21 Oct 2025
Council gives green light to Switzerland’s association to EU programmes
On 21 October 2021, the Council gave its green light to Switzerland joining Union programmes such as Horizon Europe, Euratom Research and Training, ITER/Fusion for Energy (F4E), Digital Europe, Erasmus+, as well as EU4Health.
This agreement regarding Switzerland’s association to EU programmes is part of a broader package of bilateral agreements negotiated between the EU and the Swiss Confederation in 2024. It is the first agreement of the package that will be signed and retroactively implemented as of the beginning of this year.
Provisional application is foreseen with effect from 1 January 2025. This approach will allow to give effect to the transitional arrangements that the Commission granted to Switzerland during the negotiations of the broader package of agreements, for award procedures implementing the 2025 commitment appropriations.
The conclusion of the agreement regarding Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes is foreseen as part of the wider package only if Switzerland will complete its procedures necessary for the entry into force of the package by the end of 2028.
The signature of the agreement is planned to take place in Bern on 10 November 2025. This will be followed by approval from the European Parliament and the internal Swiss procedure.
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