The second Swiss Contribution: issues and players - Discussion with Debora Kern (SDC) and Daniel Birchmeier (SECO)
The second Swiss Contribution: issues and players - Discussion with Debora Kern (SDC) and Daniel Birchmeier (SECO)
The second Swiss Contribution represents a development fund of 1 302 million CHF over a ten-year period for 13 countries that joined the European Union after 2004 or are subject to migratory pressure (Italy, Greece, Cyprus). With this contribution, Switzerland aims to reduce economic and social disparities in Europe. The monitoring of the envelopes in the 13 new EU Member States is managed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, while the State Secretariat for Migration is responsible for the migration envelope. The Swiss side has taken into account GDP per capita and population when determining cohesion funding. In addition, the funding of the various projects is subsidised by Switzerland up to a maximum of 85%, the remaining 15% being financed by the State concerned. The envelope can be used to finance areas such as scientific research, health, and vocational training, but also to develop environmental and climate protection infrastructure, or to support SMEs.