Health, food safety and veterinary affairs
Health
The EU is a key partner in the area of health. That is why the Federal Council aims to expand health-related EU–Swiss cooperation, especially as regards crisis management and preventing public health threats. Switzerland and the EU cooperate at both formal and informal levels.
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Veterinary affairs
The Swiss–EU veterinary agreement governs the control of animal diseases, trade in animals and animal products, and the import of these animals and products from third countries. The agreement is the cornerstone of the Common Veterinary Area, thereby making a significant contribution to safety in cross-border agricultural trade.
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Food safety
Trade in food and agricultural products between Switzerland and the EU is worth more than CHF 16 billion every year. The EU is Switzerland's main trade partner.
Counterfeit and contaminated foodstuffs that are unsafe and hazardous to people's health sometimes end up on the market. To mitigate these risks, Switzerland and the EU want to cooperate even more closely on food safety. The aim is to create a common food safety area encompassing all aspects of plant health, veterinary and food law along the foodstuff chain and covering the lion's share of Swiss–EU trade in agricultural products.
The extension of the 1999 agreement on trade in agricultural products into the area of food safety strengthens consumer protection and allows Switzerland to participate in the EU single market.