Last updated: 16 October 2025
The “Bilateral Agreements III” package aims to stabilize and further develop relations between Switzerland and the EU. In June 2025, the Federal Council opened the public consultation on the proposed package, which will run until the end of October 2025, followed by the Federal Council dispatch to Parliament in early 2026. SwissHoldings supports the Federal Council’s efforts to ensure sustainable access to the EU internal market but emphasizes the need to preserve Switzerland’s economic policy sovereignty and to carefully assess integration-related implications.
Contents
The “Bilateral Agreements III” package includes the updating of existing agreements (e.g. Free Movement of Persons, Air Transport, MRA) as well as new agreements on electricity, food safety, and health. At the same time, the new agreements also address the institutional framework demanded by the EU. A package approach has been chosen: instead of regulating the institutional questions comprehensively in a single horizontal agreement, these are to be resolved individually – i.e. on a sector-specific basis – in each agreement.
State
On 13 June 2025, the Federal Council opened the consultation on the negotiated package. According to the Federal Council’s assessment, the package meets the objectives of the negotiation mandate. It includes an institutional framework for existing and future internal market agreements, new agreements in the areas of electricity, food safety, and health, as well as participation in EU education and innovation programmes. This marks an important milestone in Switzerland’s relations with the EU.
Outlook
The consultation runs until 31 October 2025. The Federal Council intends to complete it by the end of 2025 and to submit the dispatch to Parliament at the beginning of 2026
Position
SwissHoldings welcomes the Federal Council’s efforts to place relations with the EU on a stable and long-term footing through a new package of agreements (“Bilateral III”). Stable, reliable, and non-discriminatory relations with the EU – Switzerland’s most important trading partner – are of central importance. The bilateral agreements are a proven instrument for safeguarding market access and strengthening Switzerland’s international competitiveness. However, the new package also entails significant institutional changes – in particular regarding the dynamic adoption of EU law and the involvement of the CJEU in dispute settlement. These offer companies greater legal certainty and predictability but simultaneously raise integration and economic policy questions. It must therefore be carefully examined how much regulatory autonomy Switzerland will retain and to what extent its economic policy sovereignty will be preserved. The goal must be non-discriminatory market access and a reliable legal framework for internationally active companies. SwissHoldings will participate actively in the consultation to ensure that the package strengthens Switzerland’s competitiveness and contributes to prosperity, while the integration aspects such as dynamic law adoption and the role of the CJEU are carefully assessed for their impact on Switzerland’s economic policy flexibility.
