CH-EU Committee

Objectives

European integration policy remains one of the fundamental pillars of Swiss foreign policy, at least since the creation of EFTA in 1960. In recent years, this policy has undergone significant changes, which have led to a climate of instability and loss of trust. The most recent example is the halt to negotiations on an institutional agreement between Switzerland and the European Union in May 2021.

This halt has numerous political, economic, scientific, cultural and social consequences. The absence of viable alternatives, despite the efforts of the Federal Council and Parliament, is causing uncertainty among the public and is troubling the political class, which is struggling to agree on the future. This situation calls for searching for new solutions that are mutually acceptable.

The Swiss Chamber of Commerce for Belgium and the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in Brussels has therefore set up the CH-EU Committee, whose aim is to contribute to the development of a stable and lasting approach to relations between Switzerland and the European Union. Both parties are bound by their common interests and values, including respect for the rule of law, freedoms and solidarity.

The Committee's mission is to promote a more extensive understanding of the major issues at the heart of the Switzerland-EU relationship, in the hope of stimulating a broader and more serene public debate.

To this end, the Committee will publish analysis on the issues that shape the quality of the Swiss-European area, on which the public remains insufficiently informed. It will also organise regular debates and conferences in Switzerland and in Brussels.

The CH-EU Committee does not intend to politicise the issue of European integration. With the prosperity of the country and the well-being of its inhabitants in mind, it will help define the prerequisites for the development of good relations between Switzerland and the European Union in an increasingly competitive global environment.

The Committee brings together a number of leading experts in these fields, based both in Brussels and in Switzerland.