The Neuchâtel economy needs Europe. After the completion of negotiations between Switzerland and the European Union on their package of agreements, the various economic umbrella groups are delighted with this progress. “Strengthening the bilateral route is extremely important in order to guarantee access to the European market” for Swiss companies, explains Florian Németi, director of the Neuchâtel Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The CNCI welcomes the provisions provided for in the new agreements in order to maintain access to cross-border labor, develop scientific collaborations and guarantee a secure energy supply.
The new agreements plan to stabilize the access of Swiss industries to the European market. Switzerland and the European Union are linked by a mutual recognition agreement on their production standards which allows Swiss industries to export products without additional approval. However, after the failure of the previous draft Institutional Agreement in 2021, the EU stopped updating the text, causing the abandonment of certain equivalences. In 2021, the medical devices sector has lost its easy access to the European market: it must now produce additional certificates to sell its products in the EU. The new agreements provide for updating the standards recognized between the two parties, thus putting an end to these obstacles to trade.
Access to the European market is of significant importance for the Swiss export industry. In 2023, half of the goods exported by Switzerland will go to the European market, for a total of almost 138 billion francs.
Guaranteeing cross-border labor
The CNCI also defends the provisions relating to the free movement of people, which allow European nationals to establish and work in Switzerland in an easier manner. In September 2024, the canton of Neuchâtel employed 16,437 cross-border workers on its soil: an essential workforce for the care sector, industry or retail according to Florian Németi.
The agreement package will be subject to a consultation procedure by the summer of 2025, before being examined by Parliament in 2026. The people should have the last word during a very likely referendum, already envisaged by the UDC. The CNCI has already indicated that it will invest in the campaign alongside economiesuisse, the national umbrella organization. /jti-aju
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