Richard SZOSTAK

Policy topics Richard SZOSTAK is active on

What Richard SZOSTAK has said (7)

• “Strengthening the rights of our citizens by updating the agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with the existing rules of the European Union on free movement, and by having a new and specific agreement providing for Swiss contribution to EU cohesion policy. That's why we've renegotiated the agreements on free movement of persons on land transport, on air transport, a mutual recognition agreement. We have new agreements on electricity, on health, on food safety, on cohesion, which I mentioned, and of course on union programmes. And we've added to this a protocol on parliamentary cooperation, which we hope. Which we hope will foster cooperation in between the members of the European Parliament and also this committee with their counterparts in Switzerland. The European Parliament will have a big role in respect of this package, first of all, because it will be submitted to the need for the consent of the European Parliament, but also because members of this Parliament have a very important role to play in terms of speaking to stakeholders and parliamentarians in Switzerland to make sure that the process of ratification, which is now ongoing in Switzerland, goes well and moves forward quickly. In terms of a few words on the main agreements which are of interest to this committee. The agreement on electricity is meant to make electricity trading between Switzerland and the neighbouring countries, and so the European Union as a whole more efficient.”
  EU approach to electricity market and prices · EU-Switzerland relations
• “So thank you. Thank you very much. Um, for these for these questions. So thank you for the for the support, um, that you expressed on, um, the package, uh, as a, as a whole. Indeed. It's been a very long negotiating process many years. And we've glad that we managed to, um, complete these negotiations. And now we're in a process of ratification. We expect that this ultimately will be decided by a popular vote on the package as a whole in Switzerland in, um, um, most likely before the next federal elections in June 2027, otherwise, in early 2028. And as I mentioned, the, um, support of the European Union as a whole and of course, of the federal councils of. That process will be essential. Um, on the specific questions which were uh asked indeed in relation to union programmes. We have already adopted transitional arrangements to allow Swiss um participants to take part in calls, um, from the beginning of 2025. We thought that this was an important gesture, uh, to show or to begin to show the benefits of this package in Switzerland for a community which is particularly vocal in its support for closer ties between Switzerland and the European Union. Um, we also propose that once the agreement is signed, it will apply provisionally. This will mean that Swiss researchers will be able to receive funding under the programs.”
  EU-Switzerland relations · EU research funding
• “And thank you very much. And perhaps I'll begin with 1 or 2 of the more of the more specific questions. And I can confirm that, unfortunately, um, Copernicus is not covered by this package of agreements. Um, the it became clear in the course of the discussions that Switzerland was not interested in this programme. And in fact, at least as far as this multiannual Financial framework was concerned and did not have, um, a mandate to negotiate it. So we were not able to, um, secure that, um, on, um, data protection. There is a data adequacy decision in place in the Commission in respect of Switzerland, which I suspect deals with a maximum amount of policy areas. I believe that there are also specific data protection provisions in some of the agreements, for example, on health that that complement that. So that how that's how we um, that is how we secure the respect by Switzerland of data protection rules. So, of course, the thrust of these follow up questions was on the role of the European Parliament in, um, the approval of specific protocols, establishing the association of a third country to union programmes. And specifically you focused on, um, the question of the modification of the agreement via the protocols. The position that I took. And which I believe is the position of the Commission, is that the protocols. Are agreed on the basis of. And in line with a broader agreement, a framework on the association of these countries to. Union programmes. And that should there be a willingness to change the key parameters of that framework agreement. You would follow the same procedure as you do for the approval of the agreement in the first place. Um. I do not know which advice and what exchanges there were in writing between the Commission and the European Parliament, this committee on this issue. But will I'm happy to check what can be done and what has been done and what can be done in the future.”
  International data transfers · EU-Switzerland relations · EU research funding
• “Um, Mr. Chair, honourable members, thank you very much for the invitation to this committee. So let me begin with a few words about what this package is about, and then focus on elements which we think are of greatest interest to you. So after around ten years of negotiations, in December last year, we completed a negotiation with Switzerland on a broad package of agreements which are meant to reshape the bilateral relationship between the EU and Switzerland. It's a relationship which is already dense between member states and Switzerland, already dense in terms of the agreements that we have between us. There's an underlying very old free trade agreement from 1972, but the core of the relationship is a series of bilateral agreements, which gives Switzerland access to the EU's internal market on a sectoral basis. This is welcome because trade between the EU and Switzerland is intense and benefiting both countries. But as things stand, the relationship is unbalanced. There's no level playing field for European companies where they compete on our internal market with Swiss companies. Our citizens are not sufficiently protected when they move to Switzerland and despite having access to our single market, Switzerland does not pay into the European Union's cohesion policy. And these are the things which we tried to fix in this negotiation. Establishing a playing field level playing field by using dynamic alignment. By introducing dispute resolution with a role for the Court of Justice of the European Union, by introducing state aid provisions where they are necessary.”
  Free trade agreements (FTAs) · EU Single Market harmonisation · EU-Switzerland relations
• “We see it as a model for the new agreements, which we plan with Switzerland insofar as it creates dynamic alignment on our rules, a level playing field through the application of, at the very least of our environmental rules, our renewables rules. It has rules on state aid, and it has dispute resolution, including the Court of Justice. The agreement on the Union, on the on Union programmes covers Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Euratom Research and Training, fusion for energy, Erasmus+ and Erasmus for health. Um, we have chosen to um frontload this element of the package, um, because we thought it was important for Swiss and European researchers to get the benefit of this agreement as quickly as possible. That's why the Commission's proposal on the signature of this, of this agreement went forward more quickly. But we see it. But this conclusion is in the overall package for conclusion, because we see it as being intimately linked to all the other elements of the package. There is also, um, a separate but connected, um, agreement on the right for Switzerland to participate in the European Union Agency for Space Programs, EU spa, as enshrined in the 2014 Agreement on Switzerland. Participation in Galileo and on Agnes. Mr. chair, you've called me to write, so I'll stop here. But I'm of course available for questions later.”
  State Aid · EU-Switzerland relations · EU research funding
• “The agreement that you're approving that will ask you to approve in the in the context of this process, establishes the key parameters of association in the future. And those parameters can, of course, only be changed with the consent of this House. The Commission will continue to be transparent as regards both institutions and in particular the European Parliament. All proposals are tabled by the Commission to the to the country. The first tabled in the European Parliament before they are discussed in the negotiations. And the Commission regularly updates on the state of play of the negotiations and explains all open issues. And this is this is reflected in the reply in the oral reply given on the 8th of February. It's reflected in the presentations that we make in this House as regards as regards some of the specific questions which were asked of by the honourable members. As regards Switzerland and Horizon and Horizon Europe Association, Switzerland will have access to all parts of Horizon Europe and there are adjustment mechanisms which are specifically foreseen for the financial contribution to union programmes and in particular in case of over or underperformance by Swiss entities, there are mechanisms to correct the contribution and thereby, we hope, establish a balance in the application of the agreement. Thank you very much.”
  EU-Switzerland relations · EU research funding
• “We think that this will benefit researchers both in Switzerland and in the European Union, and it will unlock, of course, also the very valuable financial contribution that Switzerland makes to union programmes. As the honourable member pointed out. The benefits which Switzerland will see from association to union programs is a core element for them, and therefore a core element of the balance of the package as a whole. Um, in respect of provisional application, we think that the role of the Parliament will be respected in full because there is a sunset clause in respect to. Provision that application which provides that if by 2028 the package is not ratified, the provisional application end. So that makes sure that both the Swiss parliament, but also this parliament have a say which matters. And in this respect, honourable members, the role of this Parliament and the role of the Swiss Parliament are very much, um, comparable in the sense that both houses will pronounce themselves after the package um is signed. Um, as regards. Um, as regards um, the specific question on um, the role of the Parliament more, more generally, Lee. Um. I mean, yes, there is indeed a very strong position of the European Parliament in this regard, which we are very well aware of. The European Parliament, as the Union's co-legislator, has a decisive say in drafting the rules and conditions of the association policy that are set out in the Horizon Europe regulation.”
  EU-Switzerland relations · EU research funding