EU foreign policy in Latin America.

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European vector of foreign policy in LA has become one of the main ones. In this
cooperation both sides are interested, from the EU perspective, the intensification
of LA and EU dialog happened thanks to Spain and Portugal which became EU
member in 1986 and were acting like a bridge between Europe and LA countries.

The EU and Latin America and the Caribbean have enjoyed privileged relations
since the first bi-regional Summit, held in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1999, which
established a strategic partnership. They are natural partners linked by strong
historical, cultural and economic ties. They co-operate closely at international level
and maintain an intensive political dialogue at all levels. Also, EU countries are the
second one after US in direct investment to LA.

3-EU has 3 dimensions of relations with LA: multilateral, interregional and

bilateral

4- first regional summit between the EU and the Community of Latin America and
Caribbean states (CELAC), took place in January 2013 in Santiago de Chile, as the
new region-wide political organisation and therefore new counterpart for the EU.
Brussels hosted the 2015 Summit on 10-11 June themed "Shaping our common
future: working for a prosperous cohesive and sustainable societies for our
citizens". On 25-26 October 2016, the first standalone Foreign Ministers Meeting
(FMA) will be held in Dominican Republic, currently holding the EU-CELAC pro
tempore presidency,. The mandate granted to Foreign Ministers during last EU-
CELAC summit aims at re-invigorating the political relationship and relaunching
the strategic nature of the bi-regional partnership.
The EU pursues sub-regional relations with Central America, the Caribbean,
the Andean Community and Mercosur. Bilateral relations are increasingly
dynamic.
The first document which outlined general strategy between 2 regions was Concept
of strategic partners which was adopted in 1999. In 2005 european commission
adopted new strategy for cooperation. The main goal is to intensify political dialog
in order to find effective ways of resolving global problems such as climate change
fighting drug trafficking and corruption? Overcoming social inequality and
poverty.

Summits EU-LA which are hold every 2 years form common fields of interest.
The first summit in history of EU LA relations 48 MSs was in 1999 in Rio de
Janeiro. 2002 Madrid, 2004 Guadalahara, 2006 Vienna, 2008 Lima, Madrid 2010,
Santiago de chile 2013,

5-One of the main achievements of Madrid summit was emergence of 2 new

mechanism for cooperation:European-latinamerican fund (as European
mediterrenian fund anna lindt) and investion fund with 125 mln euro budget for
2009-2013 years with the goal of development of infrastructural projects in LA.
This fund aims to strengthen ties between civil societies of 2 regions. All in all,
Madrid summit was a crucial step in the opening of new era in EU LA relations.

6-Multilayeral cooperation in political field was realized by creation of Eropean

latinamerican parliamentary assembly in 2006. EUROLAT. There are 3
permamnet committees in iys framework:on political, security and human rights
issues, on economy and finance and on environmtal issues, social cohesion, and
education.

7-The next dimension is cooperation on interregional level. all relations are of the
same forma on this level, in the form of interregional framework cooperation
agreements. These agreements contain 3 parts: political diolugue, economic and
social issues and free trade area.

In 1990 EU hoped to make a deal with all interregional players in LA and thus
create the largest free trade area. However, the third part of the agreement-free
trade area has become a stumbling clock in relations. Now there is almost no hope
for creation of European latinamaerican free trade area that’s why EU has swithed
to the strategy of deeper cooperation with each interregional player or a country.

8-Mercosur was established in 1991 and encompasses Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay,

Uruguay and Venezuela, which officially joined in July 2012.The EU has bilateral
Partnership and Cooperation agreements with Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and
Uruguay.

1995 EU and Mercosur sighed interregional framework cooperation agreement

which entered into force in 1999 and became the first agreement between 2
customs unions. The EU is the biggest foreign investor in the region, rising from
€130 billion in 2000 to €387 billion in 2014.

Since 2000 export from mercosur to EU has raised in 5 time and EU has become
the main market of agricultural products form MERCOSUR COUNTRIES. During
several years mercosur and EU were struggling to create a free trade area. But in
the EU there some countries who are very skeptical of it . first of all because of
agricultural issues. The EU-Mercosur negotiations re-launched in May 2010 before
negotiations were paused in 2012. In May 2016, the EU and Mercosur relaunched
negotiations and exchanged offers, followed by a negotiation round in October
2016.
Another interregional dialogue is San Jose dialogue where the participants are
countries of Central America such as (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala,
Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama) It exists since 1984 and at those times the main
aim was to jointly find ways of regulation of armed conflicts in LA.

In 2003 they signed agreement on political dioluge uand cooperation and in 2007 it
was the fisrt round of negotitations on association agreement AND IN 2012 it was
signed.

Also important dialogue is with Rio Group(Argentine,

Bolivia,Brazil,Chile,Ecuador, Columbia, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, pery and
Venezuela ) was created in 1984. Main objectives of the group are consolidation of
democracy, widening economic and political cooperation, integration and
development of international dialogue.

In 1990 the rome declaration was sighed and from this point annual ministry
meetings are held. In spite of the fcat that rio group is not a international
organization officially, it has become one of the biggest eu LA forums.

In 1994 the statement of assocoiation was made which promoted this forum even
more.

9- Bilateral relations between EU and countires of LA are very dynamic and they
are gaining more and more importance in the eu perspective due to some failures in
subregional level of cooperation. Now the main goal of the eu is to make an
assocoiation agreement with each latin American country. By now there are
associations agreements with Mexico, Peru, Chile, Columbia, Brazil, Argentina,
Paraguay, Uruguay