On 31 March 2026 a delegation of the Foreign Affairs Committees of both chambers, led by Ms Sibel Arslan, Chair of the FAC-N and Mr Carlo Sommaruga, Chair of the FAC-S, met with Members of the European Parliament specialised on international trade.
Amid current geopolitical and economic tensions, delegations discussed EU’s initiatives in the field of economic security such as measures in the steel sector or new provisions in procurement markets that might affect Switzerland. Against this backdrop, the members discussed the prospects for Swiss-EU relations in light of the new package of agreements (Bilaterals III) and the respective ratification procedures.
The meeting also offered the opportunity to exchange views on the respective trade relations with partners around the globe such as with the US, the Mercosur, India and others. Delegations also explored ways for Switzerland and the EU on cooperating in the WTO framework.
The delegation of the National Council consisted of its president, Ms Sibel Arslan (Greens, BS), Christine Badertscher (Greens, BE), Roland Rino Büchel (SVP, SG), Niklaus-Samuel Gugger (The Centre. EPP., ZH), Fabian Molina (SP, ZH), Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL) and Laurent Wehrli (FDP, VD).
The FAC-S was represented by its president, Mr Carlo Sommaruga (SP, GE).