Minister says EU-Swiss quagmire means higher energy costs
Switzerland’s energy minister warns that failure to reach a framework agreement with the European Union (EU) could raise electricity costs in the Alpine nation.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Русский
ru
Ждут ли Швейцарию более высокие цены на электроэнергию?
“If we could participate on an equal footing in the European Union market, the electricity bill of Swiss consumers would be around CHF120 million ($121 million) lower,” said Doris Leuthard, who holds the environment, transport, energy, and communications dossier.
She said the deadlock in negotiations with the EU is already costing Switzerland significant money and jeopardizes the conclusion of other agreements.
The framework agreement being discussed between Brussels and Bern covers five bilateral deals: free movement of persons, mutual recognition on conformity assessment, agricultural products, air transport and land transport.
Measures related to the free movement of persons are the main stumbling block.
The Swiss government is also negotiating parallel market access agreements in several areas, with the electricity market designated as a priority.
Without an agreement on electricity, the minister said, Swiss electricity distributors risk exclusion from negotiating arenas within the EU, something that would raise their costs in general.
“Without fair access, they will suffer losses, as their green energy (guarantee of origin) will no longer be recognised as such in the EU in the future,” she noted.
According to a study published by her ministry in 2017, Switzerland faces no significant risk of electric shortages before 2035. However, Switzerland’s integration into the European electricity market is a key condition for ensuring security of supply.
University students in Switzerland join Gaza protest wave
This content was published on
Pro-Palestinian activists occupied university buildings in Lausanne, Geneva and Zurich on Tuesday, widening the protest movement in the Alpine nation.
TradeXBank to resume full operations after Sberbank Switzerland taken off sanctions list
This content was published on
TradeXBank, the former Swiss branch of Russia’s Sberbank, will be able to resume its dollar-denominated activities from the second half of this year.
Geneva decides not to remove controversial memorials
This content was published on
The city of Geneva has presented an action plan regarding a series of controversial local statues and monuments of historical figures linked to racism, colonialism or slavery.
University of Lausanne calls for end to pro-Palestine sit-in
This content was published on
The pro-Palestinian occupation continues at the University of Lausanne (UNIL). On Monday evening, a group of students refused to agree to the deadline set by the rectorate.
Ukraine peace conference should include Russia, says Chinese ambassador
This content was published on
China supports a peace conference on the Ukraine war that would see equal participation of all parties, says Chinese Ambassador to Russia Zhang Hanhui.
This content was published on
A majority of Swiss citizens have open attitudes towards various infertility treatments, including even egg donation, which is currently prohibited.
Reports of Swiss cyber fraud almost doubled in six months
This content was published on
The head of the new Federal Office for Cybersecurity (FOC), Florian Schütz, has presented a new strategy after just over four months in office.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Swiss-EU ‘psychodrama’ has papers rubbing their eyes
This content was published on
Are trade unions holding the Swiss government hostage? Is the left turning hardcore socialist? Whatever’s going on, newspapers are unimpressed.
This content was published on
Politicians have a tough nut to crack this summer: the free movement of labour between Switzerland and the EU. A possible solution: more negotiations.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.