Two German ministers intervened in Brussels for the European Commission to open negotiations with Switzerland, in particular on the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes. Stable and secure relations between the EU and Switzerland are of great importance to Berlin.
German Economy Minister Robert Habeck and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock recently discussed Switzerland with European Commission Vice-President Maro Sefcovic, according to their respective tweets.
Berlin wants a quick start of negotiations with Switzerland on the Horizon package, said the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), interviewed by Keystone-ATS. The Horizon package includes the EU framework programmes in the field of research and innovation. According to Germany, the European Commission should also quickly start negotiations with Switzerland on the Erasmus+ programme, writes the FDFA.
Germany’s commitment to Switzerland in Brussels is justified by “the close social and economic ties” between the two countries, the German Foreign Ministry told Keystone-ATS.
Many media reported on this news from ATS:
Bilan.ch: Relations bilatérales Suisse-UE – L’Allemagne fait du lobbying en faveur de la Suisse
Tages Anzeiger: Beziehung Deutschland-Schweiz – Baerbock und Habeck setzen sich für Schweizer Teilnahme an Horizon ein