21.12.2012

EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso replies to Switzerland's proposals on institutional issues in a letter to the President of the Confederation, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf.

20.12.2012

The Council of the European Union adopts the conclusions of the EU countries on relations with the EFTA states, including Switzerland.

19.11.2012

State Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Yves Rossier, meets the Chief Operating Officer of the European External Action Service, David O'Sullivan.

12.10.2012

The Nobel Prize Committee awards the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union.

10.10.2012

Start of the negotiations on the participation of the Schengen associated States in the new IT agency

27.09.2012

The Treaty Establishing the European Stability Mechanism (ESM) comes into effect.

18.06.2012 2012

The Federal Council informs the EU Commission on his institutional proposals.

15.06.2012

The Federal Council adopts the principles for institutional solutions for the attention of the EU. The Federal Council sees the principles as a proactive and substantial step to renewing the bilateral way and unblocking current dossiers and expects them to create favorable conditions for concluding future agreements such as the electricity dossier: institutional solutions could be sought within this framework that could also be applied to future treaties on market access.

21.05.2012

Start of the negotiations on Switzerland's participation in the European Asylum Support Office (EASO).

25.04.2012

At its meeting on European matters, the Federal Council adopts principles for institutional solutions and submits them for consultation.

18.04.2012

The Federal Council invokes the safeguard clause in the EU-Switzerland Agreement on the Free Movement of Persons with respect to the EU-8 states.

17.04.2012

EU Tax Commissioner, Algirdas Šemeta, declares that the tax agreements negotiated by Switzerland with the United Kingdom and Germany are in full compliance with EU law.

20.03.2012

The President of the Confederation, Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, and Federal Councillor Didier Burkhalter hold talks in Brussels with the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, the EU Commission President José Manuel Barroso, and the President of the EU Parliament, Martin Schulz. They agree to pursue current dossiers in the framework of a coordinated and comprehensive approach and to develop solutions to institutional questions.

16.03.2012

Representatives of Switzerland and the European Defence Agency (EDA) sign a non-binding cooperation agreement in Brussels.

01.03.2012

Serbia receives candidate status at the EU Summit in Brussels.

01.02.2012

The Federal Council decides to continue pursuing a comprehensive and co-ordinated approach to the conduct and further development of the bilateral way.

30.01.2012

The EU states approve a fiscal pact at the EU Summit in Brussels, providing for stricter budgetary discipline.