Bilateral Agreement Switzerland - European Union

The European Union (EU) is Switzerland's main partner, particularly where the economy is concerned. Switzerland is also an important partner for the EU. Consequently, Switzerland and the EU clearly have an interest in the development, production and dissemination of coherent and comparable statistics. Such statistics provide information on Switzerland and the EU in specific fields (prices, economy, transport, foreign trade, etc.) and more generally on their competitiveness in a context of globalisation.

Switzerland and the EU have been cooperating for a long time in the area of statistics. Thanks to measures taken independently by Switzerland, Swiss statistics have gradually come closer, though not in all areas, to those of the EU. This informal cooperation had the disadvantage of excluding Switzerland from EU bodies (committees, working groups) where strategic directions and EU norms in the area of statistics are developed. This was a problem, as the directions and norms had a growing influence on Switzerland. The Federal Council recognised the desirability of a bilateral agreement on statistical cooperation with the EU as early as 1993. In 1999, at the time of the signing of the "Bilateral Agreements I", Switzerland and the EU agreed to start negotiations for an agreement in the area of statistics.

The agreement between the Swiss Confederation and the European Community (today the EU) on cooperation in the field of statistics was signed on 26 October 2004 and came into force on 1 January 2007. It formalises the cooperation between Switzerland and the EU in the area of statistics and aims to achieve fuller harmonisation of Swiss statistics with those of the EU. The aim is to achieve improved description and monitoring of the different areas of cooperation between Switzerland and the EU. The agreement has the added effect of improving harmonisation of Swiss statistics with the statistical norms of various international organisations of which Switzerland is member (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, United Nations, International Monetary Fund, World Bank).

The agreement ensures that Switzerland's "euro-compatible" statistical data are stored and published by Eurostat (the EU's statistical office) together with those from the EU and its Member States. It also enables Switzerland to participate, without voting rights, in bodies of the EU (committees, working groups) where the EU's strategic directions and norms in the area of statistics are developed. In exchange, the agreement guarantees the EU a financial contribution from Switzerland for its participation in the European statistical programme.

The agreement constitutes a classic international cooperation between Switzerland and the EU, in that it does not provide for a transfer of legislative and decision-making powers to a supranational body. Furthermore, Switzerland and the EU are responsible for ensuring that the agreement is correctly implemented in their respective territories. The agreement has been concluded for an initial period of five years. If it is not terminated before the end of this period, it will be renewed for an indeterminate period. The agreement can be terminated at any time.

The agreement is overseen by a Switzerland-EU statistical committee (joint committee), which meets when necessary and is composed of representatives from Switzerland and the EU. The joint committee formulates recommendations and takes decisions upon mutual agreement between Switzerland and the EU, particularly for the amendment of annexes to the agreement and to decide annual Switzerland-EU statistical programmes. The committee's decisions are binding for both Switzerland and the EU.

The development, production and dissemination of statistics by Switzerland and the EU are governed by binding principles: impartiality, reliability, objectivity, independence, cost-effectiveness, statistical confidentiality and limiting the burden on respondents. These principles are stated in detail in a code of good practice for European statistics which serves as a guideline for Switzerland and the EU.

The agreement bases the statistical cooperation between Switzerland and the EU on EU legislation in the area of statistics with amendments and derogations as necessary. EU legislation in the area of statistics which is binding for Switzerland is mentioned in Annex A of the agreement (as of 1 October 2010). The following statistical areas are covered:

1.  Business statistics
2.  Transport and tourism statistics
3.  Statistics on foreign trade
4.  Statistical principles and confidentiality
5.  Demographic and social statistics
6.  Economic statistics
7.  Classifications
8.  Agricultural statistics
9.  Fishing statistics
10.  Energy statistics
11.  Environmental statistics

Switzerland covers all costs related to its participation in the European statistical programme. To this end it has paid an annual financial contribution of approximately € 3.5 million since the agreement came into force on 1 January 2007. The financial rules that apply to the statistical cooperation between Switzerland and the EU are specified in Annex B of the agreement (as of 1 October 2010).

The application of the agreement requires a strengthening of Switzerland's statistical apparatus at federal level so that it is able to deal with the volume and pace of statistical development, production and dissemination in the EU. Additional resources have been allocated to federal statistics for this purpose. Projects aimed at the modernisation of federal statistics have been initiated. The increase in the statistical burden on respondents is limited as far as possible by amendments and derogations negotiated with the EU and specified in the agreement, by improved use of administrative data and by strengthening the coordinating role of the Federal Statistical Office. At the end of 2010, the level of harmonisation of Swiss statistics with those of the EU had reached just under 60% (upward trend). A similar step taken for the Member States of the EU gave a total result of just under 80%.