Research, education and culture
Research
The Federal Council seeks to boost Swiss involvement in EU programmes, particularly in the fields of research and innovation. As Switzerland is an extremely innovative country, this cooperation is of paramount importance. The agreement on participation in EU programmes is intended to provide a framework for cooperation. The EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA) between Switzerland and the EU was signed in November 2025. The EUPA has ensured that Switzerland is now associated to the Horizon Europe, Euratom and Digital Europe programmes with retroactive effect from 1 January 2025. This allows researchers and innovators in Switzerland to participate fully in the calls for proposals and to manage and coordinate projects. From 1 January 2026, Switzerland will once again participate in the ITER research infrastructure and may be associated to Erasmus+ from 2027, provided that Parliament approves the requisite funding. It is also actively discussing research policy with the EU within the framework of the European Research Area.
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Education
Initiatives for education-focused international cooperation are gaining in number and momentum. People of all ages and institutions of all educational levels and fields of study now have a wide range of opportunities for cross-border cooperation. Switzerland's focus in this area is on initiatives with the EU and on international cooperation on vocational education and training.
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Culture
The comparatively small Swiss cultural landscape, while diverse along its linguistic regions, flourishes especially through exchange with other countries. The EU is the most important cross-border cultural funding institution in Europe, and as such is an important partner for Switzerland's international cultural policy. Switzerland first signed an agreement with the EU in 2004 as part of Bilaterals II, making Switzerland eligible for the MEDIA programme at the time. The last MEDIA programme in which Switzerland was involved came to an end in 2013. The current Dispatch on Culture 2025–28 sets out Switzerland's aim to participate in the EU programme Creative Europe.