Swiss reject dictatorial EU’s deal – 7 years of talks go ‘cuckoo’

Vindictive EU Commission immediately acts to punish Switzerland

After 7 years of negotiations, the Swiss tell the EU “Non, nein, no”

On Wednesday, the Swiss Federal Council unilaterally announced they were terminating the negotiations with the EU Commission on the EU-Swiss Institutional Framework Agreement – an over-arching trade and cooperation deal.

After seven years, it seems the Swiss have had enough of the EU’s unreasonable demands, despite the importance of a sound economic relationship between Switzerland and the EU. Switzerland is the EU’s 4th largest trading partner in goods after China, the U.S., and the United Kingdom.

Vindictive EU Commission immediately cut off the medical supplies agreement with Switzerland

True to the form of this current EU Commission led by German appointee Ursula von der Leyen, it acted instantly to punish the Swiss on Wednesday. In what will be seen globally as an extraordinary act of spite, the EU Commission followed up their statement about Switzerland’s termination of the trade talks with a statement announcing that medical devices could no longer be traded normally with the EU.

“Today, the Commission has published a notice to stakeholders informing them that the mutual recognition and related trade facilitating effects for medical devices between the EU and Switzerland ceased to apply on 26 May.”

- EU Commission statement, 26 May 2021, immediately following Switzerland’s withdrawal from trade talks

EU threatens Swiss medical supplies, electricity, and flights

When it comes to medical devices in the middle of an EU Covid crisis, it might have been thought that this separate facilitation agreement with Switzerland could have been extended – even if only for six months. Instead the EU Commission acted instantly and dis-applied it. This will not only make life difficult in Switzerland, but in many EU countries which buy medical devices from the Swiss.

In addition, the EU Commission suggested that Swiss electricity supplies from the EU might no longer be secure, and that Swiss planes would no longer have the same access to EU destinations.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Economic Summary

How much does Switzerland need the EU?

The EU is Switzerland’s largest trading partner by far
The EU accounts for 42% of Switzerland’s exports in goods and for 50% of its imports

[Source: EU Commission, figures for 2020]

How much does the EU need Switzerland?

Switzerland is the EU’s 4th largest trading partner in goods after China, the US, and the UK
Switzerland accounts for 6.9% of the EU’s exports and 5.7% of its imports
Switzerland is the EU’s 4th largest market for goods, 3rd for the EU’s services, 2nd for investment
Like the UK, Switzerland suffers a trade deficit with the EU in the order of tens of billions

[Statistical note: Facts4EU.Org will soon be publishing a more definitive list, including goods AND services.]

The Swiss statement terminating trade talks with the EU

Following the Federal Council’s meeting on 26 May held in the capital of Bern, the following statement was issued by the Swiss government:-

Guy Parmelin, President of the Swiss Federal Council

“The Federal Council undertook an overall evaluation of the outcome of the negotiations on the institutional framework agreement (InstA). It concluded that there remain substantial differences between Switzerland and the EU on key aspects of the agreement. The conditions are thus not met for the signing of the agreement.”
“The Federal Council today took the decision not to sign the agreement, and communicated this decision to the EU. This brings the negotiations on the draft of the InstA [EU deal] to a close.”

The EU refused to budge on three main concerns of the Swiss

After seven years of negotiations, the Swiss realised that the EU Commission was going to remain intransigent, just as it did during the Brexit negotiations. There were three main areas of contention for the Swiss:-

The EU’s insistence the Swiss adopt the Citizens’ Rights Directive with its free movement and state benefits
Lack of wage protection for the Swiss people
The EU’s insistence on a ‘Level Playing Field’, dynamic alignment, and its state aid rules

“The negotiations with the EU regarding the Citizens' Rights Directive (CRD), wage protection and state aid provisions did not produce the outcomes Switzerland needed to sign the agreement. Substantial differences remain, especially with regard to wage protection and the CRD.”
- Statement by the Swiss government, 26 May 2021

Unlike the UK in its negotiations with the EU, the Swiss have simply walked away.

Coming in tomorrow’s edition of Facts4EU.Org

In our Saturday edition tomorrow, we will reveal just what the UK would look like if it had had to accept what the Swiss have accepted for years.

Observations

The world will surely now be waking up to the true nature of the EU, and in particular the spiteful and vindictive behaviour of the latest incarnation of the EU Commission under its current President.

Not content with its aggressive and vitriolic behaviour towards the United Kingdom for daring to leave its club, the EU has now shown the Swiss its true colours. In the midst of an EU Covid crisis, how is it remotely possible that the EU Commission could decide instantly to announce the termination of a medical supplies facilitation agreement?

It really doesn’t matter the rights or wrongs of who is responsible for the abject failure of the EU-Switzerland trade and cooperation agreement (which the EU calls “the EU-Swiss Institutional Framework Agreement”). All we will say is that this is the latest in a long line of failures by the EU Commission, since it took over all trade negotiations from the governments of its member countries.

Coming tomorrow

In tomorrow’s edition of Facts4EU.Org we take the Swiss experience of the EU’s free movement and pro-rate this for a country the size of the United Kingdom – almost eight times larger than Switzerland. Readers may find the results startling.

We also look at the other demands which the EU made from the Swiss, such as the EU's infamous ‘Level Playing Field, and ‘dynamic alignment’ of laws.

Not to be missed!

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[ Sources: Swiss Federal Council | EU Commission | EU's 'European External Action Service' | Eurostat ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Fri 28 May 2021

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Reader Comments 15

1. One eyed king , Friday, May 28, 2021, 06:53:

And there we have it, skidmarks lol.
Again the eu show themselves to be twits of the highest order, doubling down on acts of aggression. And yet the agents of a foreign body act with impunity within our government and the media to edge their way to take us back. Paving the way by allowing ex-pats to remove the pressure being brought to bear.
It is too late, regardless of their 'watch the birdies', we see you by your actions...
I was born a free man by the actions of our people in distant pasts. Their sacrifice will be honored. And when the rough hands come for those who stand in our way, they will prove to be cowards. Long live freedom, long live the free.

2. STAN , Friday, May 28, 2021, 08:07:

Is the lady menapausal acting like a one or a woman in a bitter end of marriage no sense only selfish actions doing no good to the common good or in other words a PRAT.

3. Tom Billingham , Friday, May 28, 2021, 08:59:

It's almost as if leave voters warned this would happen 🤣

4. Richard Smith , Friday, May 28, 2021, 09:09:

Typical EU, but the deluded remainers refuse to see them for what they are.

5. Michael James , Friday, May 28, 2021, 10:35:

"Electricity supplies no longer secure" ring any bells?

6. Martyn Durran , Friday, May 28, 2021, 12:40:

Stand up to bullies....Plenty of reasonable partners to trade with. The EU are no ones partner

7. Buster , Friday, May 28, 2021, 13:19:

What an exceptionally silly article. Switzerland has a series of time limited bilateral deals with the EU. This overarching deal was designed to replace more than 100 bilateral agreements. As a sovereign country Switzerland is perfectly entitled to say no.
There is nothing vindictive about the EU reverting to original terms after a time limited deal expires. I have a mortgage with an introductory offer on it with a special lower interest rate. If I don’t agree a new deal during this introductory period I revert to the standard terms of the mortgage deal. Does this make my bank vindictive for applying terms we have agreed when the introductory period ends?
Brexit would be easier if Brexiters stopped behaving like petulant children.

8. One eyed king , Friday, May 28, 2021, 13:45:

Buster, brexit would have been easier if blair and his thieving goon squad had not disolved the treason laws. So we could have seen each and everyone of them swing. There you go princess, fixed that for you x

9. Edwards , Friday, May 28, 2021, 18:00:

Great article thank you! Shows up the EU for what it is which makes remaniacs like Buster angry. What a surprise... ;)

10. Pete JH , Friday, May 28, 2021, 18:02:

Always have and aways will be UKs enemy, never been our friends, tolerated us for our money. EU on its last legs in my opinion.

15 comments, page 1 of 2

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