Chile JCC - Final Declaration 1St Meeting

EESC-2016-04875-00-05-DECL-TRA (ES) 1/2

First meeting of the EU-Chile Joint Consultative Committee

Santiago de Chile, 4 and 5 October 2016

Final Declaration

1.Introduction

The JCC:

• welcomes the establishment of the JCC, a move which implements the final provision of an institutional nature in the AA and provides a forum for civil society in the contracting party countries where it can contribute to relations between Chile and the EU.
• also thanks the Association Council for the commitment it showed to establishing the JCC at the meeting in April 2015.
• thanks the EU-Chile Parliamentary Assembly for the support it has given over the years in promoting the establishment of the JCC.
• highlights the successful conclusion of the first meeting of the JCC and thanks the Chilean Ministry of Foreign Relations for its help in organising the meeting.
• believes that this JCC will be able to make a valuable contribution to work between the EU and Chile.

2.Objectives, Rules and Work Plan

The JCC:

• affirms the commitment of all of the Committee's representatives to making the JCC a constructive mechanism that will contribute to strengthening ties and coordinating efforts in line with the interests of organised civil society.
• hopes that the JCC will address key economic and social issues in relations between the European Union and Chile, including trade, investment, impact assessments, industrial relations, inequality, cooperation, human rights, the environment and climate change.

• has agreed its Rules of Procedure in line with what was agreed under Article 10(4) of the AA and is convinced that this represents a good basis for joint work. The aforementioned regulation is attached in an Appendix to this declaration.
• has developed a joint work plan that includes the Sustainable Development Goals, the 2030 Agenda, social and civil dialogue, harmonising agricultural standards, the free movement of people, urban development, vocational education and training, human rights, gender equality, inequality, consumer rights, the circular economy and informal trade among its main topics of shared interest.
• recalls that these topics will be addressed during future meetings, without prejudice to the consultations or topics that the Association Council sends to the JCC as part of its mandate as a consultative body, and which will be considered as a priority.

3.Updating the Association Agreement:

The JCC:

• welcomes the steps taken to update the AA.
• asks to be included in the aforementioned updating process, and therefore asks to be consulted by the contracting parties and to have the opportunity to express its opinion on the content.
• in this regard, highlights the importance of including a chapter on trade and sustainable development in the new version of the AA, in line with the free trade agreements negotiated in recent years.
• urges both negotiating parties to maintain the structure and role of the JCC, as the only structured civil society monitoring mechanism, for the entire duration of the future agreement, including its chapter on trade.

This final declaration will be presented to the Chilean and European political authorities and forwarded to the next meeting of the Association Council.

The JCC will hold its second meeting in Europe in the second half of 2017. The agenda will be established on the basis of the topics set out in the work plan and of those that are subject to consultation by the Association Council.

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EESC-2016-04875-00-05-DECL-TRA (ES) 1/2