Brussels, 05 June 2002
Seven bilateral agreements, including one related to research, signed by Switzerland and the European Union in 1999 have entered into force.
The agreements, drawn up following seven years of negotiations, relate to research, public contracts, agriculture, air transport, technical barriers to trade and the free movement of goods.
The Spanish Presidency welcomed the developments. 'The entry into force of these measures is a very important step in the political change Switzerland has undergone in the past few years, leaving behind its traditional isolationism,' it wrote on its website.
Negotiations on signing agreements on other areas are also planned, beginning in mid-June.