European and Latin American lawmakers will gather in Spain’s Canary Islands on 28–29 October to examine the future of their partnership amid rising geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty and growing challenges to international cooperation.
The 17th plenary session of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat), hosted by the Parliament of the Canary Islands in Santa Cruz de Tenerife, will bring together around 40 Members of the European Parliament and representatives of Latin American legislatures. The meeting comes as the Assembly marks the 20th anniversary of its establishment as a permanent forum for parliamentary dialogue between the two regions.
Discussions will focus on strengthening cooperation between Europe and Latin America, defending multilateral institutions and promoting free trade at a time when international partnerships face increasing pressure.
The agenda also includes biodiversity protection, access to critical raw materials and the growing influence of artificial intelligence, particularly its implications for employment and social rights. Other key issues will include safeguarding children online, combating disinformation and organised crime, addressing violence against women, and strengthening solidarity between regions during emergencies.
Academics, representatives of international organisations and civil society groups, as well as local and regional officials from the Canary Islands, will contribute to the discussions.
Senior officials to open the parliamentary session
The plenary will open on Wednesday, 28 October, with addresses from Fernando Clavijo Battle, president of the Government of the Canary Islands, and Astrid Pérez, speaker of the regional parliament.
EuroLat’s co-presidents, Spanish MEP Gabriel Mato of the European People’s Party and Uruguayan senator Daniel Caggiani, will also address participants. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Andrés Allamand, secretary-general of the Ibero-American General Secretariat, will deliver video messages.
Following the opening proceedings, Mato and Caggiani are scheduled to speak to the media at 11:30 local time at the Parliament of the Canary Islands.
Preparatory meetings will take place on Tuesday, 27 October, when EuroLat’s standing committees will discuss political affairs; security and human rights; economic, financial and trade relations; sustainable development and environmental policy; energy, research and technological innovation; and social affairs, youth, children, education and culture.
The Euro-Latin American Women’s Forum and the Working Group on Security and Civil Society will meet on Wednesday afternoon.
The complete programme is available through the European Parliament’s meeting agenda.
EuroLat marks two decades of parliamentary cooperation
The Tenerife meeting will also commemorate the Assembly’s 20th anniversary. EuroLat was formally established in November 2006 following a decision by leaders from the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean to give their strategic partnership a permanent parliamentary dimension.
Since then, the Assembly has provided a platform for elected representatives from both regions to exchange views, discuss shared challenges and promote closer political and economic relations. It holds a plenary session once a year, with its previous meeting taking place in Lima, Peru, in June 2025.
A commemorative ceremony on Thursday, 29 October, will bring together several former co-presidents who have helped shape the Assembly’s work over the past two decades.
Former European co-presidents expected to attend include José Ignacio Salafranca, who led the Assembly from its creation until 2014; Ramón Jáuregui, who held the position from 2014 to 2019; and Javi López, whose term ran from 2019 to 2024.
Latin American representatives attending the anniversary event will include Brazil’s Roberto Requião, who served from 2015 to 2017; Panama’s Elías Castillo, who held the position in 2018–2019; and Colombia’s Óscar Darío Pérez, who served from 2021 to 2023.
A 150-member forum spanning two regions
EuroLat comprises 150 members, with equal representation from the European Parliament and Latin American legislatures.
Its Latin American members represent several regional parliamentary institutions, including the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino), the Andean Parliament (Parlandino), the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and the Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur), alongside the national congresses of Chile and Mexico.
The anniversary session offers both regions an opportunity to assess the achievements of their parliamentary partnership and consider how it can respond to an increasingly uncertain international environment. Strengthening political dialogue, protecting democratic and social rights, and sustaining economic cooperation are expected to remain central themes as Europe and Latin America seek common ground on global challenges. Photo by Koppchen, Wikimedia commons.
