Dinny McGinley
Ceist:74 Mr. McGinley asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he will report on the association agreement between the European Union and Chile; and the value of trade between Ireland and Chile. [26792/03]
Written Answers. - International Agreements.
The EU-Chile Association Agreement is a mixed competence agreement, in other words, some aspects of the agreement fall within the competence of the Commission, others within the competence of member states. The bulk of the trade chapter, the institutional framework of the agreement and the trade-related co-operation provisions, which fall under the competence of the Commission, have been provisionally applied since 1 February 2003. The remaining provisions – political dialogue chapter, some parts of the trade chapter such as services, establishment, current payments and capital movements, intellectual property rights and the bulk of the co-operation provisions – will enter into force once all of the 15 member states of the EU have ratified the agreement, in accordance with their domestic procedures. The European Parliament gave its assent to the agreement at its plenary session of 12 February 2003.
Chile ratified the agreement on 28 January 2003. Following approval of the terms of the agreement by Dáil Éireann on 17 June 2003, Ireland ratified the agreement on 30 June. Denmark did so on 27 June 2003 and the United Kingdom on the 9 July 2003. Ratification procedures in the other EU member states are in progress. During our EU Presidency in the first half of 2004, we will encourage other member states to advance their national ratifications.
The first meeting of the EU-Chile Association committee will take place next month in Brussels from December 10 to 12. In regard to the value in trade between Ireland and Chile, in 2002 Chile was Ireland's 48th largest trading partner. Total trade was worth €73.78 million, up slightly from €72.02 million in 2001. Irish exports to Chile were valued at €36.6 million in 2002, a decrease of 3% on 2001. Imports from Chile in 2002 were valued at €37.1 million, an increase of 8% on 2001. I am arranging for the Deputy to receive a detailed breakdown of recent Ireland-Chile trade figures for his information.