Subject to signature and conclusion of an Agreement associating Switzerland to parts of Horizon 2020, Switzerland will participate from 15 September 2014 with an associated country status in actions under:

• the "Excellent Science" pillar (the 1^st pillar), containing the European Research Council, Future and Emerging Technologies, Research Infrastructures and the Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions;
• actions under the specific objective “Spreading excellence and widening participation”;
• the Euratom Programme; and
• the activities carried out by the European Joint Undertaking for ITER and the Development of Fusion for Energy for 2014-2020.

The participation of Switzerland to the above mentioned parts of Horizon 2020 and to Euratom Programme and to ITER should be effective from 15 September 2014 until 31 December 2016.

This means that for calls under the above mentioned priorities and programmes and which have a deadline for submission on 15 September 2014 or after, the participation of Swiss entities will be in accordance with Horizon 2020 provisions governing the participation of entities from associated countries. In all other parts of the Horizon 2020 programme, Switzerland will remain a third country participant. For more information on funding for Swiss participants in such projects by the Swiss government, please see:

http://www.h2020.ch/

In relation to cooperation for fusion activities under the Euratom Programme the new agreement will replace the 1978 Fusion Cooperation Agreement, currently still in force.

The International Agreement associating Switzerland to parts of Horizon 2020 is expected to become provisionally applicable retroactively as from 15 September 2014 upon its signature which is expected in December 2014.