15/03/24 (Agence Europe) – The European ratification procedure for the EU/Chile Interim Trade Agreement will be completed on Monday 18 March. Once Santiago has ratified it and notified the European Union, the agreement can provisionally enter into force. On behalf of the EU, the European Commission has negotiated an Association Agreement with Chile, which includes a section on trade and investment (see EUROPE 13081/19), but as this must be ratified by all Member States, it has provided for an Interim Trade Agreement, which only needs to be ratified by the European Parliament, and which can therefore enter into force more quickly. This interim treaty will expire when the Association Agreement comes into force, but this could take several years. (LM)