GPC Contributes as Partner to EU–LAC Think Tanks Meeting on the Future of Bi-Regional Cooperation

On September 1–2, 2025, the EU-LAC Foundation convened leading experts and policy thinkers in Copenhagen for the EU-LAC Think Tanks Meeting, organized with partner institutions including the Global Policy Center (GPC). The event comes at a pivotal moment, just months before the CELAC-EU Summit in Santa Marta, Colombia, where leaders will shape the future of bi-regional cooperation.

In his keynote intervention, Enrico Letta, former Prime Minister of Italy and Dean of the School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs at IE University, emphasized the centrality of the Single Market as Europe’s greatest achievement and as the basis for its global influence. He argued that this internal strength is also what gives the EU the credibility to engage with Latin America and the Caribbean. Letta called for a renewed commitment to the rule-based international order, the revitalization of multilateral institutions, and the advancement of sustainability and climate action as key deliverables for the upcoming Summit. He also underscored the importance of people-centered cooperation, noting that EU–LAC relations must not be limited to economics, but should reflect shared values, political vision, and the lived experiences of citizens.

Germán Ríos, Chair of the Latin America Observatory at GPC, complemented Letta’s vision by highlighting the need for pragmatic cooperation rooted in the real challenges of Latin America: low productivity, high informality, and weak institutions. He stressed that while Europe faces different structural issues, both regions share common interests in green and digital transitions, venture capital development, and regulatory frameworks that foster sustainable growth. Ríos pointed to the potential of think tanks to bridge policy agendas by identifying concrete areas of collaboration that can deliver jobs, reduce informality, and improve quality of life across the region.

Together, these interventions set the tone for the meeting: Europe and Latin America have an opportunity to strengthen their partnership by aligning economic integration with broader political and social objectives. As the Santa Marta Summit approaches, the discussions initiated in Copenhagen will provide valuable input for advancing a renewed, people-centered bi-regional agenda.