Swiss finance minister says EU banking deal at least several years off

BERN (Reuters) - A comprehensive agreement between Switzerland and the European Union covering financial services is at least several years away, Swiss Finance Minister Ueli Maurer said on Thursday. Switzerland is not a member of the EU and uses bilateral agreements to give certain industries access to the single market, although this does not include financial services. Maurer said political hurdles - such as Switzerland's state guarantee for regional banks and regional building insurers - complicated negotiations with Brussels. "That's why a comprehensive financial services agreement with the EU is not a topic for the coming years, or perhaps at all," Maurer told a news conference. (Reporting by Joshua Franklin; Editing by Michael Shields)