📋 Tender Overview
The Finance Commission of the National Council (CdF-N) has drafted a co-report regarding the commitment credits proposed by the Federal Council within the framework of Bilaterals III (26.023 e) for a total amount of 3.48 billion francs for the years 2030 to 2036. A clear majority proposes to follow the Federal Council and the Council of States. The co-report concerns the contribution to cohesion (federal decree 6pdf), the commitment credit related to the area of migration (federal decree 7pdf), the unique additional financial commitment in the area of cohesion (federal decree 8pdf), and the commitment credit for Erasmus+ during the year 2027 (federal decree 9pdf). It is addressed to the Foreign Policy Commission of the National Council (CPE-N) and the National Council. The commitments regarding federal decrees 6 to 8 can be contracted from January 1, 2030, to December 31, 2036. Four proposals regarding the federal decrees and thirteen proposals aimed at examining certain aspects of the project were submitted to the commission. By 14 votes to 8 and 3 abstentions, it adopted a proposal to align with the decision of the Council of States. This proposal prevailed over a proposal not to consider federal decrees 6 to 8. By the same margin of votes, it then rejected a proposal to ask the CPE-N, competent in this matter, to reject the three federal decrees in the overall vote. For the majority, the benefits of the bilateral agreements clearly outweigh the budgetary perspective. For example, the Swiss contribution is significantly lower than that of Norway. For the minority, the direct and indirect costs of Bilaterals III weigh too heavily on the budget, and the future financial implications are not sufficiently clear. By 18 votes to 7, the commission proposes to its council to adopt federal decree no. 9 (Erasmus+). For the majority, it is essential that Switzerland can participate in the Erasmus+ program and not be isolated in the fields of education and research. The majority finds the cost-benefit report satisfactory. It emphasizes that the development of Erasmus+ responded to a parliamentary mandate. The minority sees no advantage to participating in the Erasmus+ program compared to the current Swiss solution. It further believes that future developments in the fields of research and education are not sufficiently clear. It emerged from the discussion that various aspects of this complex project needed to be presented in a more concise form. For the commission, various questions remain. It therefore adopted by a large majority the 13 examination proposals and requested the administration to submit various reports in view of its meeting on November 9, 10, and 11. Before drafting its co-report, the commission examined, during a hearing, various aspects of Bilaterals III. Professor Bernhard Pirker presented the legal dimension. Phyllis Scholl, mayor of the municipality of Kirchberg and an expert in corporate law, contract law, and public law, spoke on issues of federalism and the consequences for fiscal policy, while Professors Christoph A. Schaltegger and Mark Schelker addressed the possible repercussions on normative density resulting from the agreements, notably the risk of bureaucratization. Professor Rolf Weder discussed aspects of economic and political integration. Rene Graf and Clemens Tuor, from Swissuniversities, were heard regarding federal decree no. 9 (Erasmus+). The commission examined the various aspects in depth with the experts. The National Council will examine Bilaterals III during the winter session of 2026. Financing military spending through an increase in VAT. As part of the co-report procedure, the CdF-N began its deliberations on the project to finance military spending (26.051 e). The head of the Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sports (DDPS) and the director of the Federal Finance Administration (AFF) presented to the commission the Federal Councils project as well as the budgetary implications of the amendments to the project adopted by the Council of States during the autumn session of 2026. The commission believes that many aspects still need to be clarified by the DDPS and the AFF before it can express its opinion on the amendments of the Council of States and the many proposals before it. It therefore mandates the administration to submit complementary reports to provide answers to various questions related to budgetary policy. The entry into the project was not contested within the commission. However, two proposals requesting the referral of the project to the Federal Council were submitted. The first aimed to charge the latter with ensuring equivalent funding for the three main axes of the Security Policy Strategy 2026 (strengthening resilience, improving protection, and increasing defense capacity). The second requested that the constitutional and legal provisions regarding the debt brake be modified so that federal finances are guided by the Confederations debt ratio rather than its nominal debt. Each of the proposals was rejected by 17 votes to 8. The commission will continue its work in an additional meeting to be held on October 27, 2026. It will then decide on the pending amendment proposals and develop its position for the National Councils Security Policy Commission (CPS-N), which is competent in this matter. The commission met on October 15 and 16, 2026, in Bern, under the leadership of its president, National Councilor Jacques Nicolet (UDC, VD), and, in part, in the presence of the head of the DDPS, as well as representatives from various departments (DFF, DFAE, DFJP, DDPS, and DEFR, DETEC).
