Switzerland approves participation in EU PESCO mobility and cyber projects

The Bundesrat has approved Switzerland's participation as a third state in the EU's PESCO Military Mobility and Cyber Ranges Federation projects. (Iveco DVD)

The Bundesrat, Switzerland's Federal Council, approved the country's participation as a third state in the European Union's (EU's) Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) Military Mobility and Cyber Ranges Federation projects on 21 August, the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS) announced in a press release later the same day.

Co-ordinated by the Netherlands, the PESCO Military Mobility project aims to facilitate armed forces' movements through standard administrative procedures, allowing applications for cross-border transport and deployments to be processed and approved within days. The DDPS expects this to simplify Swiss deployments abroad, for example for training or peace support operations.

Asked whether Swiss participation in the PESCO Military Mobility project would allow EU members' convoys to move through Switzerland, DDPS spokesperson Mireille Fleury told Janes on 22 August, “It is already possible, under certain conditions, for EU member states to travel through Switzerland to transport equipment. The Military Mobility project is solely intended to simplify administrative processes in international co-operation between authorities. Participation in the project does not entail any obligation or automaticity and respects Switzerland's obligations regarding neutrality. Participation has no impact on national decision-making procedures, and Switzerland will continue to assess and decide on applications on a case-by-case basis.”

The PESCO Cyber Ranges Federation project aims to improve international co-operation in cyber defence and to connect several countries' computer simulation environments to create more complex and realistic training. This is expected to improve the quality of training and increase interoperability, both technically and organisationally, as well as advance cyber research and development.