EP President on the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly Meeting 

The President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, will open tomorrow’s formal sitting. The participants will include the two co-presidents of the Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly, Ramón Jáuregui (Spain) and Roberto Requião (Brazil), and the Presidents of the Parlatino (Latin America Parliaments), Parlandino (Andean Parliament), Parlacen (Central American Parliament) and Parlasur (Mercosur Parliament). The Mayor of Florence, Dario Nardella, will give a welcoming address.

The meeting will focus primarily on the preparations for the forthcoming EU-CELAC summit, to be held in October in El Salvador, and the negotiations under way between the EU, Mercosur, Mexico and Chile. The topics for discussion will include the implementation of the Paris climate change agreement, security, cooperation in combating tax evasion, and tax transparency.

Looking ahead to the summit, Mr Tajani has made the following statement:

“We are closely bound to Latin America by ties of friendship, culture, language and religion, and by shared values. Latin America’s political maturity and economic vigour make it a natural partner for the European Union, and one to which we need to make a firm commitment. We already have an ambitious trade agenda, but we need to go further still and engage in robust economic diplomacy focusing on industry, on small businesses, on technology transfer, on space, on resource efficiency, on the digital agenda, on training and on tourism. We also need to work together to maintain our shared commitment to upholding fundamental rights. In this connection, I welcome the event that is to be held by the Venezuelan diaspora this evening.  The European Parliament is gravely concerned at the disregard being shown for democracy and the ongoing human rights abuses in Venezuela.”

At 13:00 tomorrow, 23 May, following the formal session, a press conference will be held in the Sala di Lorenzo in Palazzo Vecchio by the President of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, and the two EuroLat Co-Presidents, Ramón Jáuregui and Roberto Requião.

Note to editors:

The Euro-Latin American Parliamentary Assembly (EuroLat) is the parliamentary institution of the Bi-regional Strategic Association established in June 1999 in the context of the EU-CELAC summits. EuroLat was set up in 2006.

The assembly has 150 members, 75 from the European Parliament and 75 from the Latin American component, which comprises the Parlatino (Latin American Parliament), Parlandino (Andean Parliament), Parlacen (Central American Parliament) and Parlasur (Mercosur Parliament). The Mexican and Chilean Congresses are also represented through the EU-Mexico and EU-Chile joint parliamentary committees.

EuroLat website

Programme: meetings of the standing parliamentary committees on the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, 22-24 May - Florence