Switzerland is rapidly reaching its deadline for negotiating an immigration agreement with the European Union.
A Swiss referendum in 2014 called for curbs on immigration. The country’s constitution holds that the decision must be implemented by this coming February.
Swiss president Johann Schneider-Ammann believes “an amicable solution” is still possible. He reported that EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker “indicated that the Commission continues to be interested in an amicable solution with Switzerland and is ready to work on it”.
Nevertheless, curbing immigration flies in the face of the EU’s principle of free movement of both goods and people. Although not part of the EU, Switzerland has access to its market and thereby must adhere to the free movement of people.
The Swiss have been in talks since the referendum decision in 2014. These already were not speedy and now have been further impeded by the British decision to leave the EU. Switzerland had hoped to finalise its discussions with Brussels before anyone had to address the British decision.
As a consequence, it has become more difficult to meet with deadline set by the Swiss constitution.
The Swiss president issued a statement on Saturday which said that the government’s “technical discussions” would be intensified but the next meeting is not scheduled until 19 September.
The statement also noted a “mutual interest” in finding a bilateral solution.
The Swiss parliament is discussing a unilateral solution, but this “must remain a last resort,” the president said.
Such action could have negative impact on the country’s other bilateral agreements with the EU.
As soon as the immigration referendum outcome was known, Brussels froze grants promised to Swiss scientists.
“Between 2007 and 2013 Switzerland coordinated 972 European research projects (3.9 of the total), putting it in seventh place. In proportion to its population, it was in first place. Today it’s 24th and second to last, with only 15 projects,” said Geneva University rector Yves Flückiger.
