Economy

Bilateral Relations between Switzerland and the EU
The “Bilaterals III” package is intended to stabilize and further develop relations between Switzerland and the EU. The Federal Council approved the package, which is divided into nine drafts, on March 13, 2026. Parliamentary deliberations then began, with the FAC-S reviewing the package in its first reading and, among other things, opposing a mandatory referendum. SwissHoldings supports the Federal Council’s efforts to secure sustainable access to the EU single market, but emphasizes the need to pre-serve Switzerland’s economic sovereignty and to carefully exam-ine issues related to integration policy.
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Free Trade Agreement
Free trade agreements (FTAs) are a key instrument for exportoriented Switzerland in diversifying its trade relations. The network of these agreements is constantly being expanded. Current milestones include the EFTA-India Agreement (TEPA), which entered into force on October 1, 2025, the EFTA-MERCOSUR Agreement, which was signed on September 16, 2025, and the adoption of the dispatch on the Economic Partnership Agreement between the EFTA states and Malaysia. The National Council rejected the EFTA-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement during the summer session. The Economic Partnership Agreement with Malaysia was approved in the final vote. SwissHoldings supports the consistent expansion and modernization of Switzerland’s network of agreements and continues to advocate for the approval of the FTA with Mercosur.
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Investment Controls
The bill aims to introduce investment controls in Switzerland. During the last winter session, the National Council and the Council of States agreed on a streamlined version that limits the scope of application to foreign state investors. The consultation on the implementing ordinance began on June 12, 2026. The In-vestment Screening Act is currently scheduled to take effect in 2027. The revised bill has prevented an excessive expansion of the scope of application and avoided additional regulatory costs.
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Investment Protection Agreements
Switzerland has one of the world’s largest networks of bilateral investment protection agreements (IPAs). Investment protection agreements create reliable framework conditions for Swiss investments abroad. Since a change in the Federal Council’s practice, IPAs are subject to an optional referendum. The IPA with Chile was approved by both chambers of Parliament. SwissHoldings welcomes the further development of the IPA framework.
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Corporate Responsibility
In recent years, there have been many developments in the area of sustainability regulation – both in Switzerland and internation-ally. The EU has introduced significant simplifications with the adoption of the Omnibus I Directive. Following this, on 2 April 2026, the Federal Council submitted the Federal Act on Sustainable Corporate Governance for consultation as an indirect counterproposal to the Responsible Business Initiative. SwissHoldings participated in the process by submitting a statement. SwissHoldings supports internationally coordinated and proportionate regulation, but rejects the current counterproposal as the draft does not take sufficient account of international developments.
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Collective Legal Protection
The class action bill (21.082) has been rejected by the National Council and the Council of States. Instead, the Council of States has referred Postulate 25.3954, which instructs the Federal Council to examine whether existing conciliation and ombudsman procedures can serve as an effective alternative to the introduction of class actions. The Federal Council’s report is expected in the coming months. SwissHoldings supports the pragmatic approach of the postulate.
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IFRS Standardization
The IFRS Foundation develops global accounting standards and oversees both the IASB, which sets financial standards, and the ISSB, which focuses on sustainability standards. In 2025, both standard-setting boards drove forward the development of sus-tainability and accounting standards, as well as related guidance and consultations. SwissHoldings is actively contributing to these developments through detailed submissions.
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Initial Situation of Switzerland as a Financial Location
In response to the CS crisis, the Federal Council presented a package of measures in June 2025 aimed at strengthening the stability of Switzerland’s financial centre. On April 22, 2026, the Federal Council adopted the dispatch on the revision of the Banking Act. At the same time, it amended the Capital Adequacy Ordinance (CAO). From SwissHoldings’ perspective, there is a need for regulation that strengthens stability without tightening financing conditions for companies.
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Allgemein

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Contact

Denise Anne Laufer

Head Economics, Member of the Executive Committee

 

+41 31 356 68 62
denise.laufer@swissholdings.ch

Dustin Rosenfeld

Economic Policy Manager

 

+41 31 351 90 72
dustin.rosenfeld@swissholdings.ch

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