At the beginning of their stay, the members of the Delegation for Relations with the German Bundestag had the opportunity to exchange views on asylum and migration issues with Interior Minister Thomas de Maizière. Mr Maizière commended the excellent cooperation between Switzerland and Germany at political and operational levels. He stressed that targeted measures and close cooperation at the German-Swiss border could successfully stem the irregular flow of migrants. Under the joint action plan, the Swiss Border Guard and the German Federal Police strengthened police cooperation. A revision of the police agreement for enhanced cooperation between border, customs and police authorities is currently being examined. The two sides agree that the challenges in the area of migration needed to be addressed and resolved together.
At a working dinner with experts from the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) and the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety (BMUB), the members of the Bundestag and the Swiss delegation exchanged views on the latest developments in the energy policy of both countries. Security of supply is a top priority for both sides; it cannot be achieved by either country on its own due to the density of the energy infrastructure network. The nuclear phase-out, which is associated with the energy transition and the 2050 Energy Strategy, also raises the issue of radioactive waste disposal. Both Switzerland and Germany are in the process of selecting deep geological repositories. Some of the Swiss sites currently under consideration are located near the German border. Switzerland is therefore keen to involve the German municipalities in the planning process so they can voice their concerns. The two sides agree that the search for a suitable deep repository was a complex and lengthy process, but that each country should take responsibility for its own radioactive waste according to the polluter pays principle and should not seek to dispose of it abroad.
The next day’s programme included a discussion with representatives of a number of Bundesländer on national fiscal equalisation (NFE) and on the financial relations between the federal and state governments. In Germany, an adjustment was recently made to the Basic Law (Grundgesetz) and new rules established on the financial relations between the federal government and the Länder. Fiscal equalisation among the Länder has been abolished, federal funding increased and the scope of competence of the federal government broadened. The interlocutors exchanged views on the different fiscal equalisation systems and the challenges involved in implementing them. The two delegations came to the conclusion that, despite divergent interests between donor and recipient cantons and Länder, the need for fiscal equalisation is largely recognised and is a success factor in solidarity and federalism.
The talk with members of the Committee on EU Affairs focused on the relations between Switzerland and the European Union and on the future of the EU-27 after the departure of the United Kingdom. The German participants enquired about the state of the institutional framework agreement negotiations between Switzerland and the EU. The Swiss delegation stated that the dispute resolution mechanism provided for in the framework agreement meets with a lot of scepticism. However, both Switzerland and the EU are concerned to consolidate the bilateral approach and uphold legal certainty.
The German-Swiss parliamentary group of the Bundestag and the Delegation for Relations with the German Bundestag are in charge of maintaining parliamentary relations between the countries. The regular bilateral meetings promote open exchanges of views and experiences and create understanding of the various interests at stake. The German-Swiss parliamentary group of the Bundestag will be newly constituted following the Bundestag elections in autumn 2017.
The Swiss delegation was led by the Del-D chairman and Council of States member Joachim Eder (FDP, ZG). The meeting was further attended by the Del-D vice chairman and National Council member Thomas Hardegger (SP, ZH); Council of States member Anita Fetz (SP, BS); National Council members Kathy Riklin (CVP, ZH) and National Council member Albert Rösti (SVP, BE).
SRF-Beitrag, ausgestrahlt am 22.06.2017