The European Union has officially approved Switzerland’s participation in the Cyber Ranges Federations project, a significant cybersecurity initiative under the EU’s Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) framework.

The Cyber Ranges Federations project, led by Estonia, aims to centralize and automate cyber defense capabilities across member and partner states. It focuses on enhancing military cyber training, joint simulations, and the development of next-generation cybersecurity tools.

According to a press release from the Council of the European Union, Switzerland’s participation “will bring substantial added value and mutual benefit to the project, given its work developing the Swiss Cyber Training Range and Cyber-Defence Campus.”

Swiss officials have emphasized that joining the project does not compromise the country’s long-standing policy of neutrality. In a statement, the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs noted that the participation is “one-off and thematic,” serving mutual interests without creating critical dependencies that could undermine neutrality.

Switzerland applied to join the Cyber Ranges Federations project in October 2024. Following the EU Council’s approval, two procedural steps remain: Estonia must extend a formal invitation, and Switzerland must sign an administrative agreement with the EU covering data exchange and other technical aspects of cooperation.

The EU Council’s decision confirms that Switzerland meets the political, legal, and operational criteria for participation, stating that the country fulfills the “political, legal, and substantive conditions, including sharing the values on which the EU is founded” required for third-country participation.

This isn’t the only way Switzerland is engaging in selective defense collaborations with the EU. Earlier in 2025, Switzerland was granted permission to join the Military Mobility Initiative, which hopes to simplify cross-border military transport procedures. Additionally, Switzerland is participating in the European Sky Shield Initiative, with the goal of improving EU air defense by coordinating the procurement of air and missile defense systems.