It is the Federal Council's intention to stabilise and further develop the tried-and-tested bilateral approach with the EU. This also includes participation in EU programmes, particularly in the areas of education, research and innovation. As Switzerland is an extremely innovative country, this cooperation is of paramount importance. The agreement on participation in EU programmes is intended to provide a framework for cooperation.
Participation in EU programmes
The EU has funding programmes for research, innovation, education, vocational training, youth, sport, culture and other fields. Non-EU member states like Switzerland can take part in these programmes under certain conditions.
Due to a lack of regulations to stabilise overall bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU, Switzerland has been denied association to important cooperation programmes such as Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme and Erasmus+ (2021–27) since 2021. As part of the further development of the bilateral approach, Switzerland should be able to regain full association to these EU programmes. Both Switzerland and the EU are committed to the goal of more systematic Swiss participation in future EU programmes.
Factsheet: EU Programmes (PDF, 1 Page, 219.2 kB, English)
International Mobility in Education, State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation SERI
