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(...) Oil imports have decreased from about 13 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) in the early 2000s to 12.4 mtpa in 2013 and 10.9 mtpa in 2015. This is partly due to the CO2 incentive tax imposed since 2008 on fossil fuels, as well as to oil substitution through natural gas and renewable energies and efficiency gains in transportation, heating etc. Due to the closure of the Collombey refinery in March 2015, the share of crude oil in Swiss oil imports has decreased from around 37% to circa a quarter.

(...) The share of biodiesel in total road fuel supply (gasoline and diesel) remains very small at only 1.1%.

Switzerland has no domestic production of natural gas. The share of gas in the energy mix and in particular in electricity generation (where it represented only 1.0% in 2015) is likely to rise in the coming years due to the nuclear phase-out. (...)

The share of renewables in the total primary energy supply of Switzerland was 23% in 2015, while renewables represented 59.5% of electricity generation.

Switzerland is well endowed with renewable energy resources. The government estimates that hydropower production could feasibly increase by about 8% (3.2 TWh); while a lower estimate of 2 TWh has been suggested by groups concerned about public acceptance. Various studies rate photovoltaic (PV) technical potential at 6 to 17 TWh. Wind resource potential is relatively low (4 TWh) and public acceptance is a concern. Biomass estimates according to the Energy Strategy 2050 are 4.7 TWh (1.9 TWh from biogas (agricultural residues and sewage sludge), 1.1 TWh from wood, and 1.7 TWh from municipal waste). Geothermal potential for electricity generation is estimated to be about 4 TWh.

As of 2005, independent power producers (IPPs) may sell electricity to any customer. The first IPPs started to enter the market in 2011. There are a number of small-scale hydro-electric power producers besides LKW and the contribution of independent solar power producers has been increasing. According to the Government's Energy Strategy 2020, adopted in 2012, the objective is to increase the share of renewable energies from 8.2% in 2008 to 20% by 2020, through subsidies for improved insulation, sun-collectors, and tighter energy standards in construction. Liechtenstein has implemented a new 5-year feed-in tariff scheme, which ends in February 2020.

Another significant recent development regarding Switzerland's bilateral air transport relationship with the EU are the negotiations initiated in November 2011 to complement the 1999 EU–Switzerland bilateral air transport agreement and to grant mutually eighth and ninth freedom i.e. cabotage right. While these negotiations ended positively in a consensus, the implementation of their results were suspended by the EU following the 9 February 2014 vote against mass immigration and conditioned by the EU to the conclusion of an agreement on institutional questions and on a coupling of the respective emission trading schemes of EU and of Switzerland, two questions so far unresolved.

Table A2.3 Participation in EFTA free trade agreements, November 2016
Signature Entry into
force Notified to GATT/WTO
(document series) Agreement
21.06.2011 01.10.2012 WT/REG322/N/1
S/C/N/654 EFTA-Hong Kong, China (goods, IP, competition, state aid, government procurement, services, investment, dispute settlement, sustainable development, evolutionary clause)
14.11.2011 01.09.2012 WT/REG323/N/1 EFTA-Montenegro (goods, IP, competition, state aid, government procurement, services, investment, dispute settlement, sustainable development, evolutionary clause)
(...)
24.06.2013 19.08.2014 WT/REG357/N/1
S/C/N/774 EFTA-Central American Statesa (goods, services, investment, IP, government procurement, competition, sustainable development, dispute settlement)
24.06.2013 01.01.2015 WT/REG360/N/1 EFTA-Bosnia and Herzegovina (goods, IP, investment, services, government procurement, payments and capital movements, sustainable development, dispute settlement)

The ambitious development plans currently being implemented in the member States are also a response to the concerns outlined above. They include Benin's "Benin Revealed", Burkina Faso's National Economic and Social Development Plan (PNDES) 2016 2020, Côte d'Ivoire's National Development Plan 2016 2020, Mali's Strategic Framework for Economic Recovery and Sustainable Development (CREDD, 2016 2018), Niger's Economic and Social Development Plan (PDES) and Senegal's Emerging Senegal Plan.

The National Development Plan (PND) of Côte d'Ivoire aims to make the country a liberal, buoyant, emerging economy that is open to the rest of the world. Change to achieve emergent status should be driven by strong, sustained, inclusive growth that is respectful of gender and the environment, and employment rich. The Ivorian Government is counting on that growth to double per capita GDP by the beginning of the 2020s.