Economics
Switzerland and the EU Take a Step to Rescue Their Relationship
- Swiss government signature is pending parliamentary approval
- Main goal is to guarantee Switzerland’s access to EU markets
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The European Commission granted Switzerland a stay of execution to allow it to overcome domestic opposition to a deal four years in the making and culminating in Brussels threatening to ban cross-border stock trading.
The European Union, Switzerland’s most important trading partner, ideally wants the relationship to be governed by a framework agreement that forces the Swiss to dynamically adopt changes to existing contracts ranging from air transport to farming and free movement of people. That idea clashes with Swiss notions of self-determination.