Europe Day in Switzerland

Europe Day held on May 9th every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. The date marks the anniversary of the historic "Schuman declaration". At a speech in Paris in 1950, Robert Schuman, the then French foreign minister, set out his idea for a new form of political cooperation in Europe, which would make war between Europe's nations unthinkable.

This year May 9th marks the 70th Anniversary of the Schuman Declaration, which set European integration in motion. The specific challenges that the European Union faces today – humanitarian, economic and sovereign – find an echo in the words of the Schuman Declaration: "World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it."

This year is not a year for celebration and we must mark it in a different way by paying tribute to the many Europeans who, in a spirit of solidarity, are helping our Union get through the coronavirus crisis.

Although Switzerland is not a member state of the European Union, it is associated with the Union through a series of bilateral treaties in which Switzerland has adopted various provisions of European Union law in order to participate in the Union's single market, without joining as a member state.

In 1992, Switzerland held a referendum on membership to the European Economic Area, which allows European Free Trade Association members to participate in the EU’s internal market. Swiss citizens voted against joining the EEA, choosing instead to continue taking the strictly bilateral approach to their relationship with the EU.

In 2001, Swiss citizens voted on a popular initiative to open membership negotiations, but nearly 77 percent of voters decided that Switzerland should remain separate from the European Union.

In 2010 an agreement was signed on Swiss participation in EU education, professional training and youth programmes.

Overall, more than 100 bilateral agreements currently exist between the EU and Switzerland.
The on-going implementation of these agreements obliges Switzerland to take over relevant EU legislation in the covered sectors.These bilateral agreements between the EU and Switzerland are currently managed through approximately 20 joint committees.

As a consequence of its partial integration in the EU's single market, Switzerland pays a financial contribution to economic and social cohesion in the new EU Member States.