The Swiss delegation will meet with parliamentary delegations from the EFTA states that are members of the EEA during meetings organised on the sidelines of the EEA Council in Brussels. At these meetings, parliamentary delegations will discuss the priorities of the European Commission in the areas of competitiveness, the internal market and industrial policy in the context of ongoing geopolitical developments. In addition, during a ministerial-level meeting with the President of the EFTA Council, they will review recent developments in the Association’s free trade policy. The discussion will focus on the conclusion of agreements in 2025 with new partners, including Malaysia, Mercosur, and Singapore, as well as the entry into force and implementation of the agreement with India. The committee generally meets twice a year in ordinary session.
EFTA is an intergovernmental organisation that promotes free trade and economic integration for the benefit of its members: Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland. Established in 1960 by the Stockholm Convention, its objective is to open up new export markets beyond the EU and promote trade between its Member States.
The delegation will be led by National Council member Thomas Aeschi (SVP, ZG) along with National Council members Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL), Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH) and Council of States member Carlo Sommaruga (SP, GE).
Some members of the Swiss delegation will travel to Strasbourg the following week, where they will attend as observers the meeting of the EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee. Discussions will focus on the implementation and development of the EEA Agreement, the European defence industry, transatlantic relations and the competitiveness of the European Union.
The EEA Joint Parliamentary Committee is composed of members of parliament from the EFTA states that are members of the EEA (Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and the European Parliament. Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, attends as an observer. This role enables it to closely monitor relevant developments in the EU internal market and their impact on the EEA Agreement.
National Council member and delegation president Thomas Aeschi (SVP, ZG), National Council members Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL), Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH) and Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (The Centre, BL) will be in attendance.
Swiss delegation attends 6th Parliamentary Assembly of the United Kingdom-European Union Partnership
Finally, two members of the Swiss delegation were able to attend as observers the 6th meeting of the Parliamentary Partnership Assembly (PPA) between the United Kingdom and the European Union, which took place in London on 17 and 18 November. The agenda included progress within the Partnership Council, cooperation on security, cultural exchanges and cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI). At the invitation of the co-chairs of the UK Parliament and European Parliament delegations, the Swiss delegation was able to attend the discussions and observe the progress made by the assembly. Observing this form of interparliamentary cooperation between the EU and a third country is useful in view of the possible establishment of a joint parliamentary committee between the EU and Switzerland, as proposed in the corresponding protocol of the Switzerland-EU package that will be submitted to Parliament next year.
At the meeting, the delegation was represented by Thomas Aeschi, delegation president and National Council member (SVP, ZG), and fellow National Council member Hans-Peter Portmann (FDP, ZH).