The Swiss voice in the world since 1935
Top stories
Stay in touch with Switzerland

Swiss shares can be traded again in the UK

SIX sign
“The mutual recognition of equivalence will permit a healthy exchange and competition between the major financial centres in Switzerland and the UK," according to the chairman of SIX © Keystone / Ennio Leanza

The Swiss finance ministry has removed Britain from a list of countries requiring authorisation for its securities trading platforms.

This decision follows the recognition of the equivalence of Swiss stock exchange regulations by the British parliament, the stock exchange operator SIX said in a statementExternal link on Wednesday, the day the recognition entered into force.

The normalisation of relations between Switzerland and Britain in this area means that various trading venues in the UK can be automatically approved by the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA), the latter said in a separate statementExternal link.

“On January 31, 2020, UK membership of the European Union ended,” the State Secretariat for International Finance explainedExternal link on Wednesday. “Subsequently, the finance ministry activated the protective measure with respect to the UK as well. The transition period in the relationship between the UK and the EU expired on December 31, 2020.”

More

‘Healthy competition’

Since January 2019, any trading venue from a European Union member state wishing to operate in Switzerland must obtain a licence. In November 2018, the government adopted an ordinance to this effect in response to Brussels’ failure to recognise Switzerland’s stock exchange equivalence.

“We’ve always supported open and international capital markets and it’s in the interests of national and international investors,” said Thomas Wellauer, Chairman of SIX, in the statement. “The mutual recognition of equivalence will permit a healthy exchange and competition between the major financial centres in Switzerland and the UK.”

The restrictions are maintained for other EU countries, the Zurich-based financial group said.

More

Popular Stories

Most Discussed

News

Millionaires prioritise well-being over material possessions

More

High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions

This content was published on The priorities of wealthy private individuals have shifted against the backdrop of ongoing geopolitical tensions and trade disputes. While spending on luxury goods is declining, demand for travel and experiences is unabated.

Read more: High-net-worth individuals prioritise well-being over material possessions
Spanish flu: virus genome deciphered a century later

More

Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus

This content was published on Researchers from the Universities of Basel and Zurich (UZH) have sequenced the genome of the Spanish flu virus, thanks to a sample taken from an 18-year-old Swiss boy who died in the city on the Limmat in 1918, when the pandemic spread around the world.

Read more: Swiss researchers sequence genome of 1918 Spanish flu virus
Three inmates attempt to escape from Sion prison

More

Prison escape foiled by Swiss police

This content was published on Three inmates attempted to escape from Sion prison on Sunday morning. Their capture required a major police operation.

Read more: Prison escape foiled by Swiss police
The start of the holiday season means long traffic jams on the Gotthard

More

Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

This content was published on The start of the summer holidays saw a long traffic jam in front of the Gotthard tunnel on Saturday. Traffic jams between Erstfeld and Göschenen in canton Uri were up to 11 kilometres long early in the morning.

Read more: Gotthard traffic queue hits 11km at start of holiday season

In compliance with the JTI standards

More: SWI swissinfo.ch certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative

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.

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR

SWI swissinfo.ch - a branch of Swiss Broadcasting Corporation SRG SSR