To the Swiss Federal Council, to the European Commission, to the Council of the EU, to the European Parliament, to the Swiss Federal Assembly: 

In the light of the first experience with the enhanced powers of the European Parliament after the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty, we reaffirm our commitment to inter-parliamentary political dialogue and express our wish to intensify these relations, in particular with regard to involvement in the current debate on the future of the EU-Switzerland institutional setup.

We welcome recent decisions taken by our Parliaments to enhance the inter-parliamentary relations between the European Parliament and the Swiss Federal Assembly, in particular by extending the cooperation to the standing parliamentary committees.

Moreover, we encourage the European Parliament to invite Members of the Swiss parliament, within the legal limits of the EU treaties, to public hearings and other public consultations on policy issues and legislative proposals of mutual concern, in particular in cases of new or revised bilateral agreements.

Aware of the important role Switzerland plays for the European North-South transit of goods and persons and of an important increase of transit needs in the future, calls the EU Member States concerned to intensive the infrastructural efforts, in order to make sure that the Swiss achievements (New Railway Link through the Alps) aimed at adapting the North-South transit capacities to future needs, are met adequately (by two complementary transit routes in the North) and rapidly.

Aware of the need of renovate the Gotthard road tunnel we expect a coordinated approach during the closure of the tunnel, in order to minimize a national and international diversion of traffic.

We reiterate our commitment to a smooth implementation of the agreement on free movement of persons and call upon the Swiss government, the EU-Commission and other competent authorities to solve the open questions related to the functioning of the agreement at the appropriate level (mixed committee; tri-national working groups) without [further] delay. We intend to assess progress made in this respect at our next meeting in November 2011.

Moreover, we ask the EU institutions and Switzerland to refrain from any linkage between these questions and further developments of the bilateral relations.