EC/Switzerland agreement: protocol to the agreement on the free movement of persons following the 2004 enlargement

PURPOSE : to conclude a Protocol Agreement between the European Union and Switzerland on the free movement of persons following enlargement.

LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2006/245/EC on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Community and its Member States, of a Protocol to the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons, regarding the participation, as contracting parties, of the 10 new Member States.

CONTENT : the Agreement between the European Community and its Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the free movement of persons entered into force on 1 June 2002 (see procedure reference AVC/1999/0103). It should be amended to allow the new Member States to be Contracting Parties to this Agreement.

The Council has adopted this Decision which concludes the protocol to the agreement with Switzerland on free movement of persons, regarding the participation of the EU's ten new Member States. The protocol provides for transition periods for employed workers, and service providers in certain sectors, who are nationals of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia. The transition periods will end on 30 April 2011 at the latest.

The protocol also introduces adaptations concerning real estate acquisitions, as well as technical adaptations, in particular with respect to coordination of social security schemes (Annex II) and mutual recognition of professional qualifications (Annex III).

ENTRY INTO FORCE : 1 April 2006.