Switzerland To Extend Free Movement Accord To EU Acceding States
Following an official request from the European Union, Switzerland is due to
open negotiations with the ten acceding states to the EU regarding the free
movement of labour. As Switzerland is not one of the 15 current member states, it has negotiated
a series of bi-lateral agreements with the EU on several issues, one of these
being the principle of the freedom of movement. Representatives from the 26 Swiss cantons and the foreign policy committee
are now set to begin debate on the issue after the cabinet approved negotiations
with the ten new member states last week. The decision comes in the wake of
a letter by EU Commissioner for External Affairs, Chris Patten, to Swiss foreign
minister Micheline Calmy-Rey which urged Swiss support in the EU's expansion
programme. Supporting Switzerland's closer ties with the enlarged union, Swiss Justice
Minister Ruth Metzler said it would be a "good opportunity" for the country,
and refuted suggestion the move would lead to an influx of immigrants. “We shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity by focusing on the risks,” Metzler
said in a Malta Independent Online report. .
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