SWISS VOTE AGAIN ON EU

Swiss voters are taking part in a poll this weekend on whether to start immediate negotiations on joining the European Union results around 17G Sunday.

Supporters of the proposal, mostly left-wing groups, say Switzerland should help formulate EU policies since they affect everyday life and the country's world position.

The government believes Switzerland should eventually join, but not yet.

The BBC correspondent in Geneva says the government is aware of public concern about the cost of EU membership, and its affect on Switzerland's tradition of direct democracy and banking secrecy.

She says previous votes have gone against giving up any political sovereignty and that although last year the Swiss agreed to a package of primarily economic accords, for many that is as far as the country should go on the path to greater European integration.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service