IV CELAC-EU SUMMIT
The EU-LAC Foundation will participate as an observer in the IV CELAC-EU Summit. This high-level bi-regional political meeting will take place in Santa Marta (Colombia) on 9 and 10 November 2025, bringing together Heads of State and Government from the 33 countries of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) and the 27 Member States of the European Union. The Summit will be co-chaired by the President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, in his capacity as Pro Tempore President of CELAC, and by the President of the European Council, António Costa.
Throughout the year, the EU-LAC Foundation has accompanied the Summit process with a robust roadmap that includes around twenty activities such as multi-stakeholder dialogues and specialised events on relevant themes. In addition, it has produced a series of strategic publications containing analysis, evidence, and recommendations to enrich the Summit discussions and the bi-regional dialogue.
Two years after the fruitful III Summit, the upcoming meeting represents a strategic opportunity to translate political dialogue into tangible outcomes. This Summit highlights the determination of both regions to strengthen their long-standing partnership, which is founded on shared values and interests, as well as on close economic, social, and cultural ties.
PARALLEL EVENTS
7–8 November: EU–LAC Civil Society Forum
This Forum will bring together civil society organisations from Latin America and the Caribbean and from the European Union, contributing perspectives and proposals to the broader bi-regional agenda. The meeting aims to promote meaningful participation from youth, women’s, and indigenous organisations, social actors, and institutional representatives. The Civil Society Forum is co-organised by the Government of Colombia and the European Union, in close collaboration with civil society organisations and with the technical support of the EU-funded Policy Forum on Development (PFD).
The Executive Director of the EU-LAC Foundation, Alberto Brunori, will moderate the session “Bi-regional Pact for Care”, during which the discussion will focus on the pact and the roadmap for its implementation.
Agenda of the IV EU–LAC Civil Society Forum
Reflections and Contributions towards a Bi-regional Pact for Care EU–LAC
9–10 November: LAC–EU Business Forum
The LAC–EU Business Forum will provide a space to assess and enhance economic cooperation and investment between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, within the framework of the EU–LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda and building on the 2023 EU–LAC Business Roundtable. It also aims to foster public–private partnerships that address the priorities of both regions.
The LAC–EU Business Forum is organised by the Government of Colombia, in its capacity as Pro Tempore Presidency of CELAC, in cooperation with the European Union, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
OTHER EVENTS
6 November: IV EU–Latin America and Caribbean Local and Regional Governments Forum 2025
The EU-LAC Foundation has accompanied the organisation process of the IV EU–LAC Local and Regional Governments Forum 2025, which will take place on 6 November in Bogotá. This event will gather elected representatives and political leaders such as mayors, governors, and presidents of subnational governments from both regions.
The Forum is promoted by the main networks and associations of subnational governments from the EU and CELAC, as well as by several local and regional governments directly. Its overall aim is to influence the political agenda of the CELAC–EU Summit through the adoption of a Final Declaration reflecting the position of subnational governments from both regions on key issues.
The EU-LAC Foundation’s Director for Programmes, Anna Barrera, will be one of the moderators of the dialogue “Cooperation for Prosperity: towards a Global Gateway ‘EURO-territori-AL’.”
See the agenda of the IV EU–Latin America and Caribbean Local and Regional Governments Forum 2025.
7 November: Economic Journalism Workshop “Global Challenges, Regional Perspectives”
From 6 to 10 November, the economic journalism workshop “Global Challenges, Regional Perspectives” will take place in Santa Marta. It is organised by the Gabo Foundation in partnership with CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean.
The workshop seeks to provide a space for training, reflection, and collective construction on major themes of the bi-regional relationship. It is aimed at editors of the economy, finance, business, or international sections of media outlets across Latin America and the Caribbean.
On 7 November, Carlos Maza, Intergovernmental Relations Coordinator of the EU-LAC Foundation, will present to participants an overview of bi-regional relations, with emphasis on current challenges and opportunities. He will also offer some possible approaches through which economic journalism can address and contextualise these dynamics.