The Foreign Affairs Council underlined the importance of democratic values, the rule of law and gender equality as the basis for relations between the European Union and Latin America in its conclusions adopted on Monday 13 May.
Without explicitly mentioning the political and humanitarian crisis in Venezuela (see EUROPE 12251/11), the twenty-eight ministers pointed out in particular that “the collapse of democratic principles and civil liberties is at the root of the crises currently affecting some countries in the Latin American region”. They also reiterated the EU Council's call to find “political, democratic and peaceful solutions”.
The Council of the EU endorsed the four fundamental axes recently suggested by the Commission, upon which the bi-regional partnership should be based: - economic partnership; - strengthening of democratic values; - sustainable development; - promotion of a multilateral system based on common principles and rules (see EUROPE 12237/25).
In particular, the trade and investment policies of the two regional blocs should be both “rule-based and progressive”, according to ministers. In addition, the trade agreements that the EU and Latin American and Caribbean countries are negotiating, such as the one with Mercosur, should promote public health and safety, gender equality and “social, environmental and employment standards, including the Paris Climate Agreement”.
Finally, the Ministers expressed their willingness to resume holding summits with the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean, noting that the last event of this kind took place in Brussels in 2015 (see EUROPE 11333/1). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)