President Ursula von der Leyen and President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd launched negotiations on 18 March to enhance future relations.
This follows the adoption of the Swiss and EU negotiating mandates on 8 and 12 March 2024. The two mandates authorise the Commission and Switzerland to negotiate the package outlined in the Common Understanding, endorsed by the Swiss Federal Council and the European Commission in November 2023.
A key element of the negotiation is an agreement allowing for Switzerland’s participation in EU programmes, including Horizon Europe;
Following the launch of the negotiations, Swiss entities are now able to apply for the European Research Council calls opening in 2024.
For ERC grants, legal entities established in Switzerland will now be treated as entities established in an Associated Country the ERC Work Programme 2024 for calls opening in 2024 (ie for Advanced Grants). However, grant agreements can only be signed with successful applicants if the association agreement with Switzerland applies at that time.