The interparliamentary meeting will provide an opportunity to exchange views at parliamentary level on the exploratory talks between Switzerland and the European Union (EU) on the settlement of institutional issues. The meeting will be co-chaired by MEP Andreas Schwab (EPP, Germany) and Council of States member Benedikt Würth (The Centre, SG).
At its special meeting on Europe on 29 March, the Federal Council came to the conclusion that the previous rounds of talks between Switzerland and the EU had created a positive dynamic. It subsequently decided to have the key parameters of a negotiating mandate drawn up by the end of June. At their meeting in the European Parliament, the parliamentarians will exchange views on further steps towards a possible start of negotiations. They will discuss the latest round of talks between State Secretary Livia Leu and Head of Cabinet Juraj Nociar on 20 April, the cantons' position statement of 24 March and the visit to Switzerland by European Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič on 15 and 16 March.
The interparliamentary meeting will also be an opportunity to debate the European Parliament's draft report on EU-Switzerland relations, which will be discussed for the first time in the Committee on Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) that day.
Another point of discussion at the interparliamentary meeting concerns cooperation between Switzerland and the EU in the area of foreign policy. This agenda item will address joint efforts to support Ukraine, the implementation of sanctions against Russia and a possible expansion of security and defence policy cooperation between Switzerland and the EU.
On the agenda items covering exploratory talks and foreign policy cooperation, the parliamentarians will hear the views of the head of the Swiss Mission to the EU in Brussels, Ambassador Rita Adam, and the head of the EU delegation in Bern, Ambassador Petros Mavromichalis.
Finally, the parliamentarians will exchange views on the role of the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ) in Switzerland-EU relations. With a view to a possible institutional solution between Switzerland and the EU, it will be of interest to know under which conditions and with which competences the ECJ could become active in the context of a dispute settlement procedure. Prof. Juliane Kokott, Advocate General at the ECJ, and Prof. Matthias Oesch, Professor of Public Law, European Law and International Economic Law at the University of Zurich, will give a presentation on this agenda item.
The agenda of the interparliamentary meeting will be published on the website of the European Parliament. The meeting can be followed via livestream.
The Federal Assembly will be represented at the interparliamentary meeting by delegation president Benedikt Würth (The Centre, SG), National Council members Elisabeth Schneider-Schneiter (The Centre, BL), Eric Nussbaumer (SP, BL) and Council of States member Carlo Sommaruga (SP, GE).