Swiss–EU package: Federal Council proposals for greater involvement of cantons and Parliament

The Federal Council considers relations with its institutional partners, the cantons and Parliament to be key to the implementation of the Swiss–EU package. The government has therefore carried out an in-depth debate on how to organise the involvement of the cantons and Parliament at national level.

Cantons' decision-shaping rights

With regard to the regulation of the institutional issues with the EU, the cantons have been calling for domestic reforms aimed at strengthening their involvement in Swiss foreign policy since 2010.

Similar to the cantonal participation on Switzerland's association with Schengen/Dublin, the Federal Council is seeking an arrangement between the federal government and the cantons on their involvement in Swiss foreign policy on the EU package. This proposal was set out in the Federal Council's explanatory report on the package submitted for consultation on 13 June 2025. Depending on the degree to which the cantons' responsibilities and key interests are affected, this agreement will provide for their close involvement in the new decision-shaping right, which enables Switzerland to bring its interests to bear in the EU legislative process. Cantonal involvement in the formal dispute settlement procedure with the EU will also have to be examined.

Further topics to be covered by the proposed arrangement are cantonal involvement in pre-selecting members of a new chamber for state aid monitoring at the Competition Commission (COMCO), in the submission of Switzerland's opinions under the preliminary ruling procedure as well as cantonal participation in the Swiss–EU high-level dialogue meetings provided for in the package. The well-established dialogue on Europe between the federal government and the cantons will also be re-enshrined in the arrangement. This dialogue ensures that the cantons are involved at a strategic level in Switzerland's European policy.

The FDFA, in cooperation with the FDJP and EAER, has been tasked with entering into discussions on these topics with the Conference of Cantonal Governments and to submit the results to the Federal Council by spring 2026.

The Federal Council requires authorisation from Parliament to conclude an arrangement with the cantons. The FDFA, in cooperation with the FDJP, has therefore been instructed to draw up the necessary amendments to the Federal Act on Participation of the Cantons in the Foreign Policy of the Swiss Confederation. These amendments will be part of the dispatch submitted to Parliament in March 2026.

More involvement for Parliament

The Federal Council's explanatory report also includes proposals to strengthen Parliament's involvement in Switzerland's decision-shaping right under the new EU package. To this end, the FDFA has been instructed to work with the FDJP and Federal Chancellery to draw up a directive by the end of 2025 on implementing Article 152 of the Parliament Act with the aim of establishing an expanded, transparent information mechanism for Parliament under the Swiss–EU package.

Next steps

The Swiss–EU package consultation will last until the end of October 2025. Based on its analysis of the consultation's outcome, the Federal Council will decide on and communicate any adjustments to be made to the draft dispatch. The measures adopted today to enhance the involvement of the cantons and Parliament in terms of the EU package will also be incorporated into the dispatch.

The agreement on Switzerland's participation in EU programmes (EUPA) is expected to be signed by the Federal Council in November. It enables Switzerland to be associated, retroactively from 1 January 2025, to Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme and the Digital Europe Programme. The other agreements, protocols and declarations in the Swiss–EU package are expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2026.

Address for enquiries:

FDFA Communication Bundeshaus West 3003 Bern +41 58 460 55 55 kommunikation@eda.admin.ch