Welcome to our Young Generation Policy Briefs series! In this tenth issue of the series, Febe Peña García analyses the evolving EU–Latin America and Caribbean partnership and outlines policy pathways to strengthen bi-regional cooperation through trade, investment, and regulatory alignment based on shared democratic values.
Executive Summary:
In a geopolitical context marked by renewed great-power competition and pressure on the multilateral system, the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean have a strategic opportunity to revitalize their partnership on the basis of shared values and converging interests. EU-LAC trade relations are not purely economic, but are embedded in common commitments to democracy, human rights, the rule of law, environmental protection and social rights.
Recent developments signal a willingness to overcome institutional stagnation and trade fragmentation. They include the reactivation of EU-CELAC political dialogue, the Global Gateway investment agenda, the modernization of the agreements with Mexico and Chile, and a renewed momentum towards the EU-Mercosur Agreement.
To translate this momentum into a durable partnership, the bi-regional agenda should focus on three complementary policy elements:
(1) strengthening political dialogue,
(2) supporting Latin American intraregional integration,
(3) and promoting regulatory convergence.
Explore all Young Generation Policy Briefs here!
Young Generation Policy Brief no. 10:
About the author:
FEBE PEÑA GARCÍA
student of International Relations at Universidad del Norte
Febe Peña García is a distinguished, scholarship-awarded final-semester student of International Relations at Universidad del Norte. She serves as the program’s representative to CERUN and is an active member of CERI, where she contributes to the editorial committee. Her academic interests focus on human and environmental rights, international cooperation, sustainable development, peace and conflict studies, and gender and diversity issues from an intersectional perspective. Her native language is Spanish, and she has advanced proficiency in English and intermediate proficiency in German and Italian.
ValEUs Young Generation Policy Briefs
Policy briefs are regularly published as part of the Jean Monnet Policy Network “ValEUs”. The project, which is intended to provide a realistic account of EU foreign policy, thus aims to expand the societal dialogue on project results. The policy briefs are written from a student perspective, identifying problems with the self-proclaimed European values and suggesting possible solutions. This first issue presents a guide for students with practical tips on how to write a policy brief. Furthermore, it is an introduction to the following series summarising the central stakes in the proclamation and contestation of European values.
