Switzerland takes step towards negotiating new EU treaty

BLOOMBERG

The Swiss government agreed on the parameters for possible future negotiations with the European Union (EU), part of its long-running effort to arrange new treaties with the bloc.
The government seeks to “stabilise and develop relations with the EU. It aims to guarantee barrier-free access to the EU’s single market in certain sectors,” it said in a statement. The parameters are confidential, it said.
The plan is to cover a total of seven sectors, five of which – air transport, land transport, technical barriers to trade, agriculture and the free movement of persons — are already included in agreements on single market participation. The two additional areas are electricity and food safety.
The parameters for the negotiation mandate are a first step toward resolving differences that derailed a previous deal with the EU.