Bilateral collaboration with partner authorities can be based on various principles. On the one hand, and on the basis of Art. 82a of the Therapeutic Products Act, the Federal Council is provided with the possibility of concluding international agreements on divulging confidential data to foreign authorities as long as this is required in order to enforce the Act. On the other hand, medical products, the certification of respect for Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) for medicinal products, and the mutual recognition of the requirements of Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) are in particular the subject of agreements on the mutual recognition of conformity assessments, i.e. so-called Mutual Recognition Agreements (MRA). These comprehensive instruments that are significant within trade policy serve to overcome technical obstacles to trade in state-regulated areas. They contain numerous mechanisms that regulate and simplify collaboration.