Swiss scupper draft EU treaty in break with biggest trade partner

FILE PHOTO: Switzerland's national flag and the European Union flag are seen at the European Commission building in Brussels, Belgium April 23, 2021. Francois Walschaerts/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo

ZURICH (Reuters) -Years of talks to bind Switzerland more closely to the European Union's single market collapsed on Wednesday when the Swiss government ditched a draft 2018 treaty cementing ties with its biggest trading partner.

Faced with stiff domestic opposition to the pact, the cabinet said it would break off talks and try to turn the page with the bloc, which surrounds landlocked Switzerland.