On Thursday 24 December 1992 Mr Filippo Maria Pandolfi, Vice-President of the Commission, received a Swiss Government delegation led by Mr Flavio Cotti, Federal Councillor. During the meeting Mr Cotti informed the Commission of last week's decision by the Swiss Parliament to allocate SwF 477 million to Switzerland's participation in the Community's research and education programmes over the next four years. In the light of this decision and of the results of the Swiss vote of 6 December last on the Treaty on the European Economic Area, Mr Pandolfi and Mr Cotti examined the options available under the existing cooperation between Switzerland and the Community. Under the present Community rules on R&TD, bodies and businesses in non- member European countries which have concluded scientific and technological cooperation agreements with the Community, including the EFTA countries, can take part on a project-by-project basis in activities carried out under the specific programmes of the third framework programme of Community research and technological development. Against this background, both the parties felt it would be useful to examine the practical opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation with a view to pursuing and expanding scientific and technological cooperation between Switzerland and the Community within the existing framework. They suggested that a meeting might be convened rapidly of the Switzerland/Community Research Committee set up in the framework Agreement on scientific and technical cooperation between the European Communities and the Swiss Confederation. The meeting would identify areas which might be suitable for cooperation and would examine any measures likely to improve and develop such cooperation. Mr Pandolfi and Mr Cotti also decided to look into the possibility of Switzerland taking part in the framework programme. * * * *
