About: Switzerland
Two-thirds of Swiss companies want treaty with EU
Two out of three Swiss companies want Switzerland to sign a draft treaty negotiated with the European Union, a poll for business lobby Economiesuisse found, highlighting the country's political divide over its biggest foreign policy decision.
Swiss vote to tighten gun laws and stay in Schengen
The Swiss voted Sunday (19 May) to toughen their gun laws and bring them in line with EU legislation, heeding warnings that rejecting the change could have threatened relations with the bloc.
Strong Swiss gun culture faces EU pressure
Switzerland, where gun culture has deep roots, has managed to avoid the charged national debates over firearm ownership that have consumed other countries.
Kazakh Minister: Growing interest for next round of Astana talks
The next round of talks under the so-called Astana Process will take place next month, and there is a growing international interest for this forum, First Deputy of the Foreign Minister of Kazakhstan Mukhtar Tileuberdi told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Britain and Switzerland to sign post-Brexit trade agreement
Britain and Switzerland will sign an agreement on Monday (11 February) to continue trading on preferential terms after Brexit, the British trade department said, protecting a trade relationship worth 32 billion pounds (€36.5 billion).
EU-Swiss treaty ‘dead as doornail’ as labour boycotts talks
Switzerland's plan to forge a new treaty cementing ties with the European Union has hit the rocks after the normally pro-Europe centre left joined the far right in resisting a deal that Swiss labour unions say might undermine wages and working conditions.
Swiss to revisit talks on full treaty with EU after summer break
Switzerland said on Wednesday (4 July) it had put further talks on a new treaty governing relations with the European Union, including sensitive labour market rules, on hold until after the summer break.
Swiss see no quick deal on new EU treaty
Switzerland will not meet the European Commission's deadline for a deal in the early part of this year on a new treaty that would bind the neutral country more closely to its biggest trading partner, new Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis said.
EFTA court boss quits, reducing UK’s post-Brexit chances
One of the main proponents of British membership of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - a possible option for the UK's post-Brexit trade regime - quit on Wednesday (15 November) after 14 years at the helm of EFTA’s court.
Emissions Trading System failures sour energy policy efforts
Doubts about the effectiveness of the European Union’s Emissions Trading System (ETS) resurfaced on Tuesday (19 September) at an energy conference in Estonia, as a low carbon price continues to stymie energy market efforts.
Report: Switzerland lost 90% of its ponds within two centuries
Intensive agriculture has gradually dried them out, and soils are no longer able to handle violent rains, creating increased flooding and lethal mud slides. EURACTIV's partner Ouest-France reports.
Police reveal international dimensions of Barcelona attack
Spanish police searched on Sunday (20 August) for the man behind the wheel in the Barcelona van attack that killed 13 people, amid growing signs members of the militant group had connections elsewhere in Europe.
The EU and Switzerland link their carbon markets
The world’s first carbon trading system has found a new partner in Switzerland. EURACTIV France reports.
German nuclear damage shows atomic and renewable power are unhappy bedfellows
A Germany nuclear plant was damaged because its operators increased and decreased its output to respond to energy grid fluctuations. The incident supports the theory that nuclear and renewable energy generation are incompatible. EURACTIV’s partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.
Cyprus reunification talks collapse, UN chief ‘very sorry’
Talks to reunify the divided island of Cyprus collapsed in the early hours of Friday (7 July), UN Secretary General António Guterres said after a stormy final session.
Bern demands progress in Swiss-EU talks
Several political and economic issues remain open in neutral Switzerland's talks on future ties with the European Union, the Bern government said on Wednesday (28 June), linking progress in negotiations to whether it continues to pay into the EU budget.
Cyprus leaders under pressure to strike peace deal
Rival Cypriot leaders at a make-or-break summit in Switzerland this week will come under pressure to finally seal an elusive peace deal for their divided island or face the consequences.
Swiss vote for renewable energy boost, ban on new nuclear plants
Swiss voters backed the government's plan to provide billions of dollars in subsidies for renewable energy, ban new nuclear plants and help bail out struggling utilities in a binding referendum yesterday (21 May).
Will Switzerland end up on Brussels’ tax havens blacklist?
The ‘No’ vote in the Swiss referendum on tax reform was a big defeat for the government. Pressure from trading partners and big businesses will force Bern to come up with a new proposal, and fast. Euractiv’s partner La Tribune reports.
Swiss voters soundly reject corporate tax overhaul
Swiss voters clearly rejected plans to overhaul the corporate tax system yesterday (12 February), sending the government back to the drawing board as it tries to abolish ultra-low tax rates for thousands of multinational companies without triggering a mass exodus.
Knowledge: A Swiss Army knife for Brexit?
The Swiss and British referendums of 2014 and 2016, respectively, share some parallels. The way the Alpine republic resolved its dispute about free movement offers a number of lessons as the date for making Brexit official looms ever nearer, writes Giorgio Clarotti.
Croatia’s central bank chief suspected of conflict of interest
A Croatian government watchdog is to assess if central bank governor Boris Vujčić allowed a conflict of interest by several times attending an economic conference sponsored by the owner of Croatia's biggest commercial bank.
UK agrees ‘immediate’ post-Brexit talks with US, leaving EU high and dry
US President Donald Trump has agreed to start immediate trade talks with Britain with the goal of preserving current arrangements when it leaves the European Union, Downing Street said Saturday (28 January), setting the UK on a collision course with its EU commitments.