The 38th annual inter-parliamentary meeting between Switzerland and the EU will take place in Strasbourg on 27 and 28 November. The Federal Assembly will be represented by the EFTA/EU Delegation. The meeting will focus on the close relations between Switzerland and the EU and the state of negotiations on the institutional agreement. On the latter point, the presidents of the two delegations are set to issue a joint statement.

The 38th inter-parliamentary meeting between the EFTA/EU Delegation of the Swiss Federal Assembly and the European Parliament’s DEEA Delegation responsible for relations with Switzerland will take place in Strasbourg on 27 and 28 November and will be co-chaired by Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH) and MEP Andreas Schwab (EPP, Germany). The meeting will focus on bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU and the state of negotiations on the institutional framework agreement.

On this point, a joint declaration by the presidents of the two delegations is planned. To mark the adoption of the joint statement, the presidents of the two delegations intend to hold a press conference at 6.30pm on Wednesday, 27 November, in the European Parliament.

During the two-day meeting, the members of parliament will also exchange views on the UK’s departure from the EU. Particular emphasis will be placed on shaping the future relationship between the EU and the UK and looking at any parallels to bilateral relations between the EU and Switzerland. The agenda also includes a number of foreign policy issues, in particular recent developments in the Western Balkans and Turkey, as well as current migration issues and the situation in the eastern Mediterranean. The talks are also likely to cover the current trade policy environment, the situation in the WTO, and ongoing free-trade negotiations.

At this meeting, the Swiss EFTA/EU delegation will be made up of its president, National Council member Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH); its vice president, National Council member Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL); National Council members Thomas Aeschi (SVP, ZG), and Kathy Riklin (CVP, ZH); and Council of States members Hannes Germann (SVP, SH), Didier Berberat (SP, NE) and Konrad Graber (CVP, LU). The president of the National Council Foreign Affairs Committee, National Council member Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (CVP, BL), and the president of the Council of States Foreign Affairs Committee, Council of States member Filippo Lombardi (CVP, TI), will also take part in the inter-parliamentary meeting.