About Us

Created in May 2010 by the VI Summit of Heads of State and Government, the EU-LAC Foundation began its activities in November 2011. On 17 May 2019, the Agreement establishing the EU–LAC Foundation as an international organisation with legal personality under public international law entered into force. 

The headquarters of the EU-LAC Foundation is located in the city of Hamburg, Germany. The Foundation has 61 members; 33 States of Latin America and the Caribbean, the 27 members of the European Union, and the European Union itself.

The objective of the Foundation is to transform the strategic partnership between the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, which was undertaken in 1999, into an invigorated and visible reality that has the active participation of the respective societies.

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Mission - Strengthening the #OtherTransatlanticRelation

Link intergovernmental processes with business, academic, social, and broadly, civil society sectors of both regions.

Promote the development of a joint and dynamic global vision and a shared strategy in both regions.

Stimulate the bi-regional strategic partnership by encouraging the elaboration and implementation of policies and agendas.

Disseminate knowledge to improve the mutual understanding and visibility of both regions, as well as the bi-regional association.

Vision

We hope that the economic and socio-cultural association between the countries of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean will achieve a sustained dynamism, supported by the achievement of reciprocal benefits.

Achieving these benefits requires that societies in both regions recognise that not only the need to meet their interests unites them but also a set of common values. These include, amongst others:

  • Democracy and the rule of law
  • Respect for dignity and human rights
  • Tolerance
  • Inclusive and cohesive societies

This sustained dynamism will fully exploit the potential of the relationship both bi-regionally and globally, making the strategic partnership a reality in which the dialogue between the two regions and their members is broad, regular and fluid.

On the occasion of the transformation of the EU-LAC Foundation into an International Organisation in May 2019, several personalities from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean wished to congratulate the Foundation for this historic milestone. These video messages alongside contributions to the  I. EU-LAC Forum of Journalists can be found here.