On Wednesday 27 December, at the age of 98, Jacques Delors, former President of the European Commission and a key figure in the expansion of the European Union, passed away. During his ten years of leadership of the European Commission, he marked significant milestones such as the implementation of the Single Market, the creation of cohesion funds, the signing of the Schengen Treaty, the expansion to Spain and Portugal, the introduction of the Single Act which replaced the Treaty of Rome, the establishment of the Erasmus programmes, the formulation of the Common Agricultural Policy and the ratification of the Maastricht Treaty.

In 2015, the European Union recognised his legacy and valuable contribution by awarding him the title of honorary citizen of Europe, a distinction shared only with Jean Monnet and Helmut Kohl.

It is worth noting that on 12 December 1993, in an official ceremony, Jacques Delors and the President at the time, Patricio Aylwin, signed a joint commitment to cooperate and work for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This act marked the beginning of the Eurochile Business Foundation, a pioneering initiative of collaboration between the European Commission and the State of Chile.