Reporting in a government statement, The United Kingdom and Switzerland have reached an agreement on mutual recognition in relation to conformity assessment, as detailed in CS Switzerland No.12026 published on 8 September 2023. This signifies the formalisation of a framework allowing for the recognition of conformity assessments carried out in each country, streamlining processes for businesses operating across the two jurisdictions. The statement does not address the specific sectors covered by this agreement, nor the anticipated impact on trade flows. This development follows a similar agreement reached with Poland on 11 September 2023.
Context
This agreement represents the latest in a series of bilateral agreements entered into by the UK following its departure from the European Union. In March the ministry said the government was actively pursuing regulatory alignment with key trading partners to reduce barriers to trade and investment. The statement does not mention any prior discussions leading to this agreement, nor does it detail the scope of the conformity assessments to be covered. This mirrors the approach taken with Poland, where a Treaty on Security and Defence Partnership was signed on 11 September 2023. The trend signals a continued focus on consolidating regulatory relationships within the wider EEA, although the precise details of this particular agreement remain limited. The statement does not address the potential implications for UK businesses seeking to export goods to Switzerland, or vice versa.
