Ireland’s EU presidency to shape key areas for Switzerland

Ireland’s EU Presidency: What this means for Switzerland Keystone-SDA

Ireland will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU) on Wednesday, holding it until the end of the year. In this role, Dublin will chair ministerial meetings and help shape the agenda.

The following elements of Ireland’s programme are relevant to Switzerland.

Economy

Across the EU, industrial jobs are being lost at an increasing rate. To address this, the EU aims to remove trade barriers within the single market while also strengthening certain sectors.

A series of legislative measures is planned to support this effort, to be introduced in stages by the end of 2027.

There is also a growing trend in these discussions towards closing off the single market and favouring European products. This, among other things, raises the question of what actually counts as “European”.

Greater clarity is expected by the end of the year, as Ireland’s ambassador to the EU, Aingeal O’Donoghue, recently said at a media event.

Some member states, she said, interpret “European” as meaning the EU alone. Others take a more open approach, arguing that openness brings the competition needed, O’Donoghue said.

She also pointed to a contradiction: the EU is striking more free trade deals while at the same time moving to close off its own market. It is, she added, a delicate balancing act.

In the debate around “Made in Europe”, terms such as “like-minded” and “trustworthy” partners are frequently used in Brussels. Switzerland is generally seen as part of this group.

Migration

By the end of the year, the European Commission is expected to present a new mandate for the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has already floated increasing its workforce from 10,000 to 30,000 border guards.

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The proposal would then be put to member states for consultation.

Owing to its association with Schengen, Switzerland would also be expected to back the increase. Cabinet minister Beat Jans has said Switzerland welcomes the expansion in principle. However, he also called for more staff at the Office of the Fundamental Rights Officer, which is based at the Frontex agency.

Ireland also plans to push ahead with implementing the Asylum and Migration Pact, which recently came into force. The pact sets out common rules on asylum and migration across all member states.

As a Schengen-associated country, Switzerland applies parts of the agreement. In this context, efforts will also be stepped up to make the return of rejected migrants more effective.

Research and education

In the field of research, key details of the EU’s next programme will be negotiated in the coming months. It will replace Horizon Europe and cover the period from 2028 to 2034. The European Commission has proposed increasing the budget from €93.5 billion (CHF 86.2 billion) to €175 billion. Switzerland is associated with the programme.

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The same applies to the Erasmus+ education and mobility scheme. Here again, Ireland’s Council presidency aims to move discussions forward for the next funding period. Switzerland plans to take part in the programme from 2027.

Security

In international law enforcement, the EU plans to strengthen its police and judicial cooperation bodies, Europol and Eurojust. The European Commission set out its proposals this week, with the aim of boosting cooperation with non-EU countries in the Schengen area.

That includes Switzerland, which already has agreements with both agencies. Bern would welcome closer ties, the Federal Office of Police (Fedpol) said in response to an enquiry. EU member states will now discuss the proposals.

Transport

The European Commission wants to introduce a simplified ticketing system for international rail travel. The idea is that passengers can buy tickets for connected journeys involving several operators on a single platform.

The Swiss Confederation has welcomed the proposal from Brussels, which is also relevant to Switzerland under the existing Land Transport Agreement. Ireland’s Council presidency will steer discussions on the issue.

Translated from German, sub-edited by sp