On 2 April, the chief negotiators from Switzerland and the European Union initialled an agreement on Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes. 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.
This is excellent news for science in Europe. The Stick to Science campaign applauds this positive development.
Swiss communication: Switzerland and EU initial agreement on programmes
All practical information for the participation in EU programmes can be found on the website of the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation: Horizon package 2021–2027