European Parliament delegation goes to Chile

A delegation of eight MEPs from the European Parliament’s international trade committee is this week travelling to Chile to discuss the state of the play in the ‘technically concluded’ modernised Association Agreement.

Negotiators agreed on most elements of the text last November. But the new government in Santiago, which came into power in March, wanted more time to analyse the content of the agreement.

The MEP delegation will meet representatives of the new government and parliament, as well as business associations, trade unions and various civil organisations dealing with human rights issues, trade, gender, and women’s rights. Issues on the table include sustainability, gender equality, rights of indigenous peoples, and issues related to the global green transition such as green hydrogen.

“In a context in which we notice a shift from a rules-based to a power-based international system, increasing protectionism and severe supply chain disruptions, it is all the more important to make progress with like - minded partners to stabilise the rules-based trading system,” said the chair of the committee Bernd Lange. Lange added that the chapter on trade and sustainable development will be “one of our main focuses”, Earlier this month the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell expressed hopes the deal can be signed by the end of this year. This would mark the 20th anniversary of the original agreement.