European Commission Appoints First Ambassador To Switzerland

by Ulrika Lomas, Tax-News.com, Brussels

10 October 2006

The European Commission announced on Friday that it has appointed its first ever Ambassador, Dr Michael Reiterer, to lead the soon-to-be-established Delegation of the European Commission to Switzerland in Bern.

Switzerland has more agreements and common programmes with the EU than any other country and it is the EU’s second biggest export partner.

The Delegation will work on all aspects of the EU’s relationship with Switzerland – political, economic and people-to-people - including agreements on research, the EU’s internal market, agriculture, tax, competition, transport and cooperation over UN matters. The Delegation will also cover the EU’s relationship with international organisations outside the UN and the WTO, as well as with Liechtenstein.

European Commissioner for External Relations, Benita Ferrero-Waldner observed that:

“Our partnership with Switzerland goes far beyond shared geographical borders – it is built on shared values and common interests. We have a wealth of joint activities and agreements, whose achievements in areas from taxation systems to fusion energy have brought advantages for Swiss and EU citizens alike."

"This appointment is a sign of our commitment to further strengthening EU-Swiss cooperation. This cooperation is mutually beneficial. Dr Reiterer brings international and specific Swiss experience to this new post, and I hope that this will lead us to an ever stronger and more fruitful relationship with our closest neighbour.”

Dr Reiterer is currently deputy head of the Delegation of the European Commission to Japan. He previously held a range of posts in Africa, Asia, and Switzerland.

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