EU and Celac Summit: political signals after eight years of silence

From Rome

After eight years, the European Union (EU) and Celac (Community of Latin American and Caribbean States) They began this Monday and will continue tomorrow in Brussels, the third international meeting with the intention of renewing and fortifying the political and commercial relations between the two areas to “face the challenges of our time”, according to the EU.

In this context, the European Union announced more than 45,000 million euros in investments of its member states until 2027 in the CELAC countries. “More than 135 projects are already in the pipeline, from clean hydrogen to critical raw materials, from the expansion of high-performance data cable networks to the production of the most advanced RNA vaccines” (which prevents infections), he said. the president of the European Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen during the meeting. And he clarified that European investments will emphasize “creating local value chains”, so that “added value stays in Latin America and the Caribbean”, and that investments can also be accompanied by “first-class technology and high-quality training for local workers”.

The rotating president of the Council of the European Union and president of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, at the inauguration of the meeting, had stressed for his part that one of the objectives of the summit was to stimulate investment in Latin America, so that sources of work are created. But always keeping in mind the “sustainable development” that respects the economy, the social dimension and the environment.

The 27 European countries and the 33 from Latin America and the Caribbean participate in the meeting, not all of them with their main leaders sometimes replaced by ministers of foreign affairs or others. 48 heads of state and government are present at the meeting. Among others, the Argentine President Alberto Fernández, the President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, and the President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz Canel. On the other hand, the presidents of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, and of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, who have sent ministers, are absent.

Estonia and Slovenia are absent from the EU. The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, is present as well as many EU leaders, such as the president of the European Parliament, the Maltese Roberta Metsola, apart from von der Leyen. The summit is led by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the Prime Minister of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Ralph Gonsalves, in his capacity as current President of Celac.

According to some Italian journalistic sources, such as the AGI agency, “We should not wait for specific conclusions or major agreements” after this meeting that will conclude on Tuesday. But it may be a good political sign after eight years of silence.

The issues that will be discussed, according to the EU, range from world peace and stability, to trade and investment, economic recovery, the fight against climate change, research and innovation, and justice and security for citizens.

But there will also be talk of the war in Ukraine, point on which several Latin American countries have expressed their preference for neutralitysuch as President Lula of Brazil who has repeatedly expressed his disagreement with the shipment of arms to Ukraine, which the EU continues to support.

Agreements with Latin American countries

Climate and clean energy are two of the pillars of the agreement that, on the sidelines of the meeting, was signed this Monday in Brussels by the Argentine president Fernández and the president of the European Commission von der Leyen. The agreement will try to “develop strategic industries” in the South American country, both “renewable energy and hydrogen”, commented von der Leyen, stressing that it is a “positive plan for growth and employment in Argentina” and for “EU security of supply”.

Brussels and Buenos Aires will collaborate to stimulate and develop renewable energy and energy efficiency, the use of hydrogen and its derivatives in the industrial process, it was clarified.

It is also expected that other bilateral agreements that had already been discussed with other countries can be finalized, one with Mexico and another with Chile focused on raw materials, and a third with Uruguay on energy.

The fears of some countries

The Brazilian President, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, assured that the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean need “investments in social and urban infrastructure” while offering “societies in a process of great social mobility” and “new internal markets with millions of consumers”. And he also expressed his hope that the new Mercosur-EU agreement could materialize this year.

Indeed, one of the points that was discussed until now was the ratification of the EU-Mercosur agreement of 2019. Mercosur today has four member countries: Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, in addition to associated countries such as Chile, Colombia, Ecuador , Guyana, Peru and Suriname (Bolivia has requested its incorporation).

A free trade agreement between Mercosur and the EU had been concluded in 2019 after decades of negotiations. But it was put under discussion by several countries in the European Parliament, which blocked its ratification. Among other things, they discussed the environmental impact that this agreement could have, including deforestation of the Amazon and the consequences that this would have for many countries.

Some Latin American countries have also expressed their doubts, fearing that the agreement could pave the way for a new “colonialism.”

For his part, the president of CAF, the development bank for Latin America and the Caribbean, Sergio Díaz Granados, speaking on Monday at the meeting, called for “redefining” the relationship between the EU and the CELAC countries after years in which they have been left “empty on the road.” “Latin America and the Caribbean have a lot to contribute to the present and the future of Europe, and Europe has the capacity to contribute to our region,” Díaz-Granados said, later warning that Latin American and Caribbean countries do not want to be seen as “a region for the extraction of raw materials, but as a partner in solving challenges.”

Something similar was expressed by the Mexican Foreign Minister, Alicia Bársena. “It is not viable or acceptable that we are just a quarry of natural resources, condemned to extractivism and the provision of cheap food and low-skilled labor,” she said.

Relations between the EU and Celac

The EU and Celac form a huge bloc of 60 countries with a total population of over 1 billion (14% of the world’s population). According to data released by the EU, the two parts represent 21% of the world GDP (Gross Domestic Product).

Latin America and the Caribbean produce more than 60% of renewable energy, added the EU report. And more than 50% of the planet’s biodiversity is covered by the region.

It also produces 14% of world food production and holds 45% of world agro-food trade.

According to data from the European Commission, EU investments in Latin America and the Caribbean have increased by 45% in the last decade. The EU is the main investor in the region (693,000 million euros in 2021) and has political cooperation and trade agreements with 27 of the 33 countries in the region.

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