To curb Brussels bureaucracy and directly influence EU regulations, Swiss companies and associations are taking matters into their own hands. against the EU dictate. Since the Swiss Confederation cannot directly represent the interests of its economy to the EU and its laws are generally made in Bern, Swiss companies and organizations maintain a very high presence in the EU Transparency Register.
Direct lobbying in response to EU regulations
Regulations from Brussels are driving not only entrepreneurs from EU member states to distraction, but also business representatives from Switzerland. I could write a book about EU standards, laws, directives and regulations that have brought administration, increased costs and a lot of bureaucracy.
, “That’s what Dieter Brunner, CEO and co-founder of the machine manufacturer Eprotec in Regensdorf, Zurich, says. The company produces high-precision melt pumps for the recycling industry and generates around half of its revenue in the EU. Eprotec is heavily affected by the new Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulation (PPWR), which has been in effect since August, but was unable to participate in its development. To influence future regulations at the source, the small company with five employees registered in the EU Transparency Register a few weeks ago to engage with EU parliamentarians and officials.”
Comparison with EU member states
According to Lobby Facts, an organization that analyzes data on lobbying in the EU, a total of 387 Swiss companies, associations, and other organizations are registered in Brussels. These include, in addition to Eprotec, numerous large corporations such as Novartis, Roche, Nestlé, and UBS; business associations such as Economiesuisse, Swissmem, and the Swiss Bankers Association; as well as non-governmental organizations and sports federations such as FIFA, UEFA, and the International Olympic Committee (IOC). With this number, Switzerland has roughly the same number of company and association representatives in Brussels as the medium-sized EU countries Austria (400) and Sweden (399). Only nine EU countries have more registered organizations, led by Belgium with 2,784, Germany (2,192), France (1,661), Italy (1,155), and Spain (1,086), while other more populous EU countries such as Poland, Romania, the Czech Republic, Greece, and Portugal have fewer.
