AGREEMENT  
between the European Union and the Swiss Confederation establishing the terms and conditions 
for the participation of the Swiss Confederation in the ‘Youth in Action’ programme and in the 
action programme in the field of lifelong learning (2007-2013)  
THE EUROPEAN UNION, ereinafter referred to as ‘the Union’,  
of the one part, and  
THE SWISS CONFEDERATION, hereinafter referred to as ‘Switzerland’,  
of the other part,  
together hereinafter referred to as ‘the Parties’,  
Whereas:  
(1) The Joint Declaration attached to the seven agreements signed on 21 June 1999 between the European 
Community and Switzerland provides for the future negotiation of an agreement for Switzerland’s participation 
in training and youth programmes.  
(2) The ‘Youth in Action’ programme for the period 2007 to 2013 and the action programme in the field of lifelong 
learning were established respectively by Decision No 1719/2006/EC (  1 ) and Decision No 1720/2006/EC (  2 ) of the 
European Parliament and of the Council of 15 November 2006.  
(3) Article 5 of Decision No 1719/2006/EC and Article 7 of Decision No 1720/2006/EC provide for the participation 
of Switzerland subject to the conclusion of a bilateral agreement with that country,  
HAVE AGREED ON THE FOLLOWING PROVISIONS:  
Article 1  
Switzerland shall participate in the ‘Youth in Action’ 
programme and in the action programme in the field of 
lifelong learning (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Programmes’) 
in accordance with the arrangements and conditions laid 
down in this Agreement and in Annexes I, II and III, which 
form an integral part thereof.  
Article 2  
This Agreement shall apply to the territories to which the 
Treaties on which the Union is founded are applicable, under 
the conditions laid down in those Treaties, and to the territory 
of Switzerland.  
Article 3  
This Agreement is concluded for the duration of the 
Programmes in progress. Nevertheless, without prejudice to 
the second paragraph of this Article, if the Union decides to 
extend the duration of the Programmes without changing them, 
this Agreement will also be automatically extended accordingly, 
unless one of the Parties informs the other, within 30 days 
following the decision to extend the Programmes, that it does not wish to extend the cooperation. During the extension, Swit ­
zerland shall make an annual financial contribution identical to 
its financial contribution for 2013.  
This Agreement will not be extended in the event of termi ­
nation or denunciation of the Agreement of 21 June 1999 
between the European Community and its Member States, of 
the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, of the other, on the 
Free Movement of Persons.  
Either the Union or Switzerland may terminate this Agreement 
by notifying the other Party of its decision. The Agreement shall 
cease to apply from the budget year following notification, if 
the latter is before 1 October. If not, it shall cease to apply from 
the second budget year following notification.  
The projects and activities financed in the budget years 
preceding that in which the Agreement ceases to apply shall 
be continued until completion under the conditions laid down 
in this Agreement and its Annexes and in accordance with the 
contractual provisions applying to these projects and activities. 
The Parties shall settle by common consent any other conse ­
quences of termination.EN 7.4.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 87/9  
( 1 ) OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 30.  
( 2 ) OJ L 327, 24.11.2006, p. 45.
Article 4  
The representatives of the Commission and the representatives 
of the national authority appointed as observers in the 
Programme committees shall consult with each other when 
necessary at the request of one of them on the activities 
covered by this Agreement. Following these consultations, the 
Joint Committee established under the Agreement of 
21 June 1999 between the European Community and its 
Member States, of the one part, and the Swiss Confederation, 
of the other, on the Free Movement of Persons shall be auth ­
orised to amend the Annexes to this Agreement, as a general 
rule by written procedure, if necessary, to take account of the 
rules applying to the Programmes or the development of Swit ­
zerland’s take-up capacity. Amendments to the Annexes shall 
enter into force the day after the adoption of the relevant 
decision by the Joint Committee. However, if the Parties agree 
to any changes in the provisions of this Agreement, these shall 
enter into force after completion of the Parties’ respective 
internal procedures.  
Article 5  
This Agreement shall be ratified or concluded by the Parties in 
accordance with their respective internal procedures. It shall 
enter into force on the first day of the second month 
following the date of the last notification by the Parties of 
the completion of their respective procedures.  Pending completion of the procedures referred to in the first 
paragraph, the Parties shall provisionally apply this Agreement 
for the activities financed under the general budget of the 
European Union of the year following its signature, and at 
the earliest under the 2011 budget, provided the conditions 
referred to under point 2 of Annex I are observed.  
In the event of one of the Parties notifying the other that it will 
not ratify or conclude the signed Agreement, provisional appli ­
cation shall end from the budget year following notification. 
Notification terminating provisional application shall not affect 
the Parties’ obligations concerning the projects and activities 
financed under the general budget of the European Union of 
the year of notification, nor payment by Switzerland of its 
contribution for the year of notification.  
Article 6  
This Agreement is drawn up in duplicate in the Bulgarian, 
Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, 
German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, 
Maltese, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Slovenian, 
Spanish and Swedish languages, each of those texts being 
equally authentic.EN L 87/10 Official Journal of the European Union 7.4.2010
Съставено  в Брюксел  на петнайсети  февруари  две хиляди  и десета  година . 
Hecho en Bruselas, el quince de febrero de dos mil diez.  
V Bruselu dne patnáctého února dva tisíce deset.  
Udfærdiget i Bruxelles den femtende februar to tusind og ti.  
Geschehen zu Brüssel am fünfzehnten Februar zweitausendzehn.  
Kahe tuhande kümnenda aasta veebruarikuu viieteistkümnendal päeval Brüsselis.  
Έγινε  στις Βρυξέλλες , στις δέκα  πέντε  Φεβρουαρίου  δύο χιλιάδες  δέκα . 
Done at Brussels on the fifteenth day of February in the year two thousand and ten.  
Fait à Bruxelles, le quinze février deux mille dix.  
Fatto a Bruxelles, addì quindici febbraio duemiladieci.  
Brisel ē, divi t ūkstoši desmit ā gada piecpadsmitaj ā febru ārī. 
Priimta du t ūkstan čiai dešimt ų met ų vasario penkiolikt ą dien ą Briuselyje.  
Kelt Brüsszelben, a kétezer-tizedik év február havának tizenötödik napján.  
Mag ħmul fi Brussell, fil- ħmistax-il jum ta’ Frar tas-sena elfejn u g ħaxra.  
Gedaan te Brussel, de vijftiende februari tweeduizend tien.  
Sporz ądzono w Brukseli dnia pi ętnastego lutego roku dwa tysi ące dziesi ątego.  
Feito em Bruxelas, em quinze de Fevereiro de dois mil e dez.  
Întocmit la Bruxelles, la cincisprezece februarie dou ă mii zece.  
V Bruseli d ňa pätnásteho februára dvetisícdesa ť. 
V Bruslju, dne petnajstega februarja leta dva tiso č deset.  
Tehty Brysselissä viidentenätoista päivänä helmikuuta vuonna kaksituhattakymmenen.  
Som skedde i Bryssel den femtonde februari tjugohundratio.EN 7.4.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 87/11
За Европейския  съюз  
Por la Unión Europea  
Za Evropskou unii  
For Den Europæiske Union  
Für die Europäische Union  
Euroopa Liidu nimel  
Για την Ευρωπαϊκή  Ένωση  
For the European Union  
Pour l'Union européenne  
Per l'Unione europea  
Eiropas Savien ības v ārd ā 
Europos Sajungos vardu  
Az Európai Unió részér ől 
Għall-Unjoni Ewropea  
Voor de Europese Unie  
W imieniu Unii Europejskiej  
Pela União Europeia  
Pentru Uniunea European ă 
Za Európsku úniu  
Za Evropsko unijo  
Euroopan unionin puolesta  
För Europeiska unionen
  
За Конфедерация  Швейцария  
Por la Confederación Suiza  
Za Švýcarskou konfederaci  
For Det Schweiziske Forbund  
Für die Schweizerische Eidgenossenschaft  
Šveitsi Konföderatsiooni nimel  
Για την Ελβετική  Συνομοσπονδία  
For the Swiss Confederation  
Pour la Confédération suisse  
Per la Confederazione svizzera  
Šveices Konfeder ācijas v ārd ā 
Šveicarijos Konfederacijos vardu  
A Svájci Államszövetség részér ől 
Għall-Konfederazzjoni Żvizzera  
Voor de Zwitserse Bondsstaat  
W imieniu Konfederacji Szwajcarskiej  
Pela Confederação Suíça  
Pentru Confedera ția Elve țian ă 
Za Švaj čiarskou konfederáciu  
Za Švicarsko konfederacijo  
Sveitsin valaliiton puolesta  
För Schweiziska edsförbundet
EN L 87/12 Official Journal of the European Union 7.4.2010
ANNEX I  
Terms and conditions for the participation of Switzerland in the ‘Youth in Action’ programme and in the action 
programme in the field of lifelong learning  
1. Switzerland shall participate in the ‘Youth in Action’ programme and in the action programme in the field of lifelong 
learning (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Programmes’) and, unless otherwise provided by this Agreement, this shall take 
place with due regard for the objectives, criteria, procedures and deadlines laid down by Decision 
No 13719/2006/EC and Decision No 1720/2006/EC.  
2. In accordance with the arrangements laid down in Article 8 of Decision No 1719/2006/EC and Article 6 of Decision 
No 1720/2006/EC, and in accordance with the Commission Decisions on the respective responsibilities of the 
Member States, the Commission and the National Agencies in the performance of the Programmes, 
Switzerland:  
— shall be responsible for establishing or designating, and monitoring, an appropriate structure (Swiss National 
Agency) for the coordinated management of the implementation of the Programmes’ actions at national level,  
— shall assume responsibility for the sound management by the Swiss National Agency of the appropriations paid to 
it as aid for projects, and  
— shall take any measures necessary to ensure the appropriate financing, auditing and financial monitoring of the 
Swiss National Agency, which shall receive from the Commission a contribution to its management and imple ­
mentation costs.  
Switzerland shall take all other necessary steps for the efficient running of the Programmes at national level.  
3. To participate in the Programmes, Switzerland shall make an annual financial contribution to the general budget of the 
European Union, in accordance with the arrangements set out in Annex II.  
4. The terms and conditions for the submission, assessment and selection of applications from eligible institutions, 
organisations and individuals from Switzerland shall be the same as those applicable to eligible institutions, organi ­
sations and individuals from the Union.  
5. With a view to ensuring the Union dimension of the Programmes, in order to be eligible for financial support from 
the Union, projects and activities will have to include at least one partner from one of the Member States of the 
Union.  
6. The percentage of the Swiss contribution referred to in point 3 that will be allocated to the measures which, according 
to the rules of the Programmes, have to be managed by the Swiss National Agency shall reflect the share of these 
measures in the budget of the Programmes at Union level. The contribution to the costs of the Swiss National Agency 
for the management and implementation of the Programmes shall be calculated in accordance with the criteria applied 
to the Member States of the Union.  
7. The Member States of the Union and Switzerland shall make every effort, within the framework of existing provisions, 
to facilitate the free movement and residence of students, teachers, trainees, instructors, university administrators, 
young people and other eligible persons moving between Switzerland and the Member States of the Union for the 
purpose of participating in activities covered by this Agreement.  
8. Without affecting the responsibilities of the Commission and the Court of Auditors of the European Union regarding 
the monitoring and evaluation of programmes, the participation of Switzerland in the Programmes shall be subject to 
constant monitoring by the Commission and Switzerland in partnership. Switzerland shall submit the necessary 
reports to the Commission and be involved in other specific measures taken by the Union in that context.  
The Commission’s Decisions regarding the respective responsibilities of the Member States, the Commission and the 
National Agencies in the performance of the Programmes and the common standards set out in the Guide for National 
Agencies, which will be annexed to contracts between the Commission and the Swiss National Agency, shall be 
applicable to relations between Switzerland, the Commission and the Swiss National Agency.EN 7.4.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 87/13
Agreements between the Commission and the Swiss National Agency or Swiss beneficiaries and between the Swiss 
National Agency and Swiss beneficiaries shall be based on the relevant provisions of the Financial Regulation 
applicable to the general budget of the European Union and on the detailed rules for its implementation, in particular 
regarding grant awards and the conclusion of agreements. These provisions shall apply to Swiss participants in the 
same way as they apply to all participants in the Programmes.  
Additional rules concerning financial control, recovery and other antifraud measures are laid down in Annex III.  
In the event of irregularity, negligence or fraud attributable to the Swiss National Agency, if the Commission cannot 
fully recover the sums owed to it by the Swiss National Agency, the Swiss authorities shall be responsible for the funds 
not recovered.  
9. The language to be used in all contacts with the Commission, as regards the application process, contracts, reports to 
be submitted and other administrative arrangements for the Programmes, shall be one of the official languages of the 
institutions of the Union.EN L 87/14 Official Journal of the European Union 7.4.2010
ANNEX II  
Switzerland’s financial contribution to the ‘Youth in Action’ programme and the action programme in the field 
of lifelong learning  
1. Youth in Action  
Switzerland’s financial contribution to the general budget of the European Union for participating in the ‘Youth in 
Action’ programme shall be the following (in million euros):  
Year 2011  Year 2012  Year 2013  
1,7 1,8  1,9  
2. Action programme in the field of lifelong learning  
Switzerland’s financial contribution to the general budget of the European Union for participating in the action 
programme in the field of lifelong learning shall be the following (in million euros):  
Year 2011  Year 2012  Year 2013  
14,2  14,9  15,6  
3. Travel and subsistence expenses incurred by representatives and experts from Switzerland for taking part as observers 
in the work of the committees referred to in Article 9 of Decision No 1719/2006/EC and Article 10 of 
Decision No 1720/2006/EC or in other meetings related to the implementation of the Programmes shall be 
refunded by the Commission on the same basis and according to the same procedures as for the representatives 
and experts from the Member States of the Union.  
4. Following the entry into force or provisional application of this Agreement, and at the beginning of each subsequent 
year, the Commission shall send to Switzerland a request for funds corresponding to its contribution to each of the 
Programmes covered by this Agreement.  
Switzerland’s contribution shall be expressed and paid in euros.  
Switzerland shall pay its contribution before 1 March if the Commission’s request for funds arrives before 1 February 
or at the latest 30 days after the request for funds if it arrives after 1 February.  
Any delay in the payment of the contribution shall entail the payment of interest by Switzerland on the outstanding 
amount from the due date. The rate of such interest shall be the rate applied by the European Central Bank to its 
principal refinancing operations, as published in the C series of the  Official Journal of the European Union , in force on 
the first calendar day of the month in which the due date falls, increased by three and a half percentage points.EN 7.4.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 87/15
ANNEX III  
FINANCIAL CONTROL, RECOVERY AND OTHER ANTIFRAUD MEASURES  
I. Audits and antifraud measures by the Union  
1. The Commission shall communicate directly with Programme participants established in Switzerland and with 
their subcontractors. These may submit directly to the Commission all relevant information and documentation 
which they are required to provide on the basis of the instruments referred to in this Agreement and of the 
contracts concluded to implement them.  
2. In accordance with Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation 
applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (  1 ), as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) 
No 1995/2006 of 13 December 2006 (  2 ), and Commission Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002 of 
23 December 2002 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) 
No 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (  3 ), 
as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 478/2007 of 23 April 2007 (  4 ), and with the other rules referred 
to in this Agreement, the grant agreements concluded with Programme beneficiaries established in Switzerland 
shall provide for financial or other audits to be conducted at any time on the premises of the beneficiaries or their 
subcontractors by Commission staff or by other persons mandated by the Commission.  
The accounts and operations of the Swiss National Agency may be checked by Commission staff or by other 
persons mandated by the Commission. These checks may also relate to the ability of the structure set up by 
Switzerland to apply the Programme rules referred to in the Agreement and to meet the requirements of sound 
financial management according to the criteria of the relevant Articles of Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002, 
as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1995/2006 of 13 December 2006, and Regulation (EC, Euratom) 
No 2342/2002, as last amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 478/2007 of 23 April 2007.  
3. Commission staff and other persons mandated by the Commission shall have appropriate access to sites, works 
and documents and to any information required in order to carry out such audits, including information in 
electronic form. This right of access shall be stated explicitly in the contracts concluded to implement the 
instruments referred to in this Agreement. The European Court of Auditors shall have the same rights as the 
Commission.  
Audits may be conducted after the Programmes or this Agreement expires, on the terms laid down in the 
contracts in question.  
4. Within the framework of this Agreement, the Commission/the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) shall be 
authorised to carry out on-the-spot checks and inspections on Swiss territory, in accordance with the procedural 
provisions of Council Regulation (Euratom, EC) No 2185/96 of 11 November 1996 concerning on-the-spot 
checks and inspections carried out by the Commission in order to protect the European Communities’ 
financial interests against fraud and other irregularities (  5 ). 
These checks and inspections shall be prepared and conducted in close collaboration with the competent Swiss 
authorities designated by Switzerland, which shall be notified in good time of the object, purpose and legal basis of 
the checks and inspections, so that they can provide all the requisite help.  
If the Swiss authorities concerned so wish, the on-the-spot checks and inspections may be carried out jointly with 
them.  
Where the participants in the Programmes resist an on-the-spot check or inspection, the Swiss authorities, acting 
in accordance with national rules, shall give Commission/OLAF inspectors such assistance as they need to allow 
them to discharge their duty in carrying out an on-the-spot check or inspection.  
The Commission/OLAF shall report without delay to the Swiss authorities any fact or suspicion relating to an 
irregularity which has come to its notice in the course of an on-the-spot check or inspection. In any event the 
Commission/OLAF shall be required to inform the above-mentioned authorities of the result of such checks and 
inspections.EN L 87/16 Official Journal of the European Union 7.4.2010  
( 1 ) OJ L 248, 16.9.2002, p. 1.  
( 2 ) OJ L 390, 30.12.2006, p. 1.  
( 3 ) OJ L 357, 31.12.2002, p. 1.  
( 4 ) OJ L 111, 28.4.2007, p. 13.  
( 5 ) OJ L 292, 15.11.1996, p. 2.
II. Audits and antifraud measures by Switzerland  
1. Appropriate financial control of the implementation of the Programmes shall be carried out by the competent 
national financial control authority in Switzerland, in accordance with Article 8 of the Commission Decisions on 
the respective responsibilities of the Member States, the Commission and the National Agencies in the 
performance of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme and the action programme for lifelong learning (2007-2013) 
and the common standards set out in the Guide for National Agencies annexed to contracts between the 
Commission and the Swiss National Agency. Any suspected or actual cases of fraud and irregularity and any 
measures concerning them taken by the Swiss National Agency and by the national authorities shall be notified 
immediately to the Commission. Switzerland shall ensure investigation and satisfactory treatment of suspected and 
actual cases of fraud and irregularity following national or Union inspections.  
‘Irregularity’ shall mean any infringement of a relevant provision of Union law applicable under this Agreement or 
the contractual obligations pursuant to it, as a result of an act or omission by an economic operator, which has, or 
would have, the effect of prejudicing the general budget of the European Union or budgets managed by it, by an 
unjustified item of expenditure.  
‘Fraud’ shall mean any intentional act or omission relating to:  
— the use or presentation of false, incorrect or incomplete statements or documents, which has as its effect the 
misappropriation or wrongful retention of funds from the general budget of the European Union or budgets 
managed by, or on behalf of, the European Union,  
— non-disclosure of information in violation of a specific obligation, with the same effect,  
— the misapplication of such funds for purposes other than those for which they are originally granted.  
2. The Swiss authorities shall take appropriate measures to prevent and counter any corrupt practices — active or 
passive — at any stage of the procurement or grant award procedures or during implementation of the corre ­
sponding agreements.  
‘Active corruption’ shall mean any deliberate action of whosoever promises or gives, directly or through an 
intermediary, an advantage of any kind whatsoever to an official for himself or for a third party for him to 
act or to refrain from acting in accordance with his duty or in the exercise of his functions in breach of his official 
duties in a way which damages or is likely to damage the European Union’s financial interests.  
‘Passive corruption’ shall mean any deliberate action of an official who, directly or through an intermediary, 
requests or receives advantages of any kind whatsoever, for himself or a third party, or accepts a promise of 
such advantage, to act or to refrain from acting in accordance with his duty or in the exercise of his functions in 
breach of his official duties in a way which damages or is likely to damage the European Union’s financial 
interests.  
3. The Swiss authorities and the staff responsible for implementing the Programmes shall take any precautions 
necessary to avoid any risk of a conflict of interests and shall inform the Commission immediately of any 
such conflict of interests or any situation likely to give rise to one.  
III. Confidentiality  
Information communicated or acquired in any form whatsoever pursuant to this Annex shall be covered by profes ­
sional secrecy and protected in the same way as similar information is protected by Swiss law and by the corre ­
sponding provisions applicable to the Union institutions. Such information may not be communicated to persons 
other than those within the Union institutions or in the Member States or Switzerland whose functions require them 
to know it, nor may it be used for purposes other than to ensure effective protection of the Parties’ financial interests.  
IV. Administrative measures and penalties  
Without prejudice to application of Swiss criminal law, administrative measures and penalties may be imposed by the 
Commission in accordance with Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002, as last amended by Regulation 
(EC, Euratom) No 1995/2006 of 13 December 2006, with Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 2342/2002, as last 
amended by Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 478/2007 of 23 April 2007, and with Council Regulation 
(EC, Euratom) No 2988/95 of 18 December 1995 on the protection of the European Communities’ financial 
interests (  1 ).EN 7.4.2010 Official Journal of the European Union L 87/17  
( 1 ) OJ L 312, 23.12.1995, p. 1.
V. Recovery  
For indirect centralised management measures, the Swiss National Agency shall be responsible for issuing requests for 
the recovery of funds and for implementing any legal action required regarding beneficiaries in consultation with the 
Commission. In the event of irregularity, negligence or fraud attributable to the Swiss National Agency, the 
Swiss authorities shall be responsible for the funds not recovered.  
For centralised management measures carried out directly by the Commission, decisions taken by the Commission 
within the scope of this Agreement which impose a pecuniary obligation on persons other than States shall be 
enforceable in Switzerland. Enforcement shall be governed by the rules of civil procedure in force in Switzerland. The 
order for its enforcement shall be appended to the decision, without other formality than verification of the auth ­
enticity of the decision by the authority which the Government of Switzerland shall designate for this purpose and 
shall make known to the Commission. When these formalities have been completed on application by the 
Commission, the latter may proceed to enforcement in accordance with the national law, by bringing the matter 
directly before the competent authority. The legality of the Commission decision shall be subject to control by the 
Court of Justice of the European Union.  
Judgments given by the Court of Justice of the European Union pursuant to an arbitration clause in a contract within 
the scope of this Agreement shall be enforceable on the same terms.  
COUNCIL DECLARATION ON SWISS ATTENDANCE OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS  
The Council agrees that Switzerland’s representatives shall, in so far as the items concern them, attend meetings of the 
committees of the ‘Youth in Action’ programme and the action programme in the field of lifelong learning (2007-2013). 
Switzerland’s representatives shall not be present when these committees vote.EN L 87/18 Official Journal of the European Union 7.4.2010