According to the Swiss authorities, who made the announcement, the initialled agreement also comprises an article on administrative assistance in accordance with Article 26 of the OECD Model Convention.
The DTA contains solutions which are favourable for developing bilateral economic relations.
Following the Federal Council decision in March 2009, Qatar is the 13th and, simultaneously, the first country outside the OECD with which Switzerland has initialled a DTA containing the extended administrative assistance clause in accordance with Article 26 of the OECD Model Convention.
There are already initialled agreements with the extended administrative assistance clause with Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway, France, Mexico, the USA, Japan, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK, Austria and Finland.
The initialling is the first stage on the way to a new or a revised DTA. In order to be removed from the "grey list" drawn up by the OECD Secretariat for the G20, the next step is for 12 agreements based on the OECD standard on administrative assistance to be signed.
Swiss authorities said in their statement that the initialled text is still confidential. The cantons and business associations will now have the opportunity to submit their views. Subsequently the Federal Council’s consent to sign must be obtained. After the signing has taken place (carried out by a minister or ambassador from the contracting states) the agreement will be published.
