BRIDGETOWN, Barbados – After eight years, heads of state and government of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the EU will gather in Brussels on 17 and 18 July 2023 for the 3rd EU-CELAC Summit.
This Summit is a key political milestone to reinvigorate and strengthen the bi-regional partnership between the two regions. The meeting will be co-chaired by the president of the European Council, Charles Michel and prime minister of St Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph E. Gonsalves, as pro-tempore Presidency of CELAC.
It will see the participation of the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and of the heads of state and government of the 33 CELAC Member States and the 27 EU Member States.
The Summit will provide a unique opportunity for high level political dialogue between the two regions.
Discussions among leaders will include topics such as a renewed political partnership; climate financing; strengthening of common trade agenda; rolling out the Global Gateway investment strategy to accelerate a fair green and digital transition and tackle inequalities; joining forces for justice, citizen security and the fight against transnational organised crime; working together to promote peace and security, democracy, rule of law, human rights and humanitarian aid; and building a vibrant people-to-people partnership.
Prior to the EU-CELAC Summit, a dedicated meeting between Caribbean and EU leaders will be organised. The aim of this meeting is to hold a focused political conversation on key topics of mutual interest, such as the green transition, climate finance, the structured partnership between the EU and the Caribbean region, existing security challenges such as Haiti and the wider geopolitical context. The Caribbean – EU leaders meeting is the only sub-regional meeting organised in the margins of the Summit.
One of the aims of the Summit is to seize the moment of the renewed high-level political dialogue, following the October 2022 EU-CELAC meeting of foreign affairs ministers in Buenos Aires, which endorsed a roadmap as a tangible sign of a forward-looking and positive agenda.
In addition, on 7 June this year the EU reaffirmed its political willingness to strengthen its partnership with Latin America and the Caribbean by adopting a new agenda for relations with Latin America and the Caribbean, laying out its proposal for a renewed strategic partnership ahead of the Summit,
Background
The EU and the CELAC region together represent one-third of the membership of the United Nations (UN), and as such the EU and Latin America play an important role in upholding international law and defending the principles of the UN Charter. In votes at the UN General Assembly, the vast majority of Latin America and Caribbean countries stood up with the EU against the Russian aggression against Ukraine.
The Summit is expected to underpin the urgency of more structured and regular relations with LAC, as together the two are among the world’s most closely aligned regions in terms of interests and values. Together the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean can address global challenges more effectively, strengthen the rules-based international order, and promote peace, security, and democracy. It also paves the way to complete the future signing of the post-Cotonou Agreement with the Caribbean, the ratification of the Agreement with Central America and make progress on the pending Association and Trade Agreements with Chile, Mexico and MERCOSUR.
Discussions will also include the EU-Latin America and Caribbean (LAC) Global Gateway Investment Agenda, EU’s political commitment to work together in Latin American and the Caribbean. It is comprehensive investment offer to partner countries to boost smart, clean and secure connections in digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems, respecting high international standards and promoting social cohesion.
Proposed actions for a fair green transition include sustainable investment projects, finance frameworks such as green bond markets, enhanced cooperation on disaster preparedness and disaster risk management. For the Caribbean, sargassum and maritime intra-regional transport are jointly identified regional priorities. Under the Global Gateway Investment Agendas at country level, support will include renewable energy investments (expanding solar power, wind and geothermal energy, with green hydrogen technology), climate finance, and the Water and Wastewater Management infrastructure.
On the digital transition, the EU-LAC Digital Alliance was launched in March 2023 to join forces for an inclusive and human-centric digital transformation. This includes Global Gateway investments like the extension of the BELLA fibre-optic cable to the Caribbean, access to the European Copernicus satellite system for earth imagery, and the establishment of an accelerator for joint ventures between Caribbean and European companies, as well as extensive support on policy and regulatory approximation including cybersecurity matters. Other actions will include regulatory dialogue to boost digital compatibility and the promotion of free and safe data flows.
