Brussels, 11/06/2002 (Agence Europe) - The Association and Free Trade Agreement between the EU and Chile was initialled in Brussels on Monday by the European Commission's Director General for external relations, Guy Legras, and Chilean Under-secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cristian Barros.
The agreement concluded last April (see EUROPE of 27 April, p.13), provides for trade liberalisation over seven years for industrial products and ten years for agricultural products. It comprises an agreement on the protection of names and oenological practices in the field of wines and spirits, as well as a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement. It also covers services, public procurement, the liberalisation of investments and intellectual property.
The text has now to be approved by the Commission, Council and Parliament, on the European side, and by the Chilean government and parliament, before being signed, probably next autumn. The Community parts of the agreement (notably trade) should provisionally take effect early 2003, waiting for the ratification of the text by the parliaments of Member states.