Tánaiste takes part in historic EU-Switzerland Summit

Brussels: 19 May 2004

Tánaiste & Minister for Enterprise Trade & Employment Mary Harney TD, accompanied by EU Commission President Romano Prodi & EU External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten, today (Wednesday 19 May 2004) welcomed the President of Switzerland Joseph Deiss, Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey & Swiss Finance Minister Rudolf Merz to Brussels for the first-ever EU-Switzerland Summit.

Following the summit meeting, the Tánaiste said: “I was very pleased that, coming so soon after our Day of Welcomes for our 10 new EU Member States, the Irish Presidency was today also able extend the hand of friendship to a country that, while exercising its democratic right to remain outside of the EU for the moment, is nevertheless a close & valued neighbour with similar cultures & values.”

As befits a Summit between the EU & its second largest trading partner (second only to the US – 2002 EU imports, €59 billion; 2002 EU exports, €71 billon), it did not confine itself to diplomatic pleasantries. On the contrary, it reached political agreement in principle on:-

• The extension of 6 existing EU-Swiss Bilateral Agreements from the former EU-15 to cover the EU-25; and

• The adoption of 9 new Bilateral Agreements between the Swiss & the EU-25.

The Agreements cover many areas including Free Movement of Persons, Trade in Primary & Processed Agricultural Products, extension of the Schengen (borders) & Dublin (asylum) Conventions to Switzerland, Taxation of Savings, Fight Against Fraud (including money laundering, smuggling etc) and Swiss participation in EU Agencies (Environment) & spending Programmes (Education, Audiovisual etc).

Finally, in return for access to an Enlarged EU Internal Market, Switzerland committed itself to contribute SFs 1 billion (€650 million) over the next 5 years to economic & social cohesion in the enlarged EU.

ENDS/ETE1225