EU-Zwitserland: minder barrières voor grensoverschrijdende arbeiders (en)
Commuting from EU or EFTA countries to work in Switzerland each day will become easier for about 200,000 cross-border workers under proposals to ease free movement of people and services approved by a show of hands in Parliament on Tuesday.
Since Switzerland signed the Agreement on Free Movement of Persons in 1999, the number of posted workers and self-employed service providers from the EU operating in Switzerland has increased significantly. However, a number of issues still remain to be addressed in order to secure and expedite the implementation of the free movement of services on both sides.
"Encouraged by the very rich and intensive exchange with our partners in the European Economic Area and in Switzerland, I hope this report has placed them for good on the European Parliament's map of interests", said Parliament's rapporteur Rafal Trzaskowski (EPP, PO), before the plenary vote.
Barriers to the free movement of persons and services
Switzerland has taken measures, further to the free movement of persons agreement, to protect workers against wage and social dumping and ensure equal treatment of Swiss and EU service providers
However, MEPs note that these measures may "hinder the provision of services", notably by small and medium-sized businesses, and add that according to Court of Justice case-law a number of these supporting measures would be acceptable only if they protect, "in a proportional manner, a general interest that is not already protected in the state of origin of the service providers".
MEPs specifically object to Swiss requirements that foreign companies wishing to supply services in Switzerland provide prior notification with an 8-day waiting period, and place a guarantee of financial probity with the Swiss authorities.
Enhancing Switzerland's participation in the single market
MEPs encourage the Commission and Switzerland to enhance transparency in the decision-making system, and to consider introducing an effective dispute settlement mechanism to overcome obstacles to internal market participation.
While appreciating the need to fully respect the causes of the special nature of the relations between Switzerland and the EU, MEPs also stress the need to "discuss the possibility of going beyond the existing institutional framework and perhaps concluding an all-encompassing agreement to the mutual benefit of both Switzerland and the EU".
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