Brussels, 18/11/2002 (Agence Europe) - On Monday evening, the European Union and Chile signed their association agreement during an official ceremony attended by Chile's Foreign Minister Maria Soledad Alvear Valenzuela, President-in-Office of the Council Per Stig Moller, European Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten and European Commissioner for External Trade Pascal Lamy. The agreement provides for trade liberalisation over seven years for industrial products and ten years for farm products. It covers liberalisation of the trade in the provision of services, access to public markets, investment and intellectual property. It contains provisions granting mutual respect of protected names and oenological practices as well as a sanitary and phytosanitary agreement. There is also a political chapter.
Provisions relating to the trade in goods, the institutional framework, public procurement, competition and dispute settlement procedure will take effect as soon as the Chilean parliament has approved the agreement. The Commission, like Chile, hopes this will be by January 2003. The clauses concerning political dialogue, services, the freedom of establishment, capital movements, intellectual property and cooperation will not take effect until after ratification of the agreement by the European Parliament and the parliaments of the European Union Member States. The agreement had been concluded in April and initialled in June (EUROPE of 27 April and 12 June).
Commissioner Patten considers this association agreement is "a very tangible expression of the EU's strong political commitment to deepen and widen our links with Latin America". Commissioner Lamy believes its is a "21st century model of trade relations".
Before the signing ceremony, the EuroChile Foundation awarded its annual prize to Ms Soledad Alvear and to Messrs Pattetn and Lamy.