2018: Eurolat meetings

Eurolat Meetings of Standing Parliamentary Committees: in Panama City (Panama) from 3-6 April 2018

Eurolat family photo in Panama in 2018 © Parlatino
The EuroLat meetings of the Standing Parliamentary Committees took place at the Parlatino's premises in Panama City (Panama) from 3-6 April 2018.

After last year's Plenary in San Salvador, the first set of EuroLat meetings in 2018 took place in Panama City, Panama on 3-6 April 2018.

The meetings of the 4 Standing Committees, Executive Bureau, Working Group on Security as well as the EuroLat-Civil Society meeting, Women Forum and inter-parliamentary meetings Mercosur (DMER) and Central America (DCAM) met at the Parlatino premises in Panama City.

The Solemn Inaugural Session took place on 4 April in the Auditorium of the Latin American Parliament, with the participation of the President of the National Assembly of Panama, Ms Yanibel Abrego, and the EuroLat Co-Presidents Ramón Jáuregui and Elias Castillo. All meetings proceeded smoothly with 5 reports adopted which would be voted by the Assembly Plenary in September 2018 together with several other reports as well as amendments to the Rules of Procedure.

The committees voted on five reports on the following subjects: justice and combating impunity; aviation and air safety; corporate social responsibility; tackling inequality through social cohesion policies; and cooperation in the field of research.

The 4 standing committees also discussed a wide range of issues, including illegal fishing, the digital economy, the governance of globalisation and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The issue of Venezuela proved to be divisive again with a heated debate taking place in the Political Committee. However the LAC component succeeded this time in reaching a common agreement on the need to limit this issue and to deal extensively with the humanitarian situation of the Venezuelan refugees in neighbouring countries at the next meeting of EuroLat's Political Committee. It was also agreed that the issue of the political situation in Brazil following the Supreme Court's decision would also be considered in the same meeting. The total number of EuroLat Members was rather high, with some 93 Members participating although the number of MEPs was relatively low (EP 30, LAC 63).