Switzerland maintains close ties with the European Union (EU) on environmental matters. It regularly participates in informal meetings of EU environment ministers and has been a member of the European Environment Agency (EEA) since 1 April 2006. Switzerland's environmental legislation has already been harmonised with EU regulations to a significant extent in a number of sectors.
Green Deal, Clean Industrial Deal
Switzerland aims to be net zero by 2050. The Green Deal presented by the European Commission in December 2019 announces ambitious environmental policy proposals and the greening of other policies.
Climate legislation has been tightened across the board in order to achieve a 55% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 compared with 1990 levels. In regard to the circular economy, the EU has placed more emphasis on design and production rather than just recycling, as well as on consumer responsibility and awareness.
Following the parliamentary elections in 2024, the EU institutions will continue to implement the Green Deal. However, as indicated by the Commission in its Clean Industrial Deal of February 2025, the focus should be on energy-intensive industries and clean technologies as a key sector for industrial transformation, competitiveness and decarbonisation.
Switzerland and the EU share many sustainable development objectives. Although Switzerland can benefit from some EU developments, the environmental measures could lead to trade barriers such as product rules, or pose particular challenges such as the carbon adjustment mechanism at the borders.
European Environment Agency (EEA) and meetings of the heads of environmental protection agencies
The European Environment Agency (EEA) is an EU agency that provides decision-makers and the public with reliable and timely knowledge about Europe's environment.
Switzerland has been a member of the EEA since 2006, as part of the bilateral environment agreement with the EU (Bilaterals II). It participates fully in the EEA and the European Environment Information and Observation Network (EIONET). The EEA analyses data on the state of the environment in 32 member countries (EU 27, EFTA 4 and Turkey) and six cooperating West Balkan countries. It ensures that these data meet the common criteria to guarantee their comparability. Switzerland participates in the EEA Management Board and thus benefits from the EEA's knowledge base and expertise, and information about Switzerland is included in EEA publications. However, Switzerland has not agreed to adopt the substantive rules for environmental policy or harmonise regulations in this area.
Likewise, since 2006, Switzerland has participated in the Network of the Heads of European Environment Protection Agencies (EPA Network) and the European Network of Heads of Nature Conservation Agencies (ENCA Network).
Contribution to EU enlargement
Switzerland and the EU signed the Memorandum of Understanding on the second Swiss contribution to selected EU member states on 30 June 2022. This contribution amounts to CHF 1.302 billion over ten years and focuses on vocational training and migration. Depending on the priorities of the partner countries, funds may also be invested in other areas such as environmental and climate protection.
Environmental and climate protection is one of the five thematic guidelines. Projects in this area focus on energy efficiency and renewable energy, public transport, water and wastewater management, waste disposal and complementary measures for nature conservation and biodiversity. The projects actually implemented depend on the agreements reached with the partner countries and, ultimately, on the concrete proposals they submit.
Incorporation of EU environmental legislation into Swiss law
Apart from the agreements on the EEA (see above) and emissions trading (see below), bilateral accords between Switzerland and the EU generally provide for the adoption of EU legislation by Switzerland or the adaptation of Swiss legislative provisions to those of the EU in accordance with the principle of equivalence. Moreover, Switzerland also independently adopts elements of EU law in areas not covered by bilateral accords, essentially with a view to eliminating trade barriers.
With regard to the environment, the bilateral Agreement on Air Transport of 1999, for example, contains provisions on aircraft noise emissions. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), of which Switzerland is a member, is responsible, inter alia, for harmonising aircraft design standards, particularly in relation to environmental protection. The bilateral Agreement on the Carriage of Goods and Passengers by Rail and Road of 1999 also contains provisions for the coordination of transport policies. This enabled Switzerland to increase the taxes levied on heavy goods traffic and hence incentivise the switching of freight transport from road to rail.
Sectoral Dossiers
Based on the four criteria of single market access, possibilities for cooperation, political room for manoeuvre and feasibility in foreign policy, the Federal Council believes that the bilateral route remains the best solution for Switzerland.
Greenhouse gas emission trading scheme
The Agreement on the linking of the Swiss and EU emissions trading schemes came into force on 1 January 2020. It regulates the mutual recognition of emissions allowances from both Switzerland and the EU. As they each have their own legal basis, Switzerland is not adopting the EU legislation.
Reciprocal market access promotes flexibility and efficiency in carbon trading and ensures that Swiss companies pay the same price per tonne of CO2 as their competitors in the EU and EFTA. The EU system covers some 9,000 installation operators and 400 aircraft operators who together emit about 1.1 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year. In the Swiss system, there are about 100 installation operators and 200 aircraft operators with a total of about 5.5 million tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year.
Under this agreement, CO2 emissions from civil aviation are also included in the Swiss emissions trading scheme. These regulations apply to domestic flights and flights from Switzerland to countries in the European Economic Area (EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) and to the United Kingdom.
The agreement contains provisions applicable in the event of linking with third parties.
Biocides
The Swiss-EU Agreement on Mutual Recognition of Conformity Assessments (MRA) contains a chapter on biocidal products (disinfectants, protective products, pest control products except plant protection products), facilitating mutual access to the market for such products. This chapter was revised in April 2015 and the equivalence of Swiss and EU legislation was again established. There are no plans to revise the EU legislation on biocides at this stage.
Copernicus - the European Earth Observation Programme (former GMES)
Copernicus was launched jointly by the European Space Agency (ESA) and the EU in 1998 for the purpose of providing Europe with the capacity for observing the Earth. The aim is to provide targeted services in the areas of the environment and security (atmosphere, land and marine monitoring, climate change, emergency management, and security) to user groups such as public authorities, humanitarian organisations and the private sector.
In addition to its participation in the ESA, Switzerland has contributed to the development of Copernicus in the EU research framework programmes in which it has participated. It is also involved in several institutions that receive mandates from Copernicus. In 2024, the Federal Council decided that Switzerland would not take part in the programme for the period ending in 2027. It will consider the possibility of joining Copernicus from 2028 onwards, as participation ensures that Switzerland has a say in the programme and free access to its data over the long term. In addition, industry would be guaranteed the right to bid on Copernicus tenders. The results of an economic impact assessment of participation in Copernicus suggest a positive impact in Switzerland, both for instrument manufacturers and companies that value the information and for Switzerland as a business location, not to mention the field of research.
Timber trade
Under Regulation (EU) 2023/1115 on deforestation, from 30 December 2025 companies that place on the EU market or export beef, soya, palm oil, wood, coffee, cocoa and rubber or derived products will have to prove that they comply with due diligence obligations regarding deforestation and forest degradation. The aim is to ensure that products comply with the legislation of the countries of origin and do not originate from land deforested after 31 December 2020 or contribute to forest degradation. In 2024, the Federal Council decided not to amend Swiss law at this stage.
After a series of parliamentary motions, in 2019 Parliament passed an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act that allowed the Federal Council to introduce, in the form of an ordinance, equivalent legislation to the EU regulation prohibiting the marketing of illegally harvested timber.
Further information
Last modification 08.07.2025
