Switzerland regains access to major EU programs under new agreement
Business environment
9 April 2025
The agreement will allow Switzerland to regain association to Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Euratom, and other EU programs from 2025 onward.
Switzerland is on track to rejoin key EU research and education programs, following the initialing of a new agreement that restores access to flagship initiatives like Horizon Europe and Erasmus+.
On 2 April 2025, Swiss and EU negotiators initialed a new agreement in Brussels, marking a major step toward Switzerland’s renewed participation in key European research, education, and innovation programs. Known as the EU Programmes Agreement (EUPA), the text outlines Switzerland’s association with initiatives including Horizon Europe, Euratom, ITER, Digital Europe, Erasmus+, and EU4Health.
While full ratification will occur as part of a broader Switzerland-EU package, the EUPA could be applied provisionally following its formal signing in November 2025. This would grant Swiss institutions retroactive access to funding calls for Horizon Europe, Euratom, and Digital Europe starting in 2025, and full participation in ITER and Erasmus+ from 2026 and 2027, respectively.
Switzerland’s access to these programs was suspended in 2021 following the breakdown of institutional framework negotiations with the EU. Since then, Swiss researchers and students have faced restricted participation in Europe’s leading collaborative platforms. The transitional measures now in effect for 2025 allow Swiss actors to submit project proposals, but association is needed for direct funding from the European Commission.
According to the Federal Council, this new agreement re-establishes legal certainty and opens the door for Switzerland to contribute once again to Europe’s innovation ecosystem. The text also lays the groundwork for possible future participation in programs related to culture and space.
The EU Programmes Agreement is part of a broader effort to renew and deepen Switzerland’s cooperation with the EU in areas of strategic importance. Once ratified, it will restore full access for Swiss institutions to some of the world’s most competitive funding instruments, reinforcing Switzerland’s role as a leading hub for science, technology, and education.
