April 4, 2001
The 28-tonne limit, one of the main pillars of Swiss transport policy, serves as a case study. The European Union (EU) stands at the centre as a new actor in an area of great importance to the bilateral negotiations between the EU and Switzerland. The demands of domestic affairs (Alpine Initiative) are diametrically opposed to foreign integration endeavours, and there are changing coalitions, based on either links between relevant areas or on the actors involved. In a first descriptive part of the study, the meaning of the 28-tonne limit is examined within a historical analysis. With the help of a policy network analysis, the various actors, their importance, and their roles in the decision-making process are analysed, taking into consideration the possible effects of increasing the weight limit up to 40 tonnes, as requested by the EU. Finally, there is an attempt to apply the insights gained into other areas of foreign affairs.
