The EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA) forms the legal basis for Switzerland's participation in EU research and innovation programmes, namely Horizon Europe, Euratom, ITER, Digital Europe, Erasmus+ and EU4Health. The EUPA also paves the way for potential future participation in other EU programmes.
The EUPA will only come into effect following ratification of the Switzerland-EU package. However, it may already be provisionally applied once it has been signed. Switzerland and the EU initialled the agreement in Brussels on 2 April 2025; signature is planned for November 2025. This will enable Swiss association in Horizon Europe, the Euratom programme and the Digital Europe Programme to be applied retroactively from 1 January 2025. In other words, Swiss association will occur prior to signature of the remaining components of the Switzerland-EU package. Nonetheless, the EUPA will remain part of this package for the consultation phase, the Federal Council Dispatch and subsequent parliamentary debate.
This allows researchers and innovators who, under the transitional arrangement, have already had access to nearly all calls for proposals under these programmes since 1 January 2025, to have their project costs funded by the European Commission. For this, Switzerland will transfer its compulsory contribution to the EU covering the 2025 programme year
The EUPA will be provisionally applied from the date of signature until ratification or until 31 December 2028 at the latest. This will enable swift association in the current generation of research and innovation programmes for 2021-2027. Under the terms of the EUPA, Switzerland will be able to take part in Erasmus+ from 2027. The Federal Council will request the necessary funding from the Federal Assembly in its dispatch on the Switzerland-EU package. Swiss participation in the EU4Health programme will be possible as soon as the bilateral health agreement comes into effect as part of the overall Switzerland-EU package.
The chief negotiators from the EU and Switzerland (incl. co-negotiators from the relevant Swiss federal offices) will meet in Bern in May 2025 to initial the remaining components of the Switzerland-EU package. The Federal Council plans to launch the consultation phase before the summer.
Further information:
Horizon package 2021–2027
Erasmus+
ITER
Swiss-EU Health Agreement
Participation in EU programmes
Address for enquiries:
GS-EAER Communications
Media Office: +41 58 462 20 07
info@gs-wbf.admin.ch
FDFA Communications
Media Office: +41 58 460 55 55
kommunikation@eda.admin.ch
Publisher:
The Federal Council
Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research
Federal Department of Home Affairs
