Brussels, 01/02/2002 (Agence Europe) - Negotiations in view of a free-trade agreement between the EU and Chile have made good progress this week (see EUROPE of 26 January, p.9), according to negotiators who reaffirmed the will of both parties to conclude before the EU/Latin America Summit of 17 May. The agreement may however only be initialled after the summit to give legal experts the time to finalise the text. The 8th negotiating session enabled them to conclude the chapter on intellectual property and almost those on standards, customs procedures and health and plant health measures, and even those on practices in wine production. Progress was also made over competition, public procurement, investments, market access, including a sketch of a solution for agricultural products, even though there remain differences, especially over European export refunds which the French are in particularly holding on to. Talks also allowed them to identify more precisely the main problems in the wines and spirits sector with names of origin that are brands in Chile (this is a problem close to the one encountered in negotiations with South Africa, for products like Champagne, Cognac or Grappa). As for access to fish stocks, issue of particular importance for Spain, it would seem that Chile is prepared to amend its legislation to enable joint-venture to operate in its waters. Negotiations over financial services should also continue without waiting for the results of those currently going on between Chile and the United States.
In addition, the Argentinean authorities have confirmed that the 7th negotiating session over the EU/Mercosur Agreement will take place in Buenos Aires in the second week of April.