On 10 April 2025, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and State Secretary Martina Hirayama hold a press conference to confirm the approval by the Federal Council of the EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA). One day earlier the European Commission also presented EUPA to the EU Member States and recommended them to sign it.
The EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA) forms the legal basis for Switzerland’s participation in EU research and innovation programmes, namely Horizon Europe, Euratom, ITER, Digital Europe, Erasmus+ and EU4Health. The EUPA also paves the way for potential future participation in other EU programmes.
The agreement was iniitialled in Brussels on 2 April 2025. The agreement will come into force once the overall Switzerland-EU package has been ratified, but could already be applied provisionally after the signing, which is due to take place in November 2025.
Researchers and innovators in Switzerland have had access to almost all calls for proposals relating to Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme and the Digital Europe Programme since the beginning of 2025 as part of transitional arrangements. However, in order for them to receive their share of the project costs from the European Commission, a retroactive association as of 1 January 2025 is necessary. Once the agreement on Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes has been signed, Switzerland will transfer the mandatory contribution for participation in the 2025 programme year to the EU.
An important milestone has been reached for the association of Switzerland to Horizon Europe. The Stick to Science campaign warmly welcomes the Federal Council’s approval of the EU programmes agreement, as well as the European Commission’s recommendations to EU Member States to sign the EUPA.
Swiss communication: Switzerland–EU: Federal Council approves EU Programmes Agreement and press conference
EC communication: EU-Switzerland agreement on Switzerland’s participation in Union programmes – European Commission and Daily News 09 / 04 / 2025 (in French only)
All information for the participation of Switzerland in EU programmes can be found on the website of the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation: Horizon package 2021–2027