European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Round Table

European Union-Latin America and the Caribbean Business Round Table

17 July 2023
Brussels, Belgium

Programme Overview
 
 

Live Stream

Opening: 09h30- 10h15 (CEST)
https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/eu-lac-business-roundtable-opening-23-07-17

Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President, Federative Republic of Brazil
Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain
Ilan Goldfajn, President, Inter-American Development Bank
Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President, CAF Development Bank of Latin America

Special address: 12h30 - 13h00 (CEST)
https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/eu-lac-business-roundtable-keynote-address-23-07-17

Charles Michel, President, European Council
Ralph Gonsalves, Prime Minister, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Closing: 14h00- 14h30 (CEST)
https://webcast.ec.europa.eu/eu-lac-business-roundtable-closing-23-07-17

Jutta Urpilainen, European Commissioner for International Partnerships, European Commission
Alicia Bárcena, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Mexico
Werner Hoyer, President, European Investment Bank

On 17 July 2023, the European Commission, Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and CAF-Development Bank of Latin America will jointly organise a Business Round Table in Brussels ahead of the EU-CELAC Summit of Heads of State and Government that will convene on 17-18 July. The EU-LAC Business Round Table will be an invitation-only, in-person, high-level event that will organise at the Berlaymont Building, Headquarters of the European Commission.

The event will consist of an opening session, seven thematic round tables, and concluding remarks (see preliminary programme below). In addition, the co-organisers will facilitate bilateral meetings along-side the programme to ensure productive dialogue.

Business Round Table Speakers

Ursula von der Leyen

President of the European Commission (2019-2024)

Pedro Sánchez

President of the Government of Spain

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva

President, Federative Republic of Brazil

Ilan Goldfajn

President Interamerican Development Bank

Werner Hoyer

President, European Investment Bank

Christian Asinelli

Vice President, CAF

Renato Villar

Founder, Voltz Motors (Brazil)

Federico Guillén

President of Network Infrastructure (Finland)

James Scriven

CEO, IDB Invest

Bill Anderson

CEO, Bayer (Germany)

Patricia Vasconcelos

CEO, CaetanoBus (Portugal)

Ricardo Mourinho Félix

Vice-President, European Investment Bank

Check the complete Speakers list

EU-LAC Trade and Investment Context

The EU and LAC have strong trade and investment ties. The EU has concluded association, free trade, or political cooperation agreements with 27 of the 33 countries in the region and is the largest source of foreign direct investment in LAC – totalling 45% of LAC FDI inflows during 2015-2019 and 36% in 2021.

Bilateral trade between the two regions grew by 18% between 2008 and 2021. EU exports to LAC averaged € 116 billion in the last decade, 2% of its global exports, while LAC exports to the EU averaged € 98 billion in the same period, about 10% of the region’s global exports. Despite these figures, most of the recent trade growth was concentrated in the 2008-2013 period and in Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru, while other countries’ trade stagnated or fell.

EU-LAC Trade and Investment Context

The EU and LAC have strong trade and investment ties. The EU has concluded association, free trade, or political cooperation agreements with 27 of the 33 countries in the region and is the largest source of foreign direct investment in LAC – totalling 45% of LAC FDI inflows during 2015-2019 and 36% in 2021.

Bilateral trade between the two regions grew by 18% between 2008 and 2021. EU exports to LAC averaged € 116 billion in the last decade, 2% of its global exports, while LAC exports to the EU averaged € 98 billion in the same period, about 10% of the region’s global exports. Despite these figures, most of the recent trade growth was concentrated in the 2008-2013 period and in Mexico, Ecuador, and Peru, while other countries’ trade stagnated or fell.

Business Round Table Objective

The EU-LAC Business Round Table will bring together political leaders, business CEOs, heads of development financing institutions, and industry associations to review the key strands of the Global Gateway Investment Agenda. Participants will explore opportunities for investments on, amongst others, renewable energy and green hydrogen, critical raw materials, decarbonisation, and transport infrastructure projects, 5G and last-kilometre connectivity, digitalisation for public services, and sustainable finance and green bonds. The Round Tables will also feature a close look into barriers to investments and regulatory frameworks, as well as a cross-sector view from the lens of education and skills, job creation, value chains, social impact and inequalities, and vocational training.

EU-LAC Business Round Table

17 July - 8:00 to 15:30

Registration + Petit Déjeuner

Opening Remarks:

Livestreamed (retransmitted)

Ursula von der Leyen, President, European Commission
Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President, Brazil
Pedro Sánchez, President of the Government of Spain
Ilan Goldfajn, President, Inter-American Development Bank
Sergio Díaz-Granados, Executive President, CAF Development Bank of Latin America

Check the complete Programme Overview

European Commission - Berlaymont building in Brussels

EU-LAC Business Round Table

Brussels, Belgium - 17 July 2023