On May 18, 2010, the Heads of State and Government from both regions created our organization with a clear mission: to strengthen the bi-regional partnership, enhance its visibility, and encourage the participation of civil society.

Over the past 15 years, we have promoted political dialogue, cooperation, and mutual understanding between our regions.

Thanks to the commitment of governments, civil society, academia, and the private sector, we’ve launched projects, forums, and networks that connect both sides of the Atlantic.

Throughout the year, we’ll be commemorating this anniversary with a series of bi-regional events, leading up to the IV EU-CELAC Summit in November, in Colombia. This is how we continue to strengthen our role as a key bridge between the two regions.

Our history

The international organisation EU-LAC Foundation is the result of the commitment between the European Union (EU) and Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) to strengthen their relations. This will was initially expressed at the I EU-LAC Summit in 1999 in Rio de Janeiro, where the bi-regional strategic partnership was established.

At the V EU-LAC Summit in Lima on 16 May 2008, it was agreed to move towards the creation of a foundation to enhance bi-regional dialogue. To this end, a working group was set up to define its objectives, nature, governance and funding.

The official decision to create the EU-LAC Foundation was taken by the EU and LAC Heads of State and Government, the President of the European Council and the President of the Commission at the VI EU-LAC Summit in Madrid, Spain, on 18 May 2010. According to the Madrid Declaration, the entity was conceived as ‘a useful instrument to strengthen our bi-regional partnership and as a means to stimulate debate on common strategies and actions, as well as to enhance its visibility’.