Parliament calls halt to EU agriculture talks
The government is being forced by parliament to suspend negotiations on a bilateral treaty on free trade in agriculture with the European Union.
A broad alliance of members from centre-right parties as well as the centre-left in the Senate on Wednesday followed the House of Representatives to demand a freeze of talks launched in 2008 with Brussels.
They said opening the agriculture market to the EU would have a disastrous impact on Swiss farmers struggling to survive against foreign competition.
Parliament has left the door open to the resumption of talks, subject to progress in global negotiations at the World Trade Organization.
Economics Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann, who holds the agriculture portfolio, warned a suspension of negotiations would not help to solve the existing problems in the farming sector.
Supporters also said a suspension could jeopardise a planned bilateral agreement on electricity with Brussels.
In a first reaction, the Farmers Association welcomed the parliamentary decision saying the time could be used to examine the situation.
Switzerland and the EU have concluded more than 100 bilateral treaties, but negotiations on further deals have been stalled amid disagreement over an automatic adoption of EU law and a court of arbitration.
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