Federal Council Approves Agreement on Cantons' Involvement in Switzerland-EU Bilaterals III

Press release Published on 22 April 2026

Package Switzerland-EU: Federal Council approves agreement on the involvement of the cantons

Bern, 22.04.2026 — At its meeting on 22 April 2026, the Federal Council approved the agreement between the federal government and the cantons on their involvement in the context of the package ‘Stabilisation and further development of relations between Switzerland and the EU (Bilaterals III)’. Among other things, it is intended to ensure that the cantons are involved in the application of the institutional elements of the single market agreements – such as the dynamic alignment of legislation or the settlement of disputes. Approval was granted subject to the outcome of the parliamentary deliberations on the package Switzerland-EU.

The Federal Council considers relations with its institutional partners, the cantons and Parliament to be key to the implementation of the package Switzerland-EU. With this in mind, at its meeting of 15 October 2025, the Federal Council had already expressed its intention to conclude an agreement with the cantons on their involvement in the package Switzerland-EU along the same lines as their involvement in Schengen/Dublin. The agreement is to be drawn up within the framework of the applicable law and in accordance with established practice. This decision was incorporated into the dispatch on the package Switzerland-EU which was adopted by the Federal Council on 13 March 2026: the section on institutional elements states that the cantons should be involved in their application. This also addresses a long-standing call by the Conference of Cantonal Governments (KdK) for the regulation of institutional issues with the EU to be accompanied by the increased involvement of the cantons in foreign policy.

Talks between the federal government and the general secretariat of the KdK on the agreement were held from the end of January to the beginning of March 2026. In these talks, a substantive agreement was reached in accordance with the parameters set by the Federal Council on 15 October 2025. If their competences or essential interests are affected, the cantons should be able to participate in the development of Swiss positions within the framework of EU legislation ( decision-shaping) and be informed and consulted on dispute settlement procedures. They will also be represented on the relevant bodies, in particular on the selection committee preparing the election of the members of the chamber for state aid monitoring within the Competition Commission, as well as on the joint committees and in high-level dialogue with the EU. The existing European dialogue between the federal government and the cantons is not affected by the agreement and will be continued.

The agreement was approved by the Federal Council subject to the outcome of the parliamentary deliberations on the package Switzerland-EU and will then be ratified by the political bodies of the KdK, provided that its content remains unchanged. Should Parliament decide to substantially amend the relevant legal bases – in particular the Federal Act on Participation of the Cantons in the Foreign Policy of the Swiss Confederation and the draft legislation on state aid monitoring – discussions with the cantons would have to be resumed. If any material amendments need to be made to the agreement as a result of parliamentary deliberations, these would have to be submitted again to the Federal Council and the cantons for approval. It is therefore not planned to sign the agreement before the parliamentary deliberations on the Swiss–EU package have been concluded. The draft agreement is published together with this press release.

Draft (DE)