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JOINT STATEMENT XVIII EU-CHILE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE 7 December 2023

07.12.2023 Press and information team of the Delegation to CHILE

 

  1. On 7 December 2023, the XVIII meeting of the Chile-European Union Association Committee was held by videoconference, a bilateral dialogue mechanism established by the 2002 Association Agreement. The Committee was co-chaired by the Executive Director for the Americas of the European External Action Service, Brian Glynn, and the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs (S) Ambassador Rodrigo Olsen. The Parties approved the minutes of the XVII meeting of the Association Committee, which took place by videoconference on 22 September 2021.

     
  2. The Committee reviewed the bilateral relationship and an overall assessment of the Association Agreement. In this regard, the Parties emphasized that through the Association Agreement the bilateral ties have deepened, strengthening the political dialogue based on commonalities at the multilateral level, allowing for the development of a comprehensive agenda and stimulating trade and investment.

     
  3. The dynamism of the agenda has been reinforced by bilateral visits at the highest level, particularly the visit to Chile by the President of the European Commission on 13- 14 June 2023 and the visit to Brussels by the President of the Republic of Chile on 17 and 18 July 2023, in the framework of the III Summit of CELAC-EU Heads of State and Government.

     
  4. The Association Committee exchanged views on the latest developments in the modernization process of the Association Agreement, which will result on a new institutional framework that will better reflect the changes that have taken place in the 20 years of the Agreement, as well as incorporate new topics of joint interest and promote trade and investment. In this regard, the Parties stressed that on 9 December 2022, the political closure of the negotiations to establish the Chile-European Union Advanced Framework Agreement, the name of the new instrument, was achieved. It is expected to be signed in Brussels on 13 December 2023.

     
  5. The Parties exchanged views on the main issues of the international agenda, highlighting commonalities and the need to articulate comprehensive responses, in accordance with international law and reinforcing multilateralism. Likewise, the Parties positively highlighted the III Summit of CELAC-EU Heads of State and Government, held in Brussels on 17 and 18 July, and reiterated their willingness to promote the bi-regional dialogue.

     
  6. The Committee underlined the interesting prospects for enhancing dialogue and cooperation on security and defence, anticipating that the first meeting of the bilateral security and defence dialogue will take place in the first half of 2024. On the same topic, the Parties highlighted the participation of Chilean troops in EUFOR-Althea as an important milestone.

     
  7. The Parties emphasised their joint commitment to the respect and protection of human rights, as well as the prospects for developing further cooperation in this important area. In this regard, the main results of the XII Chile-EU Human Rights Dialogue, which took place in Santiago on 28 November, were commented on.

     
  8. On environment, climate change, and ocean governance, both Parties reiterated the relevance of active cooperation to address the climate emergency and to achieve the objectives of both the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Biodiversity Framework. The Parties welcomed the adoption and opening to the signature of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity of areas beyond national jurisdiction and call for its swift ratification.

     
  9. This joint conviction was raised at the highest level, with the establishment of a Political Dialogue on Climate Change and Environment, which was held on 12 October 2023, and with the implementation of an Ocean Governance Dialogue Chile-EU, relaunched in 2021 with a high-level segment.

     
  10. The Association Committee highlighted the energy investment projects in Chile. In this regard, the agreements signed on 14 June 2023 on the occasion of the visit of the President of the European Commission to Chile "Team Europe Project for the Renewable Hydrogen Development in Chile" and "Declaration of Intent on the Team Europe Renewable Hydrogen Fund in Chile", will attract investments of over 220 million euros. Emphasis was also placed on the signing of the "Declaration of Intent on Just Energy Transition in Chile, with a focus on hydrogen and other green technologies in Chile", signed on 17 July 2023 by the Minister of Energy of Chile and the President of the European Investment Bank.

     
  11. The Parties recognized the importance of generating sustainable value chains in the raw materials industry. In this sense, the focus was placed on the signing of the "Chile-European Union Memorandum of Understanding for a Strategic Partnership on Sustainable Raw Materials Value Chains", signed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Chile and the European Commissioner for Internal Market and Services on 19 July 2023.

     
  12. The Association Committee reviewed the main results of the X Meeting of the Joint Steering Committee of the Chile-EU Science and Technology Co-operation Agreement, which took place in Brussels on 1st December 2023. The Parties highlighted the importance of strengthening cooperation in this field.

     
  13.  In the field of Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, the Parties reviewed cooperation in this area, highlighting the active support of the European Union and its Member States to assist in the fight against the forest fires that took place in Chile during the summer of 2023. Progress on the negotiation of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation for disaster risk reduction and preparedness in Chile was also discussed.

     
  14. The Parties recognized the impetus conferred by the Association Agreement to increase bilateral trade, which ultimately grew by 150%. With the adoption of the Advanced Framework Agreement, 99% of trade between the EU and Chile will be tariff free. In addition, access to investing and bidding for government contracts will be facilitated, and major commitments were taken on sustainable trade, including on climate, energy and raw materials, as well as gender equality and sustainable food systems.

     
  15. The Association Committee reviewed the agenda of bilateral cooperation and reaffirmed their intention to strengthen their partnership in the areas of renewable energy, raw materials, ecological, digital and social transition, as well as in sustainable food systems and to continue their joint work through triangular cooperation.

     
  16. The Parties took note of the XI Meeting of the EU-Chile Joint Consultative Committee, which took place in Santiago on 30 November.

     
  17. The Parties welcomed the XXVII Meeting of the Chile-European Union Joint Parliamentary Committee, which took place in Brussels on 4 and 5 December 2023.

     
  18. Finally, the Association Committee reiterated the excellent state of bilateral relations, the diversity of the thematic agenda, and the interesting prospects for joint actions to be developed once the Advanced Framework Agreement is signed.

Brussels/Santiago, 7 December 2023