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Switzerland’s Legal and Political Abbreviations and Terms

This article introduces different useful abbreviations and terms when studying about Switzerland in the legal and political landscape of Europe.

Body: 0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

0-9

1967 Protocol – UN General Assembly, Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, 31 January 1967, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 606, p. 267 – 3.6

A

Acquis – in EU law this term refers to the body of law in a given subject – 2.14

AEOI – Automatic exchange of information – 1.14

AMS States – Andorra, Monaco, San Marino – 5.12

Art. – Article – 1.6

ATA – Agreement of 21 June 1999 between the Swiss Confederation and the European Community on air transport, for Switzerland: SR 0.748.127.192.68, for the EU: OJ 2002 L 114/73 – 5.3 (Chart)

B

BEPS – Base Erosion and Profit Shifting – 1.9

BGE – Swiss Federal Supreme Court Decision (from German Bundesgerichtsentscheid) – 5.3

C

CAT – UN General Assembly, Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, 10 December 1984, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1465, p. 85 – 3.7

CCP – Central Counter Party – 6.8

CEAS – Common European Asylum System – 3.10

CFR – Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union – 3.9

CJEU – Court of Justice of the European Union – 4.4 (Charts)

CoE – Council of Europe – 3.9

Customs Agreement – Agreement of 25 June 2009 between the Swiss Confederation and the European Community on the simplification of inspections and formalities in respect of the carriage of goods and on customs security measures, for Switzerland: SR 0.631.242.05, for the EU: OJ 2009 L 199/24 – 5.3

D

Directive 2004/38 – Directive 2004/38/EC on the right of citizens of the Union and their family members to move and reside freely within the territory of the Member States amending Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 and repealing Directives 64/221/EEC, 68/360/EEC, 72/194/EEC, 73/148/EEC, 75/34/EEC, 75/35/EEC, 90/364/EEC, 90/365/EEC and 93/96/EEC, OJ 2004 L 158/77 – 4.5

DAA (also used: DA) – Dublin Association Agreement (also used: Dublin Agreement): Agreement between the European Community and the Swiss Confederation concerning the criteria and mechanisms for establishing the State responsible for examining a request for asylum lodged in a Member State or in Switzerland, for Switzerland: SR 0.142.392.68, for the EU: OJ 2008 L 53/5 – 3.16

Dublin III Regulation / Regulation 604/2013 – Regulation (EU) No 604/2013 establishing the criteria and mechanisms for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection lodged in one of the Member States by a third-country national or a stateless person, OJ 2013 L 180/31 – 3.10

E

EASO – European Asylum Support Office – 3.17

EC – European Community – 2.5

ECHR – Council of Europe, European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as amended by Protocols Nos. 11 and 14, 4 November 1950, Council of Europe, Treaty Series 5 – 3.7

ECLI – European Case Law Identifier – 4.5

EEA – European Economic Area – 1.1

EEC – European Economic Community – 2.5

EFTA – European Free Trade Association – 1.1

eg – For example (from Latin exempli gratia) – 1.4

EIONET – European Environment Information and Observation Network – 2.10 (List)

ESA – EFTA Surveillance Authority – 5.11

ESA/Court Agreement, SCA – Agreement between the EFTA States on the establishment of a Surveillance Authority and a Court of Justice, OJ 1994 L 344/3 (as amended) – 5.11

ESMA – European Securities and Markets Authority – 6.8

EU – European Union – 1.1

EU/EFTA Member States – EFTA States that are also members of the EEA – 2.1

Euratom – Atomic Energy Community – 2.5

EUR-Lex – European Union’s law database – 1.15

EURODAC – European Dactyloscopy (fingerprint database) – 3.10

F

FATCA – Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (US) – 1.15

FMP Agreement – Agreement of 21 June 1999 between the Swiss Confederation, of the one part, and the European Community and its Member States, of the other, on the free movement of persons, for Switzerland: SR 0.142.112.681, for the EU: OJ 2002 L 114/6 (with the following enlargement protocols: Protocol I (extension to the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and the Slovak Republic: AS 2006 995 , OJ 2006 L 89/30); Protocol II (extension to Bulgaria and Romania: SR 0.142.112.681.1, OJ 2009 L 124/53); Protocol III (extension to Croatia: AS 2016 5251 5233 , OJ 2017 L 313/3) – 5.3 (Chart)

FRA – EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency – 3.9

FRONTEX – European Agency for the Management of Operational Cooperation at the External Borders of the Member States of the European Union – 2.10 (List)

FTA – Agreement of 22 July 1972 between the Swiss Confederation and the European Economic Community, for Switzerland: SR 0.632.401, for the EU: OJ 1972 L 300/189 – 5.3 (Chart)

G

G20 – Group of Twenty (the world’s 20 major economies) – 1.9

GC IV – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (Fourth Geneva Convention), 12 August 1949, 75 United Nations, Treaty Series 287 – 3.7

Geneva Convention – UN General Assembly, Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 28 July 1951, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 189, p. 137 – 3.6

I

ICCPR – UN General Assembly, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 16 December 1966, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 999, p. 171 – 3.7

ie – that is to say (from Latin id est) – 5.8

Insurance Agreement – Agreement of 10 October 1989 between the Swiss Confederation and the European Economic Community on direct insurance other than life assurance, for Switzerland: SR 0.961.1, for the EU: OJ 1991 L 205/3 – 5.3 (Chart)

IOM – International Organization for Migration – 3.1

K

kg – Kilogram (weight unit) – 2.11

L

L – EU legislation – 2.11

M

MP – Member of Parliament – 1.3

N

no. – Number – 3.9

O

OECD – Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development – 1.9

OJ – Official Journal of the European Union (collection of EU legislation and documents) – 2.10 (List)

OSCE – Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – 1.18

P

p. / pp. – page /pages – 1.2

R

RASA – out of the dead end (from German Raus aus der Sackgasse) – 4.11

REACH – Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals – 2.11

Regulation 2004/883 – Regulation 883/2004/EC on the coordination of social security systems, OJ 2004 L 166/1 – 4.5

Regulation 2252/2004 – Regulation 2252/2004/EC on standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents issued by Member States, OJ 2004 L 385/1 – 5.5

Regulation 492/2011 – Regulation 492/2011/EU on freedom of movement for workers within the Union, OJ 2011 L 141/1 – 4.5

S

SBC – Regulation (EU) 2016/399 on a Union Code on the rules governing the movement of persons across borders (Schengen Borders Code), OJ 2016 L 77/1 – 3.15

SPP – Swiss Peoples’ Party – 4.3

SR – Systematic collection of Swiss legislation – 2.10 (List)

SAA (also used: SA) – Schengen Association Agreement (also used: Schengen Agreement): Agreement between the European Union, the European Community and the Swiss Confederation on the Swiss Confederation’s association with the implementation, application and development of the Schengen acquis, for the EU: OJ 2008 L 53/52, for Switzerland: SR 0.362.31 – 3.16

T

TEU – Treaty on European Union – 2.5

TFEU – Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union – 2.5

TTIP – Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership – 2.3

U

UDHR – UN General Assembly, Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 10 December 1948, 217 A (III) – 3.7

UK – United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland – 1.3

UN – United Nations – 1.11

US – United States of America – 1.15

V

v. / v / vs – versus – 3.9

VAT – Value added tax – 2.11

Vienna Treaty Convention – United Nations, Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, 23 May 1969, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1155, p. 331 – 5.3

W

WTO – World Trade Organization – 1.18

© University of Basel
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