The European Union - Latin America relationship has developed over several decades on three different levels:
- scientific & technology (S&T) collaboration (the most relevant for Pro-Ideal);
- cooperation; and
- development aid.
S&T FRAMEWORK
There is a specific S&T Strategy between the EU and LA as regions (inter-regional collaboration) and S&T agreements between the EU and Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Mexico respectivelly (bilateral collaboration).
In brief, the process is centered around regular EU-LAC Ministerial Meetings. These take place on a yearly basis (as per a decision taken in Madrid in May 2010). A EU-LAC Ministerial Forum on the Information Society took place on 14-15 March 2010 in La Granja (Spain) and a EU-LAC Ministerial Forum on Science and Technology took place in Madrid on 14 May 2010. In La Granja, a Declaration was agreed; in Madrid, Draft Recommendations were agreed. The Ministerial Meetings are prepared by Senior Officials Meetings (SOM). The SOM meeting in Buenos Aires in February 2010 agreed on a Document on the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation (Spanish version) [N.B. This document mentions PRO-IDEAL on page 3]. This is currently the most important policy document with regard to S&T collaboration. It foresees a regular consultation process between the EU and the entire LAC region and points to a number of joint policy initiatives as well as a joint R&D roadmap. The first Senior Officials meeting of the Joint Initiative for Research and Innovation took place on 28-29 March in Brussels. The senior officials agreed on the establishment of three thematic working groups on the Bioeconomy including food security; Biodiversity and climate change; and ICTs for meeting societal challenges. There was, in addition, a commitment to explore a potential fourth group on energy. A cross-cutting working group on funding and successful collaborative mechanisms was also established. For more information, see a short summary article here. On 9 June 2011, the EU-LAC Senior Officials Working Group meeting on "ICT for Meeting Societal Challenges" met for the first time in Santiago de Chile. Representatives from Colombia, Chile, Finland, France, Peru and Spain attended. On 19 July 2011, at the occasion of the launch of the 2012 work programmes of FP7, the European Commission briefed Latin American partners on new collaborative opportunities through a video conference: see summary in PPT format here.
In parallel, to the "intra-regional" process outlined above, there are bilateral agreements with several countries, the so-called S&T Agreements which are administered by Joint (Steering) Committees. For details, please refer to:
EU S&T Policy Framework for Argentina
EU S&T Policy Framework for Brazil
EU S&T Policy Framework for Chile
Other relevant documents:
- Fourth Steering Committee meeting of the EU-Chile S&T Cooperation Agreement, 24 April 2009: EU-Chile S&T Roadmap 2009-2010
- Fourth Steering Committee meeting of the EU-Argentina S&T Cooperation Agreement, 11 May 2009: EU-Argentina S&T Roadmap 2009-2010
- Minutes of the Ninth Joint EU-Mexico Committee, 26/27 November 2009
- Third Steering Committee meeting of the EU-Brazil S&T Cooperation Agreement, 26/27 November 2009
The texts of the S&T Agreements can be consulted from the Pro-Ideal ICT Wiki.
COOPERATION FRAMEWORK
At Heads of State and Government level, activities are pursued in the framework of the EU-LAC Summits. The last summit took place on 18 May 2010 in Madrid. The next summit is planned for June 2012 in Chile.
Relevant documents:
Declaration of Madrid & Madrid Action Plan 2010-2012 - VIth EU-LAC Summit, 18 May 2010
Declaration of Lima - Vth EU-LAC Summit, 16 May 2008
Declaration of Vienna - IVth EU-LAC Summit, 12 May 2006
At Parliamentary level, an institutional mechanism operates between the European Parliament and the Latin American Parliaments: EUROLAT.
The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly - EuroLat was created in 2006, holding its Constituent Session on 8 and 9 October of that year in Brussels. EuroLat is the parliamentary institution of the Bi-regional Strategic Association established in June 1999 in the context of the EU-LAC (European Union-Latin American and Caribbean) Summits. EuroLat adopts and submits resolutions and recommendations to the various organizations, institutions and ministerial groups responsible for the development of the Bi-regional Strategic Association. EUROLAT's Committee on Economic, Financial, and Commercial Affairs is the organ most relevant to address ICT R&D issues. The EUROLAT Programme of activities for 2011 can be found here. A list of the Members of the European Parliament who participate in EUROLAT can be found here. EUROLAT is supported by a small staff Unit located in Brussels. The latter publishes a Newsletter (January 2010 - March 2010 - June 2010 - February 2011). Besides EUROLAT, the European Parliament comprises a number of Delegations to various joint parliamentary bodies and regional groupings in Latin America (see here for details).
DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORK
The Caribbean region benefits of the European Union's development policies. CARIFORUM countries also participate in the EU-LAC summits (see above).
The EU's development policies for the Caribbean Region are described here; the EU relationships with Cuba, here.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Argentina - Brazil - Chile - Colombia - Costa Rica - Cuba - Mexico - Uruguay - European Union
