The EU and Switzerland have entered into talks to lift trade barriers for agro-food products, according to the EU’s executive arm.

The talks are expected to last for two years. The first stage will reportedly be aimed at ending the last trade hurdles in the agro-food sector, with the second stage focusing on food safety at a later date.

EU agricultural commissioner Mariann Fischer Boel commented: “The EU and Switzerland are neighbours and have much in common; we have made a lot of progress over the years in freeing up bilateral trade, but now we want to take this process to its logical conclusion.”

Last year, Switzerland received approximately €4.7bn worth of agro-food products from the EU, making it the EU's third-biggest trading partner for these goods.

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