25 years of bilateral agreements: a model of success for Switzerland

The first bilateral agreement package between Switzerland and the European Union was signed on 21 June 1999. The "Bilaterals I" marked the start of the close partnership-based cooperation with the EU as we know it today. To celebrate the 25th anniversary and pay tribute to the importance of the various bilateral agreements, a "Bilaterals Anniversary Week" was held throughout Switzerland from 17 to 21 June 2024 by stark+vernetzt.

Switzerland and the EU benefit equally from bilateral agreements
As an exporting nation, Switzerland is dependent on international trade. This applies in particular to our chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries, which represent the backbone of the Swiss economy, accounting for almost 50 per cent of total Swiss exports. Regulated relations with the EU play a central role here: with a share of 50 per cent, the EU internal market is the most important sales market for our industries, and the EU also accounts for the lion's share of imported chemical-pharmaceutical products at 75 per cent.

In addition to trade, however, the bilateral agreements cover numerous other areas. For example, the free movement of persons has increased the qualifications of immigrant labour force and counteracted the shortage of skilled labour. Research cooperation and participation in Horizon Europe, the world's largest research and innovation funding programme, have driven innovation and scientific progress. And thanks to the dismantling of technical barriers to trade, market access conditions have been simplified and discrimination against Swiss products eliminated, which ultimately leads to lower costs and less administrative work for Swiss companies.

Anniversary week celebrates the bilateral agreements
In order to remind the general public of the numerous advantages of this proven path to success, the "stark+vernetzt" alliance - of which scienceindustries is also a member - organised an anniversary week from 17 to 21 June 2024. Activities in various Swiss cities raised awareness of the importance of the bilateral agreements and highlighted their positive influence on our daily lives.

scienceindustries was also involved in the anniversary week and emphasised the relevance of bilateral relations for the chemical, pharmaceutical and life sciences industries with a specially designed social media campaign. In various posts, members of the Executive Board took a stand on relevant topics of Bilaterals I and highlighted the concrete significance for our industries.

Regulated relationships will remain key in the future
The lively discussions during the anniversary week clearly showed that the value of the bilateral agreements is recognised. However, these achievements must not be jeopardised lightly. The successful bilateral relationship must be stabilised and further developed for the future. Against this background, the current negotiations between Switzerland and the EU are of great importance - scienceindustries supports the efforts of the Federal Council and is committed to ensuring that the negotiations are driven forward swiftly.