and EGNOS (European Geostationary Navigation Overlay Service) components of the Union’s Space Programme;
• a protocol on parliamentary cooperation;
• a joint declaration on the establishment of a high-level dialogue on the comprehensive bilateral package and the possible further development of bilateral relations.

The agreement on Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes was signed on 10 November 2025 in Bern and has been provisionally applied since the beginning of 2025. The decision taken on 24 February will allow the rest of the package to be signed.

The package of agreements was negotiated by the EU and the Swiss Confederation in 2024, with talks concluding on 20 December 2024.

The conclusion of this comprehensive package of agreements is only envisaged if Switzerland completes the necessary procedures for its entry into force.

Next steps

Following the adoption on 24 February, the Commission is authorised to sign the agreement with the Swiss authorities. The signing is scheduled to take place in March 2026. Once the European Parliament has given its approval, and provided that Switzerland completes the necessary procedures for the package to enter into force, the Council will complete the process of concluding the comprehensive package of agreements, allowing it to enter into force.

Background

On 20 December 2024, the EU and Switzerland officially confirmed the conclusion of negotiations on a comprehensive package of agreements aimed at deepening and broadening their bilateral relations. On 14 April 2025, the Commission submitted to the Council a proposal for a Council Decision on the signing and provisional application of the Agreement on the participation of the Swiss Confederation in Union programmes, together with a recommendation for a Council Decision on the conclusion of that Agreement, made by the European Commission, for matters falling within the scope of the Euratom Treaty. The remaining agreements, together with the respective draft Council Decisions on signature and conclusion, reached the Council in June 2025.

For more information: Council of the EU