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EU-Latin America and Caribbean leaders' meeting via video conference, 2 December 2021
Main results
The leaders of the EU and of seven Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) countries met via video conference on 2 December 2021.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council, chaired the meeting. President Michel and Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, represented the EU. Josep Borrell, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, also took part in the meeting.
Today’s leaders’ meeting is an important step to relaunch the dialogue between the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean at the highest level. We hope it will also be a stepping stone towards a fully fledged bi-regional summit as soon as conditions allow.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council
Latin American and Caribbean partners were represented by the heads of state or government of LAC countries holding the presidencies of regional and sub-regional organisations in 2021: Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico and Suriname.
The overall theme of the meeting was 'Joining forces for a sustainable post-COVID recovery'.
COVID-19 response and recovery
EU leaders reiterated their readiness to step up cooperation to address the COVID-19 pandemic.
Working as Team Europe together with the member states, the EU has already provided €3 billion in immediate health support to LAC. The EU has exported more than 130 million vaccine doses to LAC countries. It is a leading contributor to COVAX, which has delivered more than 50 million doses to the region. EU member states have donated another 10 million doses to almost half of all LAC countries.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will provide a loan to Argentina of around €85 million to finance resilience and pandemic preparedness initiatives as well as to support the purchase of vaccines.
The EU is also ready to explore possibilities for supporting the production and distribution of vaccines in the region.
More than ever, our strategic association is one of geopolitical relevance: together, EU and LAC account for nearly a third of UN membership and seven members of the G20. We can therefore have a decisive role in shaping the multilateral agenda and in addressing key global challenges such as COVID-19, sustainable development and climate change.
Charles Michel, President of the European Council
Health preparedness
The EU is ready to support regional initiatives such as the UN ECLAC plan for self-sufficiency in health matters in LAC and the ongoing efforts of the Pan American Health Organization.
Highlighting the importance of a multilateral response, EU leaders invited LAC partners to support the work on a new international instrument on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
EU leaders announced that €3.4 billion would be made available under NDICI-Global Europe (2021-2027) for LAC in support of a sustainable long-term recovery from the pandemic.
Moreover, the EU aims to leverage more than €12 billion of public and private investment in the region through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+).
At least €800 million will be reserved to support the Caribbean and the implementation of the Post-Cotonou agreement.
EU leaders announced a new Team Europe initiative that will support efforts to halt deforestation in the Amazon. They also highlighted the EU's €1 billion contribution to the Global Forests Finance Pledge announced at COP26 in Glasgow.
The EU will financially support LAC partners in fulfilling their commitments under the Paris Agreement. EU leaders also offered to strengthen cooperation to support climate adaptation.
The leaders looked forward to launching an EU-LAC Digital Alliance in 2022 to jointly advance human-centric digitalisation. The alliance will build on the recent deployment of a transatlantic fibre optic cable (EllaLink) connecting the two regions via Portugal and Brazil. The cable should soon be extended to other LAC countries.
Following the launch on 1 December 2021 of the Global Gateway, the EU’s connectivity strategy, the EU will engage with LAC countries to jointly identify other viable projects, such as developing the potential of green hydrogen and creating sustainable raw materials value chains with the LAC region.
EU leaders encouraged making full use of the vast network of trade and association agreements between both regions as a motor for economic recovery, job creation, and business and investment opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.
Social cohesion and fighting inequalities
EU leaders highlighted that respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms was essential for a lasting recovery, with particular attention to be given to vulnerable groups and promoting the empowerment of women and girls. A new regional Team Europe initiative on security and justice will support bi-regional cooperation on citizen security, organised crime and the rule of law.
The leaders also discussed cooperation to tackle rising inequalities and promote social cohesion. A Team Europe initiative in 2022 will focus on addressing related structural challenges, such as by building resilient social protection systems, reshaping fiscal policies and promoting inclusive public policy design.
EU and LAC leaders committed to joining forces for a sustainable recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic
Background
Meeting preparations
The topics discussed at the leaders' meeting had been identified during an informal EU-LAC ministerial meeting on 14 December 2020, which was hosted virtually in Berlin by the then German presidency of the Council of the EU.
In preparation for the EU-LAC leaders' meeting, President Michel took part in the sixth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) on 19 September 2021.
Closely connected in terms of history, culture, peoples and values, the EU and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) are among the most like-minded of regions. Together, they make up one third of the UN membership and account for seven members of the G20.
EU-LAC digital connectivity has been substantially increased by the transatlantic submarine fibre-optic cable BELLA (Building the Europe Link with Latin America), linking Portugal and Brazil. Its construction was finalised in March 2021 and it was officially inaugurated on 1 June during the 2021 Digital Assembly, jointly organised by the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the EU and the European Commission.
The partnership between the two regions includes a network of association, trade, political and cooperation agreements between the EU and 27 of the 33 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.
More than ever, our strategic association is one of geopolitical relevance: together, EU and LAC account for nearly a third of UN membership and seven members of the G20. We can therefore have a decisive role in shaping the multilateral agenda and in addressing key global challenges such as COVID-19, sustainable development and climate change.
