Summary: The bilateral relations between Switzerland and the EU have a chequered history. From the EEA rejection in 1992, through the Bilateral Agreements I (1999) and II (2004), to the failure of the Institutional Framework Agreement (2021) and the signing of the Bilateral Agreements III on 2 March 2026 -- an overview of the key milestones.
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 6 December 1992 | Popular vote: EEA No (50.3% No, 16 cantons against) | Switzerland remains outside the EEA. Beginning of the bilateral path [1] |
| 21 June 1999 | Signing of the Bilateral Agreements I in Luxembourg | 7 sectoral agreements on market access [2] |
| 21 May 2000 | Popular vote: Yes to Bilateral I (67.2% Yes) | Confirmation of the bilateral path by the electorate [1] |
| 1 June 2002 | Entry into force of the Bilateral Agreements I | Simultaneous entry into force of all 7 agreements [2] |
| 26 October 2004 | Signing of the Bilateral Agreements II in Luxembourg | 9 further agreements, including Schengen/Dublin [3] |
| 5 June 2005 | Popular vote: Yes to Schengen (54.6% Yes) | Schengen/Dublin association confirmed [1] |
| 12 December 2008 | Full entry into force of Schengen | Elimination of systematic border controls [3] |
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| 9 February 2014 | Acceptance of Mass Immigration Initiative (50.3% Yes) | EU suspends negotiations on Erasmus+ and research [1] |
| May 2014 | Start of InstA negotiations | Objective: institutional umbrella over market access agreements [4] |
| 23 November 2018 | InstA negotiation result available | Draft contains dynamic adoption of law, arbitration tribunal, oversight [4] |
| 2019 | Consultation on the InstA | Mixed reactions: business in favour, trade unions against, SVP fundamentally opposed [4] |
| 27 September 2020 | Rejection of Limitation Initiative (61.7% No) | Free movement of persons and guillotine clause confirmed [1] |
| 26 May 2021 | Federal Council terminates InstA negotiations | Three open points: wage protection, Citizens' Rights Directive, state aid [4] |
| From May 2021 | EU blocks MRA update (medical devices) | Beginning of erosion of existing agreements [5] |
| Date | Event | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| March 2022 | Start of exploratory talks | Open-ended approach without preconditions [6] |
| December 2023 | Common Understanding | Outlines of the new negotiating framework [7] |
| 18 March 2024 | Federal Council issues negotiating mandate | Official negotiations begin [7] |
| 20 December 2024 | Conclusion of negotiations | Initialling of the complete package (18 agreements) [7] |
| January-October 2025 | Consultation | 74% approval in the consultation [8] |
| 2 March 2026 | Signing of the Bilateral Agreements III | Federal Councillor Karin Keller-Sutter and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sign in Bern [9][10] |
| Period | Expected event | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-2027 | Parliamentary deliberation (National Council and Council of States) | Pending |
| 2027 or 2028 | Optional referendum / popular vote | Expected [11] |
| 2028 at the earliest | Entry into force (if approved) | Open |
The Bilateral Agreements III still need to pass through the parliamentary process. As the package is subject to the optional referendum, a popular vote is likely -- various political forces have already announced or signalled a referendum. The FDP and the Centre have indicated that they prefer a popular vote only in 2028 to avoid overlap with the 2027 federal elections [11].
[1] FDFA (2026). Chronology of the bilateral agreements. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[2] FDFA (2026). The Bilateral Agreements I. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[3] FDFA (2026). The Bilateral Agreements II. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[4] Federal Council (2021). Press release: Termination of InstA negotiations. 26 May 2021. [Open Access]
[5] Swissmedic (2026). Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA). Swiss Agency for Therapeutic Products. [Open Access]
[6] Federal Council (2022). Press release: Exploratory talks CH-EU. Swiss Confederation. [Open Access]
[7] FDFA (2026). Switzerland-EU package signed. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[8] FDFA (2025). Consultation results. Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. [Open Access]
[9] GTAI (2026). Agreements of the Switzerland-EU package signed. Germany Trade & Invest. [Open Access]
[10] European Commission (2026). IP/26/505. European Commission, Press release. [Open Access]
[11] Blick (2026). EU treaties probably won't go to vote until 2028. Blick. [Open Access] Note: Media source, not a primary source.
Last updated: March 2026