Socio-economic aspects in EU Latin America relations

The opinion makes recommendations on four key aspects of relations from the political and socio-economic point of view:

·          making a qualitative leap forwards in the bi-regional strategic partnership between the EU and Latin America in order to step up the political dialogue on issues requiring better international regulation, such as the environment, energy, global governance, migration or peace and security;

·          strengthening the traditional objectives of EU-Latin America relations, such as social cohesion, regional integration, development cooperation policy and the conclusion of bi-regional association agreements;

·          making civil society participation a strategic element in relations, as a crucial element in making these relations better-known and more transparent, in order to promote a greater sense of involvement in bi-regional policies and to make the measures taken more effective;

·          ensuring that the next Summit of Heads of State and Government of the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean, whose agenda will focus on innovation and technologies, takes account of the social dimension of innovation: the social impact of technological innovation; recognition of the capacity for innovation of non-traditional sectors of local scope; promotion of innovation in both the production sector and the social sector (health, education, housing, the environment); the ability of innovation to generate social fabric; the importance of human capital, appropriate regional and local dynamics, and involving civil society organisations in promoting and implementing innovation processes.