Swiss plan March 2016 draft on unilateral immigration curbs

ZURICH (Reuters) - Switzerland will draft unilateral curbs on immigration by March 2016 should it fail to strike a deal with the European Union over limits on the free movement of people, President Simonetta Sommaruga said on Friday. With the 28-nation EU being Switzerland's largest trading partner, any Swiss bid to seek to limit immigration risks angering partners and potentially damaging its economy. At issue is how to reconcile a Swiss referendum vote in February 2014 in favour of limiting the influx of foreigners with existing pacts guaranteeing freedom of movement for EU workers in Switzerland. Around 1.3 million EU citizens already live in the wealthy Alpine confederation and 300,000 cross the border daily to work. "We want to continue discussions with the goal of reaching an agreement on a protection clause...That's the best way," Sommaruga told a news conference in Berne streamed online. Although a draft unilateral protection clause is to be prepared by next March, she said, that is not the preferred path because it is fraught with legal uncertainty. "It wouldn't be clear what measures the European Union would take," she said. Swiss lawmakers have until 2017 to square last year's referendum in favour of immigrant quotas with its EU pacts. Otherwise, the government must write quotas for EU workers into law regardless of any compromise with the EU. (Reporting by John Miller, Joshua Franklin, Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi; Editing by Mark Heinrich)