State Secretary Jacques de Watteville to remain chief negotiator for negotiations with European Union after reaching retirement age

Bern, 20.01.2016 - The State Secretary for the State Secretariat for International Financial Matters (SIF), Jacques de Watteville (64), will leave SIF at the end of June 2016 due to his age. He will continue to act as the chief negotiator, with the rank of state secretary, for all of the negotiations with the European Union after retiring.

Jacques de Watteville will take normal retirement from his position as SIF State Secretary in the summer. After retiring officially, the diplomat will remain the chief negotiator, with the rank of state secretary, for all of the negotiations with the European Union. He is responsible for coordinating the negotiations and achieving an overall result based on the Federal Council's strategy. In this context, he regularly provides the entire Federal Council with information. Jacques de Watteville has been doing this since 12 August 2015 and in this position reports to the Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA). This was confirmed today by the Federal Council.
 
Jacques de Watteville has headed up SIF since 1 November 2013. Under his leadership, important reforms have been implemented in the area of international financial and tax matters in the interests of Switzerland. Many adjustments were launched in recent years and are now being implemented. These include the automatic exchange of information (AEOI) in tax matters, improved market access for financial service providers, new capital requirements in connection with the too-big-to-fail provisions and amendments in the area of financial market regulation. Switzerland has adapted its legal framework to international standards in the areas of combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Switzerland has also once again secured its participation in the G20 meetings of finance ministers and central bank governors under the presidency of China in 2016. During Jacques de Watteville's term of office, bilateral relations have been normalised to the greatest possible extent, particularly with the United States and neighbouring countries.

The Federal Council will appoint a successor in due course.


Address for enquiries

Jean-Marc Crevoisier
Head of FDFA Communications
Tel. +41 58 462 30 21
jean-marc.crevoisier@eda.admin.ch

Nadia Batzig
Deputy Head of Communications FDF
Head of Information and Media
Tel. +41 58 463 11 29
nadia.batzig@gs-efd.admin.ch


Publisher

The Federal Council
https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start.html

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
https://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home.html

Federal Department of Finance
https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home.html

https://www.admin.ch/content/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-60368.html