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Public Lecture with Philippe G. Nell on Brexit

“Brexit: What can the United Kingdom learn from Swiss-European Union Relations?” is the topic of a public evening lecture with Minister Philippe G. Nell. The event takes place on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at 6.15pm at the Institute for European Global Studies. The lecture will be chaired by Prof. Georg Kreis.

On March 29, 2017, the United Kingdom notified the European Council of its intention to leave the European Union. A two-year period has been launched to negotiate a withdra­wal agreement and a new relationship. The evening lecture will highlight the close ties of Switzerland and the UK with the EU, the costs for Switzerland if it were to lose access to the EU Single Market and first related implications for the UK.

The UK’s challenge will clearly be to obtain free trade with selective integration in specific areas such as finan­cial services, the automobile industry, airlines landing rights and nuclear energy. What can the UK expect from the EU in terms of arrangements or flexibility? Will there be any margin of manoeuver on either side? Switzerland’s experience with the EU may bring a unique insight and point to some red lines as the UK is opting for a clear-cut Brexit.

PD Philippe G. Nell, PhD is Minister and Head of the Americas Unit at the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs in Bern, where he is in charge of Swiss firms across the Americas. In addition, he is Private Docent at the University of Fribourg. Philippe G. Nell has published several articles on Swiss economic integration policy as well as a book on the Swiss strategy during the negotiation of the European Economic Area.

The public lecture “Brexit: What can the United Kingdom learn from Swiss-European Union Relations” takes place on Wednesday, May 31, 2017, at 6.15pm at the Institute for European Global Studies. Chair of the event will be Prof. em. Dr. Georg Kreis, former director of the Institute.

Further information:
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