What changed between the plenary report and the adopted text

52. Points out that European cooperation and investment not only promote economic development in the region but also contribute to peace by generating economic alternatives for young people in the Latin American region; stresses that the latter is an essential element in combating organised crime; underlines the importance of strengthening bi-regional cooperation on security in its broadest sense, including in areas such as the climate, food, health and social security, of implementing joint preparedness, prevention and response mechanisms, and of fully integrating human rights and humanitarian principles into EU-LAC security cooperation, in order to break the cycles of violence and exclusion in the LAC region;

53. Welcomes the EU’s ambition to lead the global green transition and acknowledges its recognition of Latin America as a key partner in this effort; underlines the need to jointly drive global green initiatives that respond to global climate change mitigation and adaptation goals; stresses the need to promote a just and inclusive ecological transition in both regions, including through enhanced EU-LAC cooperation on climate change adaptation and mitigation, and to respond to extreme climate events, with a particular focus on critical areas, such as the protection of biodiversity, the restoration of ecosystems, decarbonisation and sustainable agriculture, and the most vulnerable people and communities;

54. Stresses that climate change is disrupting food systems in Latin America and highlights the value of agroecology, which has been recognised as a key climate change-resilient farming system;

55. Recalls the importance of the EU-Amazon Basin cooperation programme in improving the capacity of the Amazon Basin countries to fight deforestation and forest degradation;

56. Calls for stronger commitments to uphold the rights of indigenous peoples and to integrate these rights into the dialogue and all dimensions of cooperation with LAC countries, as set out in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples;

57. Recalls the importance of promoting sustainable and responsible mining, which protects the rights and livelihoods of local communities and indigenous peoples, prevents severe negative social and environmental impacts and helps overcome dependency on commodity exports, thereby supporting sustainable reindustrialisation policies that create decent jobs and promote environmental sustainability through effective mineral resource governance;

58. Underlines the need to support gender-responsive development cooperation and proposes the implementation of targeted measures to address and reduce inequalities between men and women, including, but not limited to, the promotion of women’s access to decent work, financial inclusion, and leadership and entrepreneurial roles, particularly in rural and informal sectors; highlights that in many regions of the world micro-, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) are often the driving force of local economies, with a growing number of women leading them; underlines that MSMEs account for 90 % of businesses, 60-70 % of employment and 50 % of GDP worldwide; stresses the crucial role of MSMEs in contributing to the 2030 Agenda and achieving the SDGs, particularly those related to poverty eradication and decent work for all;

59. Welcomes the Bi-regional Pact for Care initiative, which has the objective of promoting cooperation on comprehensive care systems and public policies among the countries of both regions, including by drawing up cooperation and financing mechanisms to achieve a fairer and more inclusive economy;

60. Calls for enhanced cooperation between the EU and LAC countries to combat gender-based violence through comprehensive education, awareness-raising campaigns and the strengthening of legal protections; supports initiatives under NDICI-Global Europe and the Gender Action Plan III that promote youth employment, education and the political participation of women;

61. Highlights the vital role of civil society in shaping and monitoring inclusive social policies, promoting equitable access to quality education and fostering sustainable and inclusive economic growth in LAC; expresses serious concern about the shrinking of civic space in many Latin American countries; calls, in this regard, for increased EU support for civil society organisations, human rights defenders, environmental activists and journalists, who are facing increasing threats and violence, to ensure that they can carry out their work safely and independently; calls for prioritising their safety, access to justice and freedom of expression and for strengthening the EU’s partnership with civil society actors, whose role is essential in addressing key concerns and facilitating a constructive dialogue on human rights and the democratic transition, and who are heavily reliant on aid assistance programmes for their operations;

62. Underlines the importance of EU support for strengthening social protection systems in LAC, including integrated social registries, better coordination of schemes and joint pilot projects, particularly with civil society and local authorities, as key drivers of inclusion and poverty reduction in the EU-LAC partnership;

Cooperation on security and combating drug trafficking

63. Is mindful of the increase in organised crime and drug trafficking in both the EU and LAC and the unprecedented quantities of illicit drugs trafficked to the EU from the region primarily through its ports; is particularly concerned about the rising challenge to security in both regions posed by the transnational coordination of criminal organisations based in LAC and the EU; highlights the need to strengthen cooperation not only with drug-producing countries but also with transit countries in LAC, and to enhance multilateral cooperation to combat these threats; calls for strengthening the EU-LAC Partnership on Justice and Security, EL PAcCTO 2.0, COPOLAD, EUROFRONT, the Global Illicit Flows Programme (GIFP) and the European Ports Alliance;

64. Recognises the importance of the Latin American Committee for Internal Security (CLASI) in building a common and shared security framework in LAC; stresses that CLASI is a key instrument in achieving greater integration and effectiveness in the fight against crime in the region; welcomes the continued strategic engagement between interior and/or security ministers of the EU Member States and the ministers with responsibility for security matters in the member states of CLASI, as well as at the technical level, to strengthen operational law enforcement cooperation between the EU and LAC; welcomes the adoption of a Joint Declaration and a Roadmap on Operational Cooperation Priorities in 2025-2026; calls for establishing similar cooperation in the areas of justice and border management;

65. Invites the Commission to strengthen and expand support for cooperation between LAC partner countries and relevant EU agencies, including EUROPOL, EUROJUST and EUDA, and strengthen their working arrangements; applauds the idea of establishing a partnership between LAC ports and the European Ports Alliance; underlines the importance of progressing with AI technologies and strengthening cooperation between ports and authorities in combating drug trafficking; calls for joint enforcement initiatives, operational partnerships and intelligence sharing; welcomes Members States’ concrete contributions in this regard;

66. Welcomes efforts to strengthen regional security cooperation through the expansion of CLASI and the establishment of AMERIPOL as a formalised law enforcement body, facilitating cross-border coordination; stresses the need for the ratification of the Treaty establishing AMERIPOL in order for it to become fully effective, and calls on the signatory countries to initiate their constitutional ratification procedures;

67. Highlights the need to address the root causes of organised crime, including corruption, weak governance and social inequality, and advocates for an approach that combines law enforcement with long-term social policies and other cross-sector strategies, with a view to ensuring a whole-of-government and whole-of-society approach to citizen security; points to the benefits of Association Agreements and other bilateral agreements between the EU and LAC as essential tools for collaboration with partner countries to address the root causes of organised crime and combat the trafficking of illicit drugs;

Justice, human rights and the rule of law

68. Underlines the importance of ensuring that judicial reforms in LAC respect judicial independence and comply with international rule of law standards; calls for ensuring that such reforms contribute to strengthening democratic governance and maintaining judicial integrity; stresses the need to combat political ties to corruption and organised crime; calls on the authorities to uphold the rule of law and the right to peaceful assembly, respect due process, and guarantee the safety and integrity of members of the judiciary and detainees; commits to supporting the LAC countries in these efforts;

69. Welcomes the continued cooperation between the EU and LAC to uphold and promote democracy, human rights and good governance, and to strengthen political stability; underlines the fact that the integrity and transparency of electoral processes are fundamental pillars of the EU-LAC partnership;

70. Highlights the fact that the EU’s electoral observation missions play a key role in supporting fair elections and ensuring transparency, as demonstrated by recent missions in Guatemala, Paraguay and Ecuador, and as planned for upcoming missions in Bolivia, Guyana and Honduras in 2025, and Peru and Colombia in 2026;

71. Calls for enhanced EU-LAC cooperation to counter disinformation campaigns and hybrid threats, particularly those originating from authoritarian states such as Russia, China and Iran, which aim to undermine democratic institutions, electoral integrity and public trust in both regions; emphasises the importance of strengthening digital literacy programmes in response to growing hybrid threats and misinformation, to give citizens the skills they need to critically evaluate online information;

Cooperation on human rights

72. Stresses that growing repression, deteriorating conditions under autocratic regimes and deepening economic instability in some parts of LAC are forcing many to flee in search of protection, economic opportunities and basic rights; notes with concern the resulting large-scale displacement, particularly from Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela, and cross-border migration within the region; underlines the increasing humanitarian, social and institutional pressures this places on democratic countries hosting significant numbers of migrants and asylum seekers; stresses, therefore, the need for comprehensive cooperation and solidarity among countries of origin, transit and destination, and highlights the importance of coordinated responses to ensure the rights, dignity, and safety of all migrants and refugees; emphasises the importance of inclusive policies for integrating migrants into host communities, as well as the positive contributions that migrants from the region make to society and the economy;

73. Stresses that cooperation on protecting human rights is fundamental to the EU–LAC relationship; highlights the need to develop strategies to strengthen the rights of Afro-descendants and indigenous peoples in LAC; recognises the alarming increase in feminicide across LAC; emphasises the urgency of combating femicide by strengthening policies to combat gender-based violence, facilitating land ownership and employment opportunities and guaranteeing access to education; highlights the need to continue cooperating on these issues;

74. Is deeply concerned that a significant part of Haiti remains under the control of armed organised criminal groups responsible for widespread violence and serious human rights abuses; calls for a coordinated strategy between LAC partners, EU Member States and the United States to address this crisis and to support the Haitian people in restoring stability, democratic governance and the rule of law; stresses that the participation of all relevant stakeholders, including NGOs, in this process is essential; calls for the EU to urgently strengthen its political, humanitarian and economic support for Haiti within the framework of the EU-LAC partnership, acknowledging that current efforts remain insufficient to address the scale of the crisis and to support the Haitian people in restoring stability, democratic governance and the rule of law;

75. Underlines the vital role of civil society in the EU–LAC relationship; strongly condemns the assassinations of human rights defenders and the systematic violations of press freedom; expresses deep concern over the targeted persecution, criminalisation, arbitrary detention and systematic repression of opposition members, indigenous peoples, students, NGOs and religious leaders in several countries; condemns the misuse of criminal law to silence dissent and suppress legitimate criticism;

76. Stresses the need for human rights cooperation to also include strengthening institutions and judicial independence and ensuring universal access to justice, including protecting human rights defenders, environmental activists and journalists and safeguarding their work across both regions; condemns recent anti-NGO laws in some LAC countries that restrict the operations, funding and independence of NGOs;

77. Calls on the EU to use the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against those responsible for human rights violations and make further use of the EU’s restrictive measures to sanction individuals who gradually and covertly undermine democracy and the rule of law; calls, furthermore, for the EU to include specific guarantees on human rights compliance when allocating EU funds, including through multilateral and financial institutions, and to ensure that these funds do not reinforce the authoritarian grip of such regimes; calls on the Commission to invoke the human rights clauses in association agreements whenever it uncovers blatant violations of human rights;

Parliamentary cooperation and people-to-people relations

78. Welcomes the deepening of parliamentary cooperation between the EU and LAC, particularly through the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (Eurolat), as well as through bilateral assemblies, such as with Chile and Mexico, and sub-regional joint parliamentary assemblies, which promotes dialogue on key issues such as trade, security and sustainable development; recognises Eurolat as a strategic component of EU-LAC relations and its key role in strengthening this partnership; welcomes the outcome of the 16th plenary session of Eurolat held in Lima from 1 to 3 June 2025;

79. Calls for enhanced coordination between Parliament and national and regional parliaments in Latin America to jointly address transnational issues that align with bi-regional cooperation priorities and are key to sustainable development;

80. Points out the crucial role of parliamentary diplomacy in strengthening bi-regional relations by facilitating direct dialogue with national and regional parliaments; calls for stronger parliamentary diplomacy to support democratic transition processes and strengthen the legislative capacities of LAC parliaments; welcomes, in this context, the opening of Parliament’s local office in Panama;

81. Urges greater support for and increased investment in the vital work of civil society networks, diaspora communities in both regions, people-to-people initiatives, youth mobility and the EU-LAC Foundation in enhancing bi-regional relations;

82. Encourages the inclusion of youth voices in the EU-LAC partnership, by promoting educational exchanges, youth-led initiatives and platforms enabling young people to contribute meaningfully to bi-regional policymaking processes;

Recommendations for the November 2025 EU-CELAC summit

83. Welcomes the EU-CELAC meeting in 2023 and the implementation of initiatives under the EU-CELAC Roadmap 2023-2025; commends the objective of organising regular summits every two years; underlines, in this regard, the need to adopt a new and ambitious roadmap at the 2025 summit in Santa Marta, Colombia, on 9-10 November 2025 that further strengthens the partnership, is clearly aligned with the SDGs and takes into account the increasing level of bi-regional engagement;

84. Highlights the fact that the upcoming EU-CELAC summit will be an important opportunity to project EU-LAC’s voice to the world on the basis of common values, and an opportunity to renew political commitments at the highest level and set an ambitious and operational bi-regional agenda;

85. Expects the EU-CELAC summit to strengthen the EU-LAC alliance with a view to setting the highest sustainable development standards at the multilateral level, and to reaffirm the joint commitment to supporting the reform of multilateral institutions to make them more inclusive and effective, particularly financial institutions, which play a fundamental role in dealing with debt and designing a more sustainable international financing model, including the financing of development cooperation addressed at the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain; stresses the importance of the EU’s continued support for LAC’s regional integration and for efforts to address long-standing structural challenges to sustainable development in the region;

86. Expects the EU-CELAC summit to move forward with the establishment of a permanent multi-stakeholder mechanism with adequate funding, so as to establish regular consultations with civil society, trade unions, local governments and other relevant stakeholders from both regions; recognises the work of the EU-LAC Foundation as an intergovernmental organisation and its potential contribution to the permanent multi-stakeholder mechanism;

87. Stresses, in this regard, the importance of upholding the principles of the rule of law, democracy and human rights, and calls on all summit participants to abide by these principles; points out that this will not be possible without the truly transparent, comprehensive and meaningful inclusion of civil society; calls for the summit agenda to include discussion on democracy and human rights, such as the right to participate in fair and free elections, and for the summit conclusions to include a strong call in defence of human rights and the rule of law; calls on the EU to strongly defend the cause of democracy and human rights;

88. Calls for the parties to reaffirm their joint commitment to peace, democracy, multilateralism, the rules-based global order, the territorial integrity of states, the rule of law, international justice, democracy, human rights, social justice, sustainable development and free trade at the November 2025 summit, with a view to the gradual establishment of a European-Latin-American-Transatlantic area of peace, democracy and prosperity;

89. Calls for the parties to strongly condemn Russia’s ongoing war of aggression, in particular all of its serious violations of international law and international humanitarian law and to provide diplomatic, financial and military support to Ukraine; calls for the parties to combine efforts to rapidly achieve a permanent ceasefire, humanitarian intervention in Gaza and the release of all hostages;

90. Calls for the EU and CELAC to make progress on tangible commitments to reducing poverty and inequality, promoting cohesion, institutional capacity and governance, and protecting workers’ rights, and to continue to support universal access to education and health; underlines the need for a bi-regional commitment to the Bi-regional Pact for Care to consolidate and finance comprehensive care systems as a pillar of social welfare, recognising care as a right, a collective responsibility and an essential precondition for gender equality, social justice and sustainable development in the EU and LAC;

91. Calls for the EU-CELAC summit to push forward collaboration on climate resilience, biodiversity protection and the fight against deforestation, ensuring that environmental and decarbonisation policies are implemented equitably, that the local population participates and benefits from the ecological transition and that the most vulnerable communities are supported in adapting to climate change;

92. Calls for stronger commitments to uphold the rights of indigenous peoples in all dimensions of EU and CELAC cooperation;

93. Considers it important that the EU and LAC commit to jointly driving global and socially just green initiatives, such as negotiating an international treaty to end plastic pollution, or building on the memorandum of understanding on integrated disaster risk management, and that the EU and LAC encourage the sustainable use of natural resources; calls on the parties to reaffirm their shared commitment to the effective implementation of the Paris Agreement;

94. Encourages continued strong cooperation on digital matters through the EU-LAC Digital Alliance with a view to fostering a human-centric digital transformation in both regions; calls for aligning regulatory frameworks in the digital domain, in particular through dialogue on data protection, platform regulation, AI ethics and cybersecurity;

95. Reiterates its call for a substantial increase in bi-regional cooperation in the fight against organised crime and drug trafficking as part of a comprehensive approach to citizen security;

96. Calls for a stronger commitment to cooperation on education, particularly by expanding exchange programmes under Erasmus+;

97. Stresses the need to provide more institutional support, resources and technical expertise to the organisation of the regular EU-CELAC summits; calls for the creation of a permanent institutional space in between summits that enables greater coordination, better preparation, swifter communication and the monitoring of deliverables;

98. Calls for regular multi-stakeholder consultations, particularly before and after each EU-CELAC summit, between local governments and civil society in the LAC region and the Commission to ensure that Global Gateway projects align with the achievement of the SDGs, and with local and regional development priorities; calls, in addition, for the establishment of a permanent multi-stakeholder follow-up mechanism to monitor EU-CELAC relations and progress in implementing commitments; underlines the importance of ensuring the meaningful involvement and consultation of both EU and LAC civil society during the summit;

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99. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.