‘Federal Council takes decisive step towards Europe’

“At last, a clear vision!” announces Le Temps, following the Federal Council’s August 21 endorsement of draft terms of reference drawn up by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs for negotiations with Brussels on institutional matters.
For the Geneva daily, the decision —

… sends a strong symbolic message. [...] A majority of the seven-member council wants to take advantage of Brussels' desire to escape the rut of a bilateral approach in which it has been bogged down for months.
The issue of terms of reference had raised the controversial question of the power of the European Court of Justice, and the possibility that it could rule against Switzerland or issue judgements on Swiss disputes with the EU.