On 9 December 2019, the European Commission announced that on 1 January 2020 Switzerland will become the first country to successfully link its greenhouse gas emissions trading system with the EU emissions trading system. This completes a process which has taken almost 10 years. On 17 December 2010, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Swiss Confederation for this agreement. The formal procedures for the linking have now been completed, and the agreement can enter into force on 1 January 2020.