Health agreement Switzerland-EU
The health agreement negotiated between Switzerland and the EU enhances the early warning and response capabilities of the Swiss authorities and allows for better protection of the Swiss population. The health agreement is part of the Switzerland-EU package that the Federal Council approved and submitted for the consultation process on 13 June 2025.
Health crises do not respect borders. The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that close cooperation and a coordinated cross-border approach in Europe are essential. Until now, closer cooperation with the EU in this area was only possible in specific cases, relying on the goodwill of the EU and being limited exclusively to crisis situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
Switzerland has a significant interest in formally securing the cooperation with the EU in the area of health security, in order to strengthen its early warning and response capacity in the event of serious cross-border health threats and thus better protect the health of the Swiss population.
For example, the health agreement enables Switzerland to quickly obtain all the necessary information on the spread of new virus variants in a neighbouring country or on experiences and findings regarding different test strategies.
Such cooperation is important for both crisis prevention and crisis response. It also strengthens knowledge sharing. This gives Switzerland the opportunity to participate in Europe-wide studies, for example, and to exchange and compare data and findings at the European level in areas such as antibiotic resistance.
Switzerland will still be able to make independent and sovereign decisions on measures to combat communicable diseases or other cross-border health threats in our country.
Key aspects of the intended Switzerland-EU cooperation in the area of health
Health agreement Switzerland-EU
The agreement gives Switzerland comprehensive access to the EU’s health security mechanisms and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). It improves the early warning and response capabilities of the Swiss authorities during epidemics and allows for better protection of the Swiss population. It provides for the possibility of future extension to other fields of health, if this is in the interests of both parties.
The agreement focuses on health security. Other aspects of health policy, such as tobacco or patients' rights in cross-border healthcare, do not fall within the scope of the agreement.
The institutional elements will apply by analogy in the health agreement, although it is not an internal market agreement. This is intended to ensure the proper functioning of the agreement and smooth cooperation.
Protocol for participation in the EU Health Programme (currently «EU4Health»)
Switzerland’s participation in the EU’s multiannual health programme (currently “EU4Health») is ensured by a protocol to the Programmes Agreement. This protocol is limited to the duration of the current programme «EU4Health” (2021–2027), and Switzerland will only participate in the part of the health programme that is linked to the scope of the health agreement, namely the area of “crisis preparedness”. A prerequisite for Switzerland’s participation in “EU4Health” is the entry into force of the health agreement.
Further information on the Programmes Agreement between Switzerland and the EU can be found on the website of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation: Horizon package 2021–2027
Developments within the Switzerland–EU Package
The health agreement is part of the Switzerland–EU package, for which material negotiations were concluded in December 2024. On 13 June 2025, the internal political process for the Switzerland–EU package was launched with the opening of the domestic consultation process, which also includes the health agreement. No legislative amendments are foreseen for the implementation of the health agreement.
Further information
The consultation procedure on the Switzerland–EU package was launched on 13 June 2025 and will run until 31 October 2025. The relevant documentation can be found on the FDFA’s website: Federal Council opens consultation process on Swiss-EU package
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
EU and neighbouring States Section
Schwarzenburgstrasse 157
Switzerland - 3003 Bern