Summary: The Bilateral Agreements III extend bilateral cooperation to previously uncovered areas: electricity, food safety and health. Furthermore, Switzerland gains access to major EU programmes such as Horizon Europe (research), Erasmus+ (education) and Digital Europe (digitalisation).
In addition to updating existing agreements, three entirely new subject areas are incorporated into bilateral cooperation [1][3]:
The Electricity Agreement is one of the longest-demanded new agreements. Switzerland and the EU have been negotiating the integration of Switzerland into the European internal electricity market for over 15 years [1].
Key contents:
Significance for Switzerland:
As a transit country for electricity and a location of significant hydropower storage, Switzerland is closely integrated into the European electricity grid. Without a formal agreement, Switzerland has been operating in a regulatory grey area for years -- with growing risks to security of supply, particularly in the winter months [1].
The Agreement on Food Safety creates a harmonised framework for trade in foodstuffs and agricultural products [1][3].
Key contents:
Significance:
Switzerland exports foodstuffs worth several billion francs annually to the EU. A formal agreement reduces trade barriers and simplifies border controls [1].
The Health Agreement enables deeper cooperation in health crises and pandemics [1][3].
Key contents:
Significance:
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that without formal integration into EU health mechanisms, Switzerland was at a disadvantage in vaccine procurement and crisis coordination [1].
A key component of the Bilateral Agreements III is the restoration of access to EU programmes that had been blocked or restricted since the InstA termination [1][3]:
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | Horizon Europe -- world's largest research funding programme |
| Budget | EUR 95.5 billion (2021-2027) |
| Previous status | Switzerland as non-associated third country (since 2021) |
| New status | Full association |
| Significance | Access to ERC Grants, project coordination, networks |
Full association with Horizon Europe is of central importance for Switzerland as a research location. Since the downgrading in 2021, Swiss researchers could not apply for ERC Grants as principal investigators or coordinate EU research consortia [1].
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | Erasmus+ -- EU education and mobility programme |
| Previous status | Exclusion since 2014 (after Mass Immigration Initiative) |
| New status | Association |
| Significance | Student exchange, university cooperations |
Switzerland has not been fully participating in Erasmus+ since 2014 and had funded a national replacement programme ("Swiss-European Mobility Programme"). The re-association enables full participation in European educational exchange [1].
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Programme | Digital Europe -- EU digitalisation programme |
| Areas | Supercomputing, Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Digital Skills |
| Status | New association |
| Significance | Integration into European digital initiatives |
The Bilateral Agreements III additionally provide for participation in EU programmes in the areas of culture, youth and sport [1].
Switzerland pays a financial contribution for participation in EU programmes, calculated based on gross domestic product (GDP). The exact amounts are determined for each programme period [1].
[1] FDFA (2026). Switzerland-EU Package (Bilateral III). Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[3] GTAI (2026). Agreements of the Switzerland-EU package signed. Germany Trade & Invest. [Open Access]
Last updated: March 2026