Swissmem calls for swift ratification of the Croatia protocol.
After a bleak year in 2015, a slight increase in new orders during the first quarter of 2016 (+0.9%) indicates that the Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industries (MEM industries) may have turned the corner. Nevertheless, a simultaneous fall in sales of 8.8 percent strongly indicates that the situation facing the MEM industries remains difficult. Companies are still exposed to heavy pressure on margins, and the effects of the overvalued Swiss franc on employment are becoming increasingly visible. Some 10,800 jobs have been lost in the MEM industries since the euro peg was scrapped. Swift ratification of the Croatia protocol is extremely important for Switzerland's long-term positive development as a location for industry and research. This is the only way to regain full association with the EU's "Horizon 2020" research programme.
