The Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industries (MEM industries) are performing well. In the first half of 2018, new orders increased by 24.1% and sales by 16.4% compared with the same period of last year. Goods exports grew by 7.5% to CHF 34.8 billion in the first half of 2018. The positive business trend is expected to continue for another six to twelve months. Thereafter, a slowdown in the economy is a possibility. One of the biggest challenges the industry will face in the next few years is the growing shortage of skilled labour. The MEM industries' new collective employment agreement (GAV/CEA) includes a number of measures aimed at countering this problem. At the same time, it will be im-portant over the long term to maintain non-discriminatory access to the EU in-ternal market and the other world markets with as few barriers as possible. Swissmem thus urges the Federal Council to bring the negotiations on a frame-work agreement with the EU to a conclusion by the end of this year. Moreover, Swissmem rejects the Fair Food and Food Sovereignty initiatives that the elec-torate will vote on in September.