https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed AI watermarking and deepfake labelling will soon be required by law in the EU as the transparency part of the bloc’s sweeping AI Act comes into force on August 2nd. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260727/explained-eus-new-rules-on-ai-deepfakes-and-chatbots Mon, 27 Jul 2026 11:38:09 +0200 explained-eus-new-rules-on-ai-deepfakes-and-chatbots The EU/Schengen area's '90-day' rule is a complicated one that causes much confusion for travellers - here we answer some of the most common questions from readers of The Local. https://www.thelocal.ch/20230518/your-key-questions-answered-about-the-schengen-areas-90-day-rule Thu, 18 May 2023 11:19:22 +0200 your-key-questions-answered-about-the-schengen-areas-90-day-rule Several EU countries have caused a stir when they called to shut Spain out of the EU's visa-free Schengen travel zone after the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in Morocco was overwhelmed this week by thousands of migrant arrivals. Is that possible? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260731/can-an-eu-member-state-be-kicked-out-of-schengen-zone Fri, 31 Jul 2026 15:18:33 +0200 can-an-eu-member-state-be-kicked-out-of-schengen-zone The EU is expected to delay the launch of its travel authorisation scheme known as ETIAS until 2027 because of problems and delays with the rollout of the biometric EES border checks this year, according to reports. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260709/eu-set-to-delay-roll-out-of-e20-etias-travel-authorisation-scheme-until-2027 Thu, 09 Jul 2026 11:25:53 +0200 eu-set-to-delay-roll-out-of-e20-etias-travel-authorisation-scheme-until-2027 In the first six months of operation of the new EU digital border system, the Entry-Exit System (EES), more than 8,700 travellers were denied entry into Europe's border-free Schengen area because they had stayed beyond their permitted time limit. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260520/ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks Wed, 20 May 2026 14:37:30 +0200 ees-7000-overstayers-snared-since-launch-of-eus-new-schengen-border-checks The European Commission is refusing to suspend strict new border controls despite pressure from airports and airlines who have demanded they be put on hold until after summer amid fears of chaos at holiday hotspots. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260708/europes-ees-border-checks-wont-be-suspended-eu-insists Wed, 08 Jul 2026 14:42:33 +0200 europes-ees-border-checks-wont-be-suspended-eu-insists Starting on July 1st, the European Union will impose a €3 duty on small parcels valued at less than €150 entering the 27-nation bloc. Will Switzerland be affected by this measure as well? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260701/will-the-eus-new-customs-fee-on-small-packages-affect-switzerland Wed, 01 Jul 2026 16:40:16 +0200 will-the-eus-new-customs-fee-on-small-packages-affect-switzerland In a recent EU Council meeting, Member States called for the EU-Switzerland relationship to be updated to face modern threats and challenges, arguing the current framework risks "economic and political instability" in a changing world. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260617/switzerlands-relationship-with-eu-needs-an-overhaul-says-european-council Wed, 17 Jun 2026 13:28:01 +0200 switzerlands-relationship-with-eu-needs-an-overhaul-says-european-council A total of 154 airlines are banned in the European Union due to safety concerns, after the 2026 update of the ‘EU air safety list’ announced by the European Commission this week. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260612/which-airlines-are-banned-in-the-european-union-and-why Fri, 12 Jun 2026 12:20:05 +0200 which-airlines-are-banned-in-the-european-union-and-why Only three countries have passed into national legislation new EU pay transparency rules by the June 7th deadline, MEPs and trade unions have denounced. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260610/only-3-countries-met-deadline-for-new-eu-pay-transparency-rules Wed, 10 Jun 2026 11:12:09 +0200 only-3-countries-met-deadline-for-new-eu-pay-transparency-rules The European Commission on Tuesday asked nine countries in the Schengen area, including France, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Italy, Denmark and Norway to phase out internal border checks, which have been reinstated in some cases for years. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260602/eu-calls-on-nine-european-countries-to-scrap-internal-schengen-border-checks Tue, 02 Jun 2026 15:10:21 +0200 eu-calls-on-nine-european-countries-to-scrap-internal-schengen-border-checks So far, mosty Swiss opponents have spoken out against the far-right’s ‘No to 10 million’ initiative. But as the June 14th referendum date is getting closer, criticism is coming from abroad as well. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260529/a-covert-attack-eu-lawmakers-slam-swiss-anti-immigration-vote Fri, 29 May 2026 10:00:42 +0200 a-covert-attack-eu-lawmakers-slam-swiss-anti-immigration-vote The number of people refused entry to the EU and Schengen area has risen dramatically, according to new statistics, while thousands of US, UK and Indian nationals have been found to be illegally present in EU/Schengen countries. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260518/trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise Mon, 18 May 2026 15:58:26 +0200 trend-will-continue-number-of-people-refused-entry-to-europe-on-the-rise The Swiss government and many economists believe the new package of agreements between Bern and Brussels – the so called ‘Bilaterals III’ - is crucial to Switzerland’s prosperity. But one expert thinks otherwise. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260515/interview-eu-is-not-essential-for-switzerlands-success Fri, 15 May 2026 16:40:45 +0200 interview-eu-is-not-essential-for-switzerlands-success After standardising chargers for mobile phones, from Tuesday new computers sold in EU countries must also use the USB-C charging point, as the latest phase of EU anti-waste legislation comes into force. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260428/eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers Tue, 28 Apr 2026 12:16:33 +0200 eu-anti-waste-law-new-laptops-sold-in-europe-must-now-use-usb-c-chargers In the coming weeks, debates on the new batch of Swiss-EU agreements will begin in the parliamentary committees. So what are the key points of the discussions? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260415/swiss-lawmakers-set-to-rule-on-controversial-points-of-eu-deal Wed, 15 Apr 2026 15:28:38 +0200 swiss-lawmakers-set-to-rule-on-controversial-points-of-eu-deal A new EU directive on pay transparency, which aims to ensure equality between men and women doing the same job, could transform the European job market by guaranteeing more rights to workers. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260414/how-the-european-job-market-will-change-with-new-pay-transparency-rules Tue, 14 Apr 2026 10:37:53 +0200 how-the-european-job-market-will-change-with-new-pay-transparency-rules European leaders reacted on Monday to the defeat of Viktor Orban, who lost Sunday's parliamentary elections in Hungary. Many hailed the result as a victory for democracy and for Europe. https://www.thelocal.ch/20260413/historic-moment-european-leaders-react-to-orbans-defeat-in-hungary Mon, 13 Apr 2026 10:48:46 +0200 historic-moment-european-leaders-react-to-orbans-defeat-in-hungary A landmark agreement has been reached by the European Parliament and Council on the reform of EU rules around customs that include new measures to tackle e-commerce from non-EU countries. What will it mean for consumers? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260402/shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders Thu, 02 Apr 2026 13:38:55 +0200 shein-temu-why-european-consumers-will-pay-more-for-cheap-online-orders On March 2nd, Bern and Brussels signed a package of agreements intended to ‘deepen and harmonise' ties between the two sides. But right-wingers are sounding the alarm about the potentially disastrous consequences for Switzerland if the treaties are ratified. Do their warnings have any merit? https://www.thelocal.ch/20260318/vastly-exaggerated-would-the-new-eu-treaty-really-harm-switzerland Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:10:47 +0100 vastly-exaggerated-would-the-new-eu-treaty-really-harm-switzerland