The UK could rejoin the EU under a “Switzerland plus” arrangement that could be negotiated within months of any decision to deepen ties with the bloc, according to the head of a European Parliament committee. Bernd Lange, who was heavily involved in the Brexit negotiations, said: “I would love to see the UK back.” He said the EU misses the UK in decision-making because of its strong history of promoting open markets and democracy.
A Swiss-style arrangement is often seen as a halfway house to full EU membership, but it involves free movement of people and regulatory alignment. Switzerland is not an EU member, but last year it struck a deal cementing its “frictionless access” to the single market through more than 100 agreements under a new framework. This gives it access to the EU’s electricity market, space programmes, Erasmus and the Digital Europe research programme, and participation in the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control. In exchange, Switzerland agreed to free movement of people and to pay €375m (£326m) a year into the EU’s economic and cohesion funds.
Lange, a German MEP who chairs the European Parliament’s trade committee, said the Switzerland framework could be a model for the UK, but it is a “passive” agreement that would not involve the country in EU decision-making. “As a step-by-step [process], of course, there are a lot of possibilities, but I would love to have the UK come back also in the political decision-making process and politically be engaged. So we have the model of Switzerland … Switzerland plus, I would say, as that has some kinds of engagement but not full membership.”
He said the decision about what relationship the UK wants with the EU is entirely “in the hands of the UK,” but if it opted for something like Switzerland plus, an agreement could be reached quickly, despite political hiccups. He was speaking in London, where his schedule includes a meeting with trade minister Anas Sarwar, who is part of a team working on the UK’s new position on EU relations.
Lange also backed Andy Burnham’s call for the EU not to lock the UK out of Made in Europe legislation that would restrict UK suppliers from inclusion in public procurement tenders as well as some corporate contracts such as car fleets. French and German leaders were reportedly close on Thursday to agreeing a proposal that the UK could be included, provided it aligned with the EU’s 2024 tariffs on imports of Chinese electric vehicles. This week the boss of Mercedes said the EU would be making a “deliberate choice” to harm the EU car industry if it did not allow the UK into the Made in Europe package.
Burnham has backing from the Netherlands, Germany and Italy. France, which came up with the legislative proposals, was opposed, saying it needed to get the legislation on the books urgently to guard against cheap competition from China, and that allowing the UK and other allied countries in could hold up the lawmaking. Lange said the UK should “of course” be included because it was already aligned with the EU on environmental standards and employment law.View image in fullscreenA Mercedes-Benz factory in Germany. This week, the boss of Mercedes called for the UK to be included in the Made in Europe package. Photograph: Christoph Steitz/Reuters
He said France’s position was “not rational” and “also so emotional,” but could stem from a desire to be seen as putting France first before next April’s presidential elections, in which Marine Le Pen, who opposes globalism, could take power.
Locking the UK out of Made in Europe could also trigger a legal dispute over the trade and cooperation agreement that allows UK goods to be sold in the single market without barriers as long as they meet the bloc’s standards.
The Made in Europe package, or the Industrial Accelerator Act, is expected to receive political approval by the end of the year or early 2027, meaning Burnham does not have much time to get clauses inserted that designate the UK as European for the purposes of the legislation.
But Lange said there could be time after that, given the processes of the European parliament, where three committees have scrutiny powers.
“There are 5,100 amendments,” he said, referring to the lengthy process ahead, including one on UK inclusion.
Frequently Asked Questions
FAQs A Senior MEP Says the UK Could Quickly Rejoin the EU with a Switzerland Plus Deal
1 Whats this story actually about
A senior Member of the European Parliament has suggested that the UK could rejoin the EU relatively quickly not as a full member right away but through a Switzerland plus arrangement
2 What is an MEP
An MEP is a Member of the European Parliament MEPs are elected from EU countries and help make EU laws They dont run the EU on their own but they have real influence
3 What is the Switzerland plus deal
Switzerland isnt in the EU but it has lots of agreements with it access to the single market freedom of movement and contributions to the EU budget Switzerland plus would mean the UK gets similar or even deeper access than Switzerland has without becoming a full member
4 Why plus
Because the UK is bigger and more connected to the EU than Switzerland is so the deal would likely go further for example closer cooperation on defence foreign policy or research
5 Is Switzerland actually in the EU
No Switzerland is not an EU member It stays out but follows many EU rules to keep trade flowing smoothly
6 Would the UK become an EU member under this plan
Not immediately It would be a middleground arrangement outside the EU but very closely tied to it
7 Why would the UK want this instead of full membership
It could avoid some of the political headaches of full membership while still getting most of the economic benefits
8 Why would the EU agree to it
The EU might prefer having the UK closely aligned rather than drifting away A stable cooperative neighbour is better for trade security and diplomacy
9 How quickly could this happen
The MEP says quickly but thats relative Realistically it would still take years of negotiation Quick in EU terms often means 25 years
10 What are the main benefits for the UK
Easier trade with the EU
Access to the single market
Closer security and defence cooperation
