Senate committee seeks 517 million francs to secure Mercosur deal

Switzerland’s Senate Foreign Affairs Committee has proposed 517 million francs in additional agricultural funding to help secure parliamentary approval for a free trade agreement with the Mercosur countries, SRF reported.

By nine votes to four, the committee called on the Federal Council to provide the money between 2028 and 2033 to improve the competitiveness of agricultural businesses, according to parliamentary services. The Council of States must now decide.

The National Council rejected the agreement by a narrow majority in June after a heated debate. A substantial minority had sought a 880 million franc commitment credit for agriculture for 2028 to 2035, far above the 158 million francs in additional agricultural subsidies proposed by the Federal Council. The motion was narrowly rejected.