Signing of the agreement between Switzerland, France and CERN on mutual support of their emergency services
Bern, 08.12.2016 - On 8 December 2016 Ambassador Roberto Balzaretti, head of the Directorate of International Law of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), signed a trilateral agreement with France and CERN on behalf of the Federal Council. The agreement enables emergency services to respond more quickly and efficiently to emergencies on the CERN site.
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) is based in Geneva. However, the site used by CERN for its research activities extends over Swiss and French territory. Because of this cross-border character, there are a number of legal questions which must be settled between CERN and the two host countries in an international agreement. On 13 September 1965, Switzerland and France concluded an agreement setting out the framework for the extension of the CERN site to French sovereign territory (SR 0.192.122.423).
The agreement signed today will serve to ensure more efficient services on the CERN site and in its immediate vicinity. In the future, the emergency services of Switzerland and France will also be allowed to intervene in emergencies in areas of the CERN site located on the sovereign territory of the other state. The agreement establishes the conditions for joint emergency operations and regulates details such as command structure, cost distribution and liability. The possibility of a faster and more efficient response from emergency services is of considerable interest to CERN and Switzerland, which, as the host state of CERN, has a responsibility for the security of the organisation.
The agreement was approved by the Federal Council decision on 12 October 2016. It does not require approval by the Federal Assembly.
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