A new German-Swiss police agreement is set to improve cross-border cooperation to combat smuggling while cracking down on drivers avoiding speeding and parking fines.
The new police agreement replaces an existing arrangement from 1999 and came into force on Wednesday.
It will allow officers from both countries to cross the border in emergencies and establishes liaison offices and joint operational units.
The agreement aims to combat terrorism, violent extremism, people smuggling and arms trafficking.
Meanwhile, German drivers who were long able to avoid heavy traffic fines in Switzerland - as long as they did not travel to the country again - are set to receive a fright.
Fines from countries outside the EU, such as Switzerland or the United Kingdom, could not previously be enforced in Germany.
The agreement will allow fines above €70 ($74.70) or 80 Swiss francs ($86.90) to be collected by authorities on both sides of the border.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said in a statement that the agreement would extend cooperation between the two countries' police forces.
"The new agreement expands our toolbox. We are ensuring more effective searches for suspects and better protection for witnesses and victims of crime. In this way, we are strengthening the security of our citizens," she added.
Swiss Federal Councillor Beat Jans, head of the Federal Department of Justice and Police, said that cross-border crime is constantly on the rise. "This is why bilateral police cooperation with Switzerland's neighbouring countries is essential," he stated.
