FINAL DECLARATION 2nd Meeting of the EU-Chile JCC

The JCC adopted the following declaration:

1.    On the modernisation of the EU-Chile Association Agreement and the role of civil society

The JCC members:

1.1    Welcome with satisfaction the establishment of the JCC as the only structured civil society organisation (CSO) monitoring mechanism under the AA and asks that it be maintained under the modernised version of the Association Agreement (AA), including with competencies for the section on trade. They re-affirm their commitment to making the JCC a constructive mechanism that contributes to strengthening bilateral ties and coordinating efforts in line with the interests of CSOs.

1.2    Call on the authorities of the AA to provide all the institutional, political, operational and financial support needed by the Chilean CSOs in order to build up their capacity, strength and skills, so that they can become active partners in both social and civil dialogue at national level, and maintain operations as a counterpart for European civil society at a bilateral level. They welcome the parties' intention to modernise the existing Association Agreement. In this respect, they propose that the modernised AA agreement provide, in accordance with Article 10 of the current AA, concrete financial mechanisms for the JCC, allowing this committee to develop its consultative role and thus remain relevant.

1.3    Reiterate that the social dialogue between workers and businesses owners, rooted in criteria governing the representativeness of organisations, is essential in order to strengthen labour relations and social cohesion; suggest, therefore, pursuing joint initiatives in order to share experiences on the various types of social dialogue in the EU and Chile.

1.4    Reiterate that the trade and economic provisions of the modernised AA should seek to bring about the comprehensive economic and social development of the two parties, which means that it is essential for it to be balanced, reflect the interests and needs of both parties and put in place specific measures to compensate existing disparities. A more inclusive distribution of the benefits of trade is crucial to provide adequate protection to those who may be disadvantaged in the process.

1.5    In this respect, call on each of the parties to exercise due reciprocity in their commercial exchanges, based on legal certainty, and when taking appropriate steps to pursue the highest possible regulatory standards. This encompasses protection for consumer rights, including in a cross-border context. They also urge that consideration be given to fiscal justice mechanisms that prevent fiscal dumping and tax avoidance. They recommend that the parties facilitate the sharing of experiences on competition regulation mechanisms at local and international level.

1.6    Call on the parties to make all stages of the negotiations, implementation and monitoring of the modernised AA more transparent so that organised civil society can contribute to the process, thus also encouraging the socio-economic players affected to take ownership of it. They encourage the participation of CSOs in the design of public policies and the respect of cultural, economic and social rights.

1.7    Acknowledge that a number of areas still need to be addressed in the modernised AA that are important to ensure that it delivers shared growth, equal opportunities, decent jobs and sustainable development, including the respect and promotion of human rights, labour and environmental standards and impact assessments, the respect of the rights of migrants and indigenous peoples and gender equality, for the benefit of citizens on both sides.

1.8    Stress the importance of including a specific chapter on micro-enterprises and SMEs that contains clear and measurable targets and with substantial improvements in terms of trade facilitation, the elimination of trade barriers and unnecessary administrative burdens, as well as active measures aiming to facilitate participation in public tenders and ensure that the resulting opportunities are sufficiently usable and communicated effectively to all main and potential actors.

1.9    Urge that the mobility of knowledge between the EU and Chile be included under the modernised AA, and stress the positive impact this mobility has in terms of innovation and revitalising the economy. The promotion of sectors making intensive use of knowledge is essential in areas that promote innovation and the transfer and dissemination of new technologies and facilitate sustainable development, such as the digitalisation of services, and joint research projects. In this respect, they highlight the potential of mechanisms for the mutual recognition of qualifications or exchanges between teachers, students and researchers.

1.10    Take note of the impact studies being carried out by the European Union regarding its international agreements and call on the Chilean party to carry out similar analysis processes regarding its own agreements.

2.    On the Sustainable Development Agenda

The JCC members:

2.1    Call on all countries to move to a multi-stakeholder-led approach in SDG implementation, by including all actors and civil society organisations based on the 2030 Agenda's principles of universality, integration and visibility, as well as the principles of participation, accountability and partnership. In this line, they believe that it is absolutely essential to recognise that the involvement of organised civil society contributes to creating a global awareness that enables, promotes and privileges global solutions for peace, sustainable development, fair trade and the well-being of all peoples and regions.

2.2    Consider it vital to promote decent work, innovation and entrepreneurship with decent working and living conditions that comply with international standards and conventions laid down by the ILO, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man and the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. In this respect, they welcome the fact that decent work is one of the Sustainable Development Goals under the 2030 Agenda and call on the authorities in the European Union and Chile to advocate the promotion of full and productive employment and decent work for everyone, especially young people, migrants, women and people with disabilities.

2.3    Consider that environmental degradation, including the loss of biodiversity and deforestation, represents a major threat to our societies and economies. In this respect, they consider that all industrialised countries should take the lead in responding to this challenge and transform the risk into an opportunity to attain a global commitment, and reiterate that it is incumbent on all countries to fight against climate change, in line with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

2.4    Support the process towards modernising the Association Agreement between the European Union and Chile, which should include principles for action in terms of cooperation and sustainable development. Cooperation and mutual support are vital if we wish to make progress on a joint agenda that would enable us to tackle the most important challenges of our world, such as poverty, climate change and armed conflicts, helping to preserve peace and maintain multilateralism and achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals in the EU and in Chile.

2.5    Stress the need to include a robust and ambitious chapter on Trade and Sustainable Development (TSD) in the modernised EU-Chile AA. They call on the parties to include provisions to promote labour and environmental standards, commitments to avoid diminishing those standards in order to obtain competitive advantages in trade exchanges, and to effectively implement up-to-date ILO instruments and multilateral environmental agreements.

2.6    Consider the TSD chapter to be crucial to improve sustainable economic, social and environmental conditions for consumers, workers, citizens and businesses in the EU and Chile; call on the parties to effectively engage civil society in developing and implementing it, and call for the EU-Chile Joint Consultative Committee to be a part of this process.

This final declaration will be forwarded to the political authorities of the EU and Chile, as well as to the joint bodies operating under the EU-Chile Association Agreement.