Mr Cassis briefed Mr Hahn on the current status of the clarifications concerning the institutional agreement between Switzerland and the EU. He reiterated Switzerland's desire to reach a solution on wage and worker protection, state aid and the Citizens' Rights Directive that has broad domestic support. Mr Cassis explained the Federal Council's decision to closely involve the cantons and social partners in this process, which is ongoing.
The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss other bilateral issues such as Switzerland's second contribution to selected EU member states, recognizing the equivalence of Swiss stock exchange regulation, and the Swiss-EU Agreement on Mutual Recognition in relation to Conformity Assessment (MRA).
The two ministers underlined the importance of the bilateral relationship between Switzerland and the EU and agreed to meet as soon as possible for a more in-depth exchange.
In November, the EU announced that Mr Hahn would continue to oversee the Swiss dossier under the new EU Commission. Mr Hahn has occupied the post of EU Commissioner for Budget and Administration since 1 December 2019.
Address for enquiries:
FDFA Information
Federal Palace West Wing
CH-3003 Bern, Switzerland
Tel.: +41 58 462 31 53
E-mail: info@eda.admin.ch
Twitter: @SwissMFA
