Switzerland and EU sign agreement on Swiss participation in EU programmes
Berna, 10.11.2025 — Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and EU Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva signed the Switzerland-EU programmes agreement in Bern on 10 November 2025. This part of the Switzerland-EU package can be provisionally applied with retroactive effect from the beginning of 2025. Switzerland is thus associated to Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme and the Digital Europe programme. The agreement also paves the way for association to ITER, Erasmus+ and EU4Health.
With the signing of the programmes agreement, Switzerland is associated to Horizon Europe, the Euratom and the Digital Europe programmes with retroactive effect from 1 January 2025. Association to the ITER research infrastructure is planned from 2026 and to Erasmus+ from 2027. The Federal Council will request the funds necessary to finance Erasmus+ from Parliament, as part of the Switzerland-EU package. Participation in the EU4Health programme is linked to the entry into force of the health agreement in the Switzerland-EU package.
At the signing ceremony, Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin and Ekaterina Zaharieva, the EU Commissioner responsible for start-ups, research and innovation, stressed the importance of Swiss-EU cooperation for all of Europe as a location for education, research and innovation in the face of global competition. The EU funding programmes for research and innovation, in which Switzerland has a long tradition of participation, are the most comprehensive and renowned in the world.
The association allows researchers and innovators in Switzerland to participate fully in calls for proposals from Horizon Europe and in the Euratom and Digital Europe programmes, as well as leading and coordinating projects. Their project costs will be financed by the European Commission, with Switzerland paying a compulsory contribution to the EU to cover this.
The association gives Switzerland participation rights in the organisation of the European Research Area and allows it to play an active role in the programme committees. The programmes agreement also lays the foundation for possible future participation in other EU programmes. With each new programme generation, Switzerland is free to decide on which of the programmes that are open to third countries it wishes to join.
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