Social Security (International Agreements) Legislation Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 1)1
Statutory Rules 2003 No. 3742
I, PHILIP MICHAEL JEFFERY, Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999.
Dated 18 December 2003
P. M. JEFFERY
Governor-General
By His Excellency’s Command
KAY PATTERSON
Minister for Family and Community Services

1	Name of Regulations
		These Regulations are the Social Security (International Agreements) Legislation Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 1).
2	Commencement
		These Regulations commence as follows:
	(a)	on gazettal — regulations 1 to 3;
	(b)	on 1 July 2004 — regulation 4 and Schedule 1.
3	Amendment of Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999 Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 1) 
		Item 1 of Schedule 1 to the Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999 Amendment Regulations 2003 (No. 1) (Statutory Rules 2003 No. 207) is amended by omitting everything in that item after the word ‘insert’ and before the heading ‘Schedule 17 — Slovenia’.
Note   Item 1 of Schedule 1 inserts 3 new Schedules into the Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999: Schedule 15 — Chile, Schedule 16 — Croatia and Schedule 17 — Slovenia. The effect of this amendment is to omit from that item Schedule 15 — Chile and Schedule 16 — Croatia.
4	Amendment of Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999
		Schedule 1 amends the Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999. 

Schedule 1	Amendment of Social Security (International Agreements) Act 1999
(regulation 4)
  
[1]	After Schedule 14
insert
Schedule 15 — Chile
Note:   See section 5.

AGREEMENT ON SOCIAL SECURITY BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRALIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE

The Government of Australia and the Government of the Republic of Chile (hereinafter “the Parties”),
Wishing to strengthen the existing friendly relations between the two countries, and resolved to cooperate in the field of social security and to eliminate double coverage for seconded workers; have agreed as follows:

PART 1

GENERAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 1

Definitions

1.	In this Agreement, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) 	"benefit" means,

	in relation to a Party, any of the benefits, pensions or allowances listed in paragraph 1 of Article 2, and includes any amount, increase or supplement that is payable in addition to that benefit, pension or allowance to a person who is qualified for that amount, increase or supplement under the legislation of that Party but, for Australia, does not include any benefit, pension or allowance under the Australian law concerning superannuation specified in subparagraph 1(a)(ii) of Article 2;

(b)	"Competent Authority" means,

in relation to Australia:
the Secretary of the Department responsible for the legislation in subparagraph 1(a)(i) of Article 2 except in relation to the application of Part II of the Agreement (including the application of other Parts of the Agreement as they affect the application of that Part) where it means the Commissioner of Taxation (who is responsible for the legislation in subparagraph 1(a)(ii) of Article 2) or an authorised representative of the Commissioner, and

in relation to the Republic of Chile:
the Minister of Labour and Social Security;

(c)	"Competent Institution" means,

in relation to Australia:
the Institution or Agency which has the task of implementing the legislation in Article 2, and

in relation to the Republic of Chile:
the Institutions responsible for applying the legislation specified in Article 2;

(d)	"legislation" means,

in relation to Australia:
the law specified in subparagraph 1(a)(i) of Article 2 except in relation to the application of Part II of the Agreement (including the application of other Parts of the Agreement as they affect the application of that Part) where it means the law specified in subparagraph 1(a)(ii) of Article 2, and

in relation to the Republic of Chile:
the laws, regulations and other provisions relating to benefits specified in subparagraph 1(b) of Article 2;

(e)	"period of Australian working life residence" means, in relation to a person, the period defined as such under the legislation of Australia but does not include any period deemed pursuant to Article 15 to be a period in which that person was an Australian resident;

(f)	"period of insurance" means, in relation to Chile, any period of contribution, as well as any other period considered as its equivalent by the Chilean legislation that forms the basis to acquire the right to a Chilean benefit;

(g)	"superannuation" means a system under Australian law where by employers are required to make contributions to an approved fund in order to provide for the employee’s retirement, or at the death of this employee;

(h)	"territory" means,

in relation to Australia:
Australia as defined in the legislation of Australia; and

in relation to the Republic of Chile: 
the scope of application of the Political Constitution of the Republic of Chile;

(i)	"entity" means a related entity of an employer for the purposes of Article 8, if the entity and the employer are members of the same wholly or majority owned group.

2.	Unless the context otherwise requires, any term not defined in this Agreement has the meaning assigned to it in the applicable legislation.

ARTICLE 2

Legislative Scope

1.	Subject to paragraph 2, this Agreement shall apply to the following legislation and to any legislation that subsequently amends, supplements, supersedes or replaces it:

(a)	in relation to Australia:

(i)	the Acts and regulations forming the social security law in so far as the law provides for, applies to or affects the following benefits:

A)	age pension; and

B)	disability support pension for the severely disabled;

(ii)	the law concerning the superannuation guarantee (which at the time of signature of this Agreement is contained in the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Act 1992, the Superannuation Guarantee Charge Act 1992, and the Superannuation Guarantee (Administration) Regulations);

and

(b)	in relation to the Republic of Chile, the legislation that governs:

(i)	the Sistema de Pensiones for old-age, invalidity and survivors which is based on private individuals' self‑financing;

(ii)	the old-age, invalidity and survivors' pension schemes which are administered by the Instituto de Normalización Previsional; and

(iii)	for the purpose provided in Article 21, the health care benefits regime.

2.	This Agreement shall apply to laws or regulations which extend the existing legislation to other categories of beneficiaries only if both Parties so agree in a Protocol to this Agreement.

3.	Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph 1, the legislation of Australia and of the Republic of Chile shall not include treaties or other international agreements concluded between it and a third State.

ARTICLE 3

Personal Scope

This Agreement shall apply to any person who:

(a)	is or has been an Australian resident or a resident of the Republic of Chile;

(b)	is or has been subject to the legislation of the Republic of Chile; or

(c)	derives his or her rights from persons described above.

ARTICLE 4

Equality of Treatment

Subject to this Agreement and unless otherwise provided, all persons to whom this Agreement applies shall be treated equally by a Party in regard to rights and obligations which arise whether directly under the social security law of Australia or the legislation of Chile or by virtue of this Agreement.

PART II

PROVISIONS RELATING TO APPLICABLE LEGISLATION

The purpose of this part is to ensure that employers and employees who are subject to the legislation of the Republic of Chile or Australia do not have a double liability under the legislation of the Republic of Chile and Australia, in respect of the same work of an employee.

ARTICLE 5

Application of the Part

This Part only applies if an employee and/or the employer of the employee would, apart from this Part, be subject to the legislation of both Parties in respect of work of the employee or remuneration paid for the work.

ARTICLE 6

General Rule

Unless otherwise provided in Articles 7, 8, 9 or 10 if an employee works in the territory of one Party, the employer of the employee and the employee shall in respect of the work and the remuneration paid for the work be subject only to the legislation of that Party.

ARTICLE 7

Diplomatic and Consular Relations

This Agreement shall not affect the provisions of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of April 18, 1961, or of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations of April 24, 1963.

ARTICLE 8

Workers Sent from One Territory to the Other

1.	If an employee:

(a)	is covered by the legislation of one Party (‘the first Party’);

(b)	was sent, whether before, on or after the commencement of this Part, by an employer who is subject to the legislation of the first Party to work in the territory of the other Party (‘the second Party’);

(c)	is working in the territory of the second Party in the employment of the employer or a related entity of that employer;

(d)	a period of 4 years from the time the employee was sent to work in the territory of the second Party has not elapsed; and

(e)	is not working permanently in the territory of the second Party;

the employer of the employee and employee shall be subject only to the legislation of the first Party in respect of the work performed after commencement of this Agreement and the remuneration paid for that work. This is also applicable to an entity.

2.	The competent authorities may by agreement in writing extend the period of 4 years referred to in sub-paragraph 1(d) of this Article for any employee by up to 2 years.

ARTICLE 9

Workers in the Service of the Government

If an employee:

(a)	is covered by the legislation of one Party (‘the first Party’);

(b)	was sent, whether before, on or after the commencement of this Part, by the Government of the first Party to work in the territory of the other Party (‘the second Party’);

(c)	is working in the territory of the second Party in the employment of the Government of the first Party; and

(d)	is not working permanently in the territory of the second Party;

the employer of the employee and employee shall be subject only to the legislation of the first Party in respect of the work performed after commencement of this Agreement and the remuneration paid for that work. For the purposes of this Article, “Government” includes in relation to Australia a political subdivision or local authority of Australia.

ARTICLE 10

Workers on Ships and Aircraft

1.	If an employee is working in the employment of an employer on a ship or aircraft in international traffic, the employer and employee shall in respect of the employment and the remuneration paid for that employment be subject only to the legislation of the Party of which the employee is resident.

2.	For the purposes of this Article the Competent Authorities will be able to by means of written agreement establish that an employee on a ship or aircraft in international traffic will be subject to the legislation of a specified Party.

ARTICLE 11

Exception Agreements

The Competent Authorities from both Parties will be able to establish, by common accord:
(a)	exceptions to what is stated in Articles 5 through to 10 in favour of determined persons or groups of people, and
(b)	which Party’s legislation will apply to those persons or groups of people.

PART III

PROVISIONS RELATING TO BENEFITS

ARTICLE 12

Export and Payment of Benefits

1.	Benefits of a Party which are payable by virtue of this Agreement shall be payable in the territory of the other Party.

2.	Where the legislation of a Party provides that a benefit is payable outside the territory of that Party, then that benefit, when payable by virtue of this Agreement, is also payable outside the territory of both Parties.

3.	If in the future, the legislation of Australia provides for a time limit on the continued qualification for an Australian benefit for a person who leaves Australia, then the same time limit shall apply to that benefit for a person who leaves the Republic of Chile.

4.	Benefits of a Party shall be payable by that Party on request to the beneficiary in his or her country of residence.

5.	If a Party imposes legal or administrative restrictions on the transfer of currency outside of its territory, that Party shall implement measures as soon as practicable to guarantee payment and delivery of benefits payable under the legislation of that Party or by virtue of this Agreement. The measures shall operate retrospectively to the time when the restrictions were imposed.

6.	Where a Party has imposed legal or administrative restrictions on the transfer of its currency outside of its territory as mentioned in paragraph 5, it shall inform the other Party of those restrictions within one calendar month of their imposition and shall implement the measures described in that paragraph within 6 months of the imposition of the restrictions. A failure to comply with either requirement may be treated by the other Party as a material breach of the Agreement for the purposes of Article 60 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

7.	Benefits paid by a Party outside its territory shall be paid in the currency of the United States of America or another internationally convertible currency.

8.	A benefit payable by a Party by virtue of this Agreement or under its legislation shall be paid by that Party without deduction of administrative fees by the Government or the corresponding Competent Institution for processing and paying that benefit, whether the person qualifying for the benefit is in the territory of the other Party or in a third country.

9.	In relation to Australia, the provisions of this Article shall not apply to rent assistance, pharmaceutical allowance or any other allowance payable only within Australia or during a temporary period of absence, according to the social security laws of Australia.

ARTICLE 13

Medical Examinations

1.	For the purposes of assessing a person's degree of disability or the person's ability to work where this is relevant for a claim for a benefit or for continued payment of a benefit, the Competent Institution of a Party shall apply the legislation of that Party.

2.	To assist in the assessment referred to in paragraph 1, the Competent Institution of the Party in whose territory the person resides shall, at the request of the Competent Institution of the other Party forward to the latter free of charge any existing relevant medical reports and documents that it may have available.

3.	In the case that the Competent Institution in Australia deems it necessary that additional medical examinations be undertaken in Chile, which is exclusively in Australia’s interest, these will be financed and repaid by that institution.

4.	On the other hand, if the Chilean Competent Institution deems it necessary that additional medical examinations intended for its sole use be performed in Australia, they shall be financed in accordance with Chilean laws. When the examinations relate to workers affiliated with the Sistema de Capitalización Individual, the Chilean Competent Institution shall reimburse the full cost of the examinations to the Australian Competent Institution and shall charge the interested person for the percentage for which he or she is responsible. Nevertheless, the Chilean Competent Institution may deduct the cost for which the interested person is responsible from any pensions owed, or from the balance in the person's individual capitalization account.

5.	If the new examinations are requested in connection with an appeal filed against a disability decision issued in Chile, the cost of these examinations shall be financed in the manner described in the preceding paragraph; however, if the appeal has been filed by a Chilean Competent Institution or insurance company such costs shall be financed by the appellant.

PART IV

AUSTRALIAN BENEFITS

ARTICLE 14

Residence or presence in the Republic of Chile or a Third State

Where a person would be qualified under the legislation of Australia or by virtue of this Agreement for a benefit except for not being an Australian resident and in Australia on the day on which the claim is lodged, but:

(a)	is an Australian resident or a resident of the Republic of Chile or a third State with which Australia has concluded an agreement on social security which includes provision for co-operation in the assessment and determination of claims for benefits and which includes that category of benefit; and

(b)	is in Australia, or the territory of the Republic of Chile or that third State,

that person, so long as he or she has been an Australian resident at some time, shall be deemed, for the purposes of lodging that claim, to be an Australian resident and in Australia on that day.

ARTICLE 15

Totalisation for Australian Benefits

1.	Where a person to whom this Agreement applies has claimed an Australian benefit under this Agreement and has accumulated:

(a)	a period as an Australian resident that is less than the period required to qualify that person, on that ground, under the legislation of Australia for that benefit; and

(b)	a period of Australian working life residence equal to or greater than the period referred to in paragraph 3; and

(c)	a period of insurance in Chile;

then, for the purposes of the claim for that Australian benefit, that period of insurance in Chile shall be deemed, only for the purposes of meeting any minimum qualifying periods for that benefit set out in the legislation of Australia, to be a period in which that person was an Australian resident.

2.	For the purpose of this Article, where a person has a period as an Australian resident and a period of insurance in Chile, any period of overlap shall be taken into account once only by Australia as a period as an Australian resident.

3.	The minimum period of Australian working life residence to be taken into account for the purposes of paragraph 1 shall be as follows:

(a)	for the purpose of an Australian benefit claimed by a person residing outside Australia, the minimum period required shall be 12  months, of which at least 6 months must be continuous; and

(b)	for the purpose of an Australian benefit claimed by an Australian resident, no minimum period shall be required.

ARTICLE 16

Calculation of Australian Benefits

1.	Subject to paragraph 2, where an Australian benefit is payable by virtue of this Agreement to a person outside Australia, the rate of that benefit shall be determined by:

(a)	calculating that person’s income according to the legislation of Australia, including, subject to the provisions of Article 17, any Chilean benefit which that person or the partner of that person is entitled to receive, if applicable;

(b)	applying to the maximum rate of Australian benefit the relevant rate calculator set out in the legislation of Australia, using as the person’s income the amount calculated under sub-paragraph (a); and

(c)	proportionalising, if applicable, the amount of benefit calculated under sub-paragraph (b) according to the person’s period of Australian working life residence, by multiplying that amount by the person’s residence factor as specified in the legislation of Australia.

2.	The provisions of paragraph 1 will continue to apply for 26 weeks when a person temporarily comes to Australia.

3.	Subject to the provisions of paragraphs 4 and 5, where an Australian benefit is payable by virtue of this Agreement to a person who is in Australia, and who does not have 10 years Australian residence, the rate of that benefit shall be determined by:

(a)	subject to the provisions of Article 17, deducting the amount of the Chilean benefit which that person is entitled to receive from the maximum rate of Australian benefit;

(b)	calculating that person's income according to the legislation of Australia but disregarding in that calculation the Chilean benefit which that person or the partner of that person is entitled to receive, if applicable; and

(c)	applying to the remaining benefit obtained under subparagraph (a) the relevant rate calculator set out in the legislation of Australia, using as the person's income the amount calculated under subparagraph (b).

4.	The provisions of paragraph 3 will continue to apply for 26 weeks when a person temporarily leaves Australia.

5.	Where a member of a couple is, or both that person and his or her partner are in receipt of a Chilean benefit or benefits, each of them shall be deemed, for the purpose of paragraphs 1 and 3 and for the legislation of Australia, to be in receipt of half of either the amount of that benefit or the total of both those benefits as the case may be.

6.	For the purposes of paragraph 1 a benefit, in relation to Australia, does not include rent assistance, pharmaceutical allowance or any other allowance payable only within Australia or during a temporary period of absence according to the social security laws of Australia.

ARTICLE 17

Exclusion of Chile’s Mercy Payments from the Australian income test

1.	Where a person receives or is entitled to receive a benefit under the social security laws of Australia:

(a)	monthly payments made under Chilean Law number 19.123 (mercy payments); and

(b)	periodical monthly mercy payments made under Chilean Law number 19.234 and its amendments,

shall not be included for the purpose of assessing the rate of that Australian benefit.

2.	For the purposes of this Article only, the term benefit shall include all social security payments under the social security laws of Australia.

PART V

CHILEAN BENEFITS

ARTICLE 18

Totalisation for Chilean Benefits

1.	When under Chilean legislation the acquisition, maintenance or re-establishment of entitlement to old age, invalidity or survivors' benefits requires the completion of certain periods of insurance, a period of Australian working life residence shall be deemed where necessary to be a period of insurance completed in the Republic of Chile.

2.	Where a period of insurance completed in the Republic of Chile coincides with a period of Australian working life residence, such a period shall be taken into account once only as a period of insurance.

3.	When it is not possible to determine the time when specific periods of insurance were completed under Chilean legislation, it shall be presumed that such periods do not coincide with periods of Australian working life residence.

ARTICLE 19

Old-Age, Invalidity and Survivors’ Pensions

1.	The affiliates to a Managed Pension Fund shall finance their pensions in the Republic of Chile with the balance accumulated in their individual capitalisation account. In case such a balance is insufficient to finance a pension at an amount which is at least equal to that of the minimum pension guaranteed by the State, the affiliate has the right, in accordance with Article 18, to aggregate his/her periods of insurance in order to qualify for the minimum old age or invalidity pension. Survivors' pension claimants shall have the same right.

2.	For the purposes of determining the fulfilment of the requirements as established in legal Chilean provisions to obtain anticipated pensions under the Sistema de Capitalización Individual, the affiliates who have obtained a pension according to Australian legislation shall be considered as pensioners of the pension system as indicated in paragraph 4.

3.	Persons affiliated to the Sistema de Capitalización Individual in the Republic of Chile may pay voluntary contributions to that scheme, while self-employed during any period of Australian working life residence. Persons who choose to avail themselves of this option shall be exempted from the obligation to contribute to the health care system of the Republic of Chile.

4.	Likewise, the affiliates of the pension system administered by the Instituto de Normalización Previsional shall have the right to aggregate periods of insurance, in accordance with the provisions of Article 18, to qualify for the benefits provided for in the legislation applicable to them.

5.	To qualify for pensions in accordance with the legislation regulating social security schemes managed by the Instituto de Normalización Previsional, persons who receive an Australian pension or who have Australian working life residence in accordance with the social security law of Australia, will be considered as current contributors to the relevant social security scheme in Chile.

6.	If a person has insurance periods under Chilean legislation of less than one year, and if, by taking into account only such periods, he or she does not qualify for any benefits under that legislation, the Chilean Competent Institution shall not be obliged to grant any benefits to that person with respect to that period in accordance with this Agreement.

ARTICLE 20

Calculation of Chilean Benefits

1.	In the cases envisaged in paragraphs 1 and 4 of the preceding Article, the Competent Institution shall determine the right to the Chilean benefit as if all the periods of insurance or periods of Australian working life residence, as the case may be, had been completed under its own legislation and, for the purpose of payment of the benefit, it shall calculate the portion payable by it proportionally between the periods of insurance completed exclusively under such legislation and the total years required under the relevant Chilean legislation.

2.	The determination of the right to minimum pensions paid by the Instituto de Normalización Previsional will be done in the manner provided in the previous paragraph and, the rate of the payment shall be calculated on the basis of the existing proportion between the periods of insurance completed exclusively in Chile and the total of the periods of insurance in Chile and periods of Australian working life residence. If the sum of the periods mentioned are greater than the period required by Chilean legislation to acquire the right to a full pension, such excess periods will not be taken into account for this calculation.
ARTICLE 21

Health Care Benefits

Persons who are receiving a pension according to Australian legislation or by virtue of this Agreement and who reside in the Republic of Chile shall have the right to register with the Chilean Health Care Insurance system under the same conditions as Chilean pensioners.

PART VI

TRANSITIONAL AND FINAL PROVISIONS

ARTICLE 22

Lodgement of Documents

1.	A claim, notice or appeal concerning a benefit, whether payable by virtue of this Agreement or according to the social security law of Australia or the legislation of Chile, may be lodged in the territory of the other Party, in accordance with the Administrative Arrangements made pursuant to Article 25, at any time after the Agreement has come into force.

2.	For the purpose of determining the right to a benefit, the date on which a claim, notice or appeal referred to in paragraph 1, is lodged with the Competent Authority, Competent Institution or liaison body of one Party, shall be considered as the date of lodgement of that document with the Competent Authority, Competent Institution or liaison body of the other Party. The Competent Institution to which a claim, notice or appeal is lodged shall refer it without delay to the Competent Institution of the other Party.

3.	The reference in this Article to an appeal is an appeal that may be made to an administrative body that has been established by, or for the purposes of, the legislation of either Party.

4.	Any exemption granted in the territory of one of the Parties from stamp duty, notarial or registration fees in respect of certificates and documents required to be submitted to the Competent Authorities, Competent Institutions or liaison bodies in the same territory shall also apply to the certificates and documents which, for the purpose of this Agreement, have to be submitted to the Competent Authorities, Competent Institutions or liaison bodies of the other Party. Documents and certificates required to be produced for the purpose of this Agreement shall be exempt from authentication by diplomatic and consular authorities.

ARTICLE 23

Recovery of Overpayments

1.	Where:

(a)	an amount of arrears of benefit is paid or payable by the Republic of Chile; and

(b) 	for all or part of the relevant period, Australia has paid to that person a benefit under its legislation; and

(c)	the amount of the benefit paid by Australia would have been reduced had the benefit paid or payable by the Republic of Chile been paid during that period;
then

(d) 	the amount that would not have been paid by Australia had the benefit described in subparagraph (a) been paid on a periodical basis throughout that past period, shall be a debt due by that person to Australia and may be recovered by Australia; and

(e)	Australia may recover all or part of that debt under the provisions of the Acts forming the social security law of Australia.

2.	For Australia, a reference in paragraph 1 to a benefit means a pension, benefit or allowance payable under the social security laws of Australia.

ARTICLE 24

Exchange of Information and Mutual Assistance

1.	The Competent Authorities, Competent Institutions and liaison bodies responsible for the application of this Agreement, to the extent permitted by the legislation they administer, shall:

(a)	subject to paragraphs 3 and 4, communicate to each other any information necessary for the application of this Agreement;

(b)	lend their good offices and furnish assistance to one another, including the communication to each other of any necessary information, with regard to the determination or payment of any benefit under this Agreement or under the social security laws of either Party as if the matter involved the application of their own legislation;

(c)	communicate to each other, as soon as possible, all information about the measures taken by them for the application of the Agreement;

(d)	at the request of one to another, assist each other in relation to agreements on social security entered into by either of the Parties with third States, only to the extent and in the circumstances specified in the Administrative Arrangement made in accordance with Article 25; and

(e)	advise each other of any laws which amend, supplement, supersede or replace their respective legislations and which are relevant to the operation of this Agreement promptly after those laws are made.

2.	The assistance referred to in paragraph 1 shall be provided free of charge, subject to any Administrative Arrangements made in accordance with Article 25.

3.	Unless disclosure is required under the legislation of a Party, any information about an individual which is transmitted in accordance with this Agreement to a Competent Authority, Competent Institution or liaison body of that Party is confidential and shall only be used for purposes of implementing this Agreement and the social security laws of either Party. Where disclosure to a third party is required under the legislation or other laws of a Party, the first Party may withhold that information from the other Party.

4.	In no case shall the provisions of this Article be construed so as to impose on the Competent Authority, Competent Institution or liaison body of a Party the obligation:

(a)	to carry out administrative measures at variance with the laws or the administrative practice of that or the other Party; or

(b) 	to supply particulars which are not obtainable under the laws or in the normal course of the administration of that or of the other Party.

5.	Communications between Competent Authorities, Competent Institutions, liaison bodies and persons to whom this Agreement applies may be made in any of the official languages of the Parties.

6.	The diplomatic and consular authorities of the Parties may represent, without a special Government order, their own nationals to the Competent Authorities, Competent Institutions and liaison bodies in matters of social security of the other Party, at the express request of the interested person only to the effect of facilitating any procedure or the granting of a benefit, not including the payment to such an authority. In regard to the Sistema de Capitalización Individual, no representation will be accepted on the part of the authority to the effect that, or in regard to, the choice of the type of pension for which the member may opt.

ARTICLE 25

Administrative Arrangements

1.	The Competent Authorities of the Parties shall make whatever Administrative Arrangements are necessary in order to implement this Agreement.

2.	The Competent Authorities shall appoint liaison bodies in the Administrative Arrangement.

ARTICLE 26

Recognition of Prior Periods and Events

1.	In determining the qualification for a benefit of a person or the amount of benefit payable to a person, by virtue of this Agreement, any events or facts and any period:

(a)	as an Australian resident;

(b)	of Australian working life residence; and

(c)	of insurance

shall, subject to this Agreement, be taken into account in so far as those periods, events or facts are applicable in regard to that person regardless of when they occurred or were accumulated.

2.	No provision of this Agreement shall confer on a person any right to receive payment of a benefit in relation to a period before the date on which this Agreement comes into force.

ARTICLE 27

Resolution of Difficulties

The Competent Authorities of the Parties shall resolve, to the extent possible, any difficulties which arise in interpreting or applying this Agreement according to its spirit and fundamental principles.

ARTICLE 28

Review of Agreement

Where a Party requests the other to meet to review this Agreement the Parties shall meet for that purpose no later than 6 months after that request was made and, unless the Parties otherwise agree, their meeting shall be held in the territory of the Party to which the request was made.

ARTICLE 29

Entry into Force and Termination

1.	This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the third month following the month in which the last note is exchanged by the Parties through the diplomatic channel notifying each other that all constitutional, legislative or other matters as are necessary to give effect to this Agreement have been finalised.

2.	Subject to paragraph 3, this Agreement shall remain in force indefinitely or until the expiration of 12 months from the date on which either Party receives from the other a note through the diplomatic channel indicating the intention of the other Party to terminate this Agreement.

3.	In the event that this Agreement is terminated in accordance with paragraph 2, the Agreement shall continue to have effect in relation to all persons who:

(a)	at the date of termination, are in receipt of its benefits; or

(b)	prior to the expiry of the period referred to in that paragraph, have lodged claims for, and would be entitled to receive, its benefits; by virtue of this Agreement or

(c)	immediately before the date of termination are subject only to the legislation of one Party by virtue of Article 8 or 9 of Part II of the Agreement provided that the person continues to satisfy the criteria of that Article.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned, being duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.

DONE in duplicate at Canberra this twenty fifth day of March two thousand and three in the English and Spanish languages, each text being equally authentic.

FOR AUSTRALIA	FOR THE REPUBLIC OF CHILE
	
Senator the Honourable Amanda Vanstone	His Excellency Cristobal Valdez	
Minister for Family and Community Services
	Ambassador	

Notes
1.	Regulation 3 of these Regulations amends Statutory Rules 2003 No. 207.
	These Regulations also amend (in Schedule 1) Act No. 173, 1999, as amended by Act Nos. 45, 94 and 138, 2000; Statutory Rules 2000 Nos. 104, 105 and 165; 2001 Nos. 215 (repealed by SR 2002 No. 34) and 245 (repealed by SR 2002 No. 34); 2002 Nos. 31, 32 (as amended by 2002 Nos. 164 and 225), 33 (as amended by 2002 No. 210) and 165; Act No. 30, 2003; Statutory Rules 2003 No. 207.
2.	Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 23 December 2003.