The Contracting Parties agree to negotiate separate agreements on the mutual recognition and protection of wines and spirit drinks before 1 July 1993, taking into account existing bilateral agreements, with a view to concluding separate agreements before 1 July 1993. The EFTA Court shall have jurisdiction, under the conditions laid down in a separate agreement between the EFTA States, to implement this Agreement, in particular for: The Governments of the EFTA States share the view that enhanced economic cooperation must be accompanied by progress in the social dimension of integration to be achieved in full cooperation with the social partners. The EFTA States intend to contribute actively to the development of the social dimension of the European Economic Area. They therefore welcome the enhanced social cooperation established by this Agreement with the Community and its Member States. Those governments recognise the importance of guaranteeing the fundamental social rights of workers throughout the EEA in this context and endorse the fundamental principles and rights enshrined in the Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers of 9 December 1989, recalling the principle of subsidiarity set out therein. They note that the implementation of these rights must take due account of the diversity of national practices, in particular as regards the role of the social partners and collective agreements. The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) is a 1992 agreement that integrates the Member States of the European Union (EU) and three European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries – Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway – into a single market. (The fourth EFTA state, Switzerland, renounces membership.) The aim of the agreement is to strengthen trade and economic relations between countries by removing barriers to trade and establishing a level playing field and compliance with the same rules. The EU and Switzerland have signed more than 120 bilateral agreements, including a free trade agreement in 1972 and two major series of sectoral bilateral agreements that aligned much of Swiss law with that of the EU at the time of signature. The first set of sectoral agreements (known as Bilateral Agreements I) was signed in 1999 and entered into force in 2002. These seven agreements concern the issues of free movement and reciprocal market opening[2]. Another set of sectoral agreements (bilateral II) was signed in 2004 and gradually entered into force during the period 2005-2009.

These agreements are essentially linked to the strengthening of economic cooperation and the extension of cooperation in the fields of asylum and free movement within the Schengen borders[3]. Switzerland is not part of the EEA Agreement, but has concluded a number of bilateral agreements with the EU. Further information on these agreements can be found on the website of the European Commission and on the website of the Swiss Federal Administration. 3. The Parties shall make every effort to reach agreement on matters relating to this Agreement. During the consultation, concerns were expressed about the free movement of persons between Switzerland and the EU. On 27 September 2020, a referendum on the termination of the FMOP agreement with the EU took place in Switzerland, supported by the SVP. Nearly 62% of voters rejected the SVP`s initiative. The EU hopes that the outcome of this vote will pave the way for a swift transition to the signature and ratification of the IFA. As a member of EFTA, Switzerland participated in the negotiations on the EEA Agreement and signed the Agreement on 2 May 1992.

Immediately afterwards, on 22 May 1992, the Swiss Government submitted an application for EU membership. However, following a referendum on 6 December 1992, which led to a vote against participation in the EEA, the Federal Council suspended the country`s accession to the EU and the EEA. Since then, Switzerland has expanded its relations with the EU through bilateral agreements aimed at ensuring its economic integration with the EU. Bilateral relations have been strained following the anti-immigration initiative of February 2014, the outcome of which called into question the principles of free movement and the internal market that underpin these relations. On the 16th. In December 2016, the Swiss Parliament adopted the Aliens Act, which implemented the result of the 2014 referendum in a way that limited its impact, paving the way for the beginning of the normalization of relations between the EU and Switzerland. Citizens of the EFTA States shall enjoy free movement within the territory of the other Member State in accordance with the EFTA Convention. [54] EFTA nationals also benefit from free movement within the European Union (EU). EFTA nationals and EU citizens are not only exempt from the visa requirement, but also have the right to enter and stay in other countries. The Citizens` Rights Directive[55] (sometimes referred to as the “Free Movement Directive”) defines the right to free movement of citizens of the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the three EFTA members, Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein, as well as the EU Member States.

Switzerland, which is a member of EFTA but not of the EEA, is not bound by the directive, but has concluded a separate bilateral agreement on the free movement of persons with the EU. 22. Joint Declaration on the relationship between the EEA Agreement and existing agreements; The EEA Agreement is without prejudice to the rights guaranteed by existing agreements between one or more EC Member States, of the one part, and one or more EFTA States, of the other part, or two or more EFTA States, such as agreements on individuals, economic operators, regional cooperation and administrative arrangements, until at least equivalent rights have been obtained under the agreement. The provisions referred to in point (c) of Protocol No 27 shall contain a description of the aid programme or case concerned, including all the elements necessary for a proper evaluation of the programme or case (depending on the aid elements concerned, e.B type of State aid, budget, beneficiary, duration). The reasons for initiating the procedure referred to in Article 93 (2) of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community or for the corresponding procedure provided for in an agreement between the EFTA States establishing the EFTA Surveillance Authority shall also be communicated to the other Surveillance Authority. The exchange of information between the two supervisory authorities shall be based on reciprocity. Switzerland shall endeavour to ratify the bilateral agreement between the EEC and the Swiss Confederation on the carriage of goods by road and rail in good time before the ratification of the EEA Agreement, but reiterates its position that the EEA Agreement and this bilateral agreement should be considered as two separate legal instruments with their own merits. .