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In this first issue, we spotlight a core theme within the EULAS network: Trade, Investment, Finance, and Sustainable Development. This area of work lays the groundwork for much of our network’s broader activity. It bridges EU–LAC relations by connecting regional policy trends with global economic transformations, helping us make sense of how trade, investment, and sustainable finance shape both cooperation and divergence across the Atlantic.

The relationship between the European Union (EU),Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) is rooted in historical, socioeconomic, and cultural ties, as well as shared values and interests. Since the 1990s, within the framework of the EU’s interregional strategy, this partnership has acquired a multidimensional character, combining cooperation, political dialogue, and trade agreements. Currently, the EU maintains agreements with 25 countries in the region- which will increase to 29 with the entry into force of the agreement with Mercosur- and is one of its main investors. Recent initiatives, such as the Global Gateway programme, aim to promote green and digital investments, reinforcing the strategic dimension of the relationship.

A roundtable hosted by IBEI and Casa Amèrica Catalunya, with the support of the EULAS and LAC-EU projects, brought together leading experts to debate the future of EU–LAC relations ahead of the 2025 EU–CELAC Summit, addressing political, social, and economic challenges while exploring opportunities for deeper interregional cooperation.