EU-Switzerland Agreement 2026: what changes for freight and passenger carriers

Key data

Road freight carriers and rail operators with routes between the European Union and Switzerland have new obligations following the publication of Decision 1/2025 of the Community-Switzerland Land Transport Committee on 24 March 2026. This decision amends Annex 1 of the bilateral EU-Switzerland Agreement governing the transport of goods and passengers by rail and road, and introduces changes to the technical, regulatory or tariff conditions applicable to those operating on this cross-border corridor.

This is not a minor adjustment: compliance with these provisions is mandatory to maintain access to the Swiss market under regulated conditions. Companies that do not adapt their documentation and operational procedures in time risk losing that access or operating outside the current legal framework.

What does this regulation establish?

Decision 1/2025 acts on two previous legal instruments:

The bilateral EU-Switzerland land transport agreement is the legal framework that allows European and Swiss operators to access each other's markets under agreed conditions. Any amendment to its Annex 1 means the rules of the game change: the requirements that carriers must meet to operate legally on this corridor are updated.

The simultaneous amendment of Decision 2/2019 indicates that some provisions adopted six years ago are adjusted or superseded by the new text. Companies that have adapted their procedures to Decision 2/2019 must verify which aspects of that adaptation remain valid and which require updating.

Economic and operational impact

The direct impact of this decision translates into three operational areas for the affected companies:

• Documentary review: Operators must verify that their transport documentation complies with the new requirements of the amended Annex 1. This may involve updating permits, certificates or declarations used at EU-Switzerland border crossings.
• Adaptation of operational procedures: Changes in technical, regulatory or tariff conditions may affect internal processes for route planning, fleet management and customer coordination on the EU-Switzerland corridor.
• Market access risk: Compliance is a necessary condition for maintaining regulated access to the Swiss market. Operating without adapting to the new requirements exposes the company to operational restrictions on this corridor.

The regulation does not specify fee amounts or specific penalties in the published text. To assess the specific economic impact of the technical or tariff changes introduced in Annex 1, it is necessary to consult the full text of the decision on EUR-Lex (CELEX:22026D0566).

Who is affected?

Decision 1/2025 directly affects:

• Road freight carriers with regular or occasional routes between any EU Member State and Switzerland.
• Rail operators with cross-border activity on the EU-Switzerland corridor, both for freight and passengers.
• Road passenger transport companies (buses, coaches) operating international lines with origin or destination in Switzerland.
• Logistics operators and freight forwarders that subcontract or coordinate transport on this corridor and must ensure regulatory compliance by their providers.
• Compliance and legal departments of companies with operations on the EU-Switzerland corridor, responsible for keeping documentation and procedures up to date.

The impact is particularly significant for road freight carriers and rail operators with cross-border activity, as expressly indicated by the decision itself.

Practical example

A Spanish road freight transport company that operates regular routes between Barcelona and Zurich operates under the framework of the bilateral EU-Switzerland Agreement. With the entry into force of Decision 1/2025, this company must:

1. Review whether the permits and transport documentation currently used at border crossings remain valid under the amended Annex 1, or whether they require updating.
2. Verify whether any of the tariff or technical conditions under which it operates in Switzerland have changed compared to the framework established by Decision 2/2019, which is also amended.
3. Update its internal operational procedures to reflect the new requirements, ensuring that drivers and operations staff are aware of the changes applicable at the border.

If this company does not carry out this review and continues operating with its previous documentation and procedures, it risks failing to meet the regulated requirements for access to the Swiss market, which may lead to operational incidents at the border or loss of regulated access conditions.

What should companies do now?

1. Locate and read the full text of Decision 1/2025 on EUR-Lex (CELEX:22026D0566) to identify exactly which technical, regulatory or tariff conditions of Annex 1 have changed.
2. Compare the amended Annex 1 with the previous version and with the provisions of Decision 2/2019 that are also adjusted, to identify the changes affecting their specific operations.
3. Audit the transport documentation used on EU-Switzerland routes (permits, certificates, declarations) and verify its validity under the new framework.
4. Update internal operational procedures governing routes to Switzerland, including instructions for drivers and operations staff.
5. Inform customers and logistics partners on the EU-Switzerland corridor about changes that may affect contracted services or delivery conditions.
6. Confirm the exact date of entry into force by consulting the official text, as it has not been specified in the published summary, in order to establish the available adaptation period.

Official source

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, please consult a qualified professional. Source: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/./legal-content/AUTO/?uri=CELEX:22026D0566