The FIIAPP, through the programme EUROsociAL, held the first meeting of the Steering Committee organised by the European Commission in Rome, through its Directorate-General for Development and Cooperation (EuropeAid).

The value of this action is essential for the programme that now constitutes an opportunity for dialogue between stakeholders with extensive knowledge and experience in Latin America and in the bi-regional EU-CELAC relationship, which provides inputs of great value for the strategic direction of the programme.

The event, opened by the General Secretary of the IILA, Donato di Santo, was structured around debate and dialogue based on the issues that concern all the institutions and representatives in attendance in the Italian capital. Thus, the role of EUROsociAL+ in bolstering the social agenda in Latin America, the goals for advancing towards social cohesion and the definition of regional mechanisms for improved and stronger impact were some of the starting points for a productive exercise in joint reflection.

Latin American social agenda

The long track record of EUROsociAL (created at the 2005 LAC-EU Summit in Guadalajara) made it possible to bring all the essential stakeholders of the European structure and of the social agenda in Latin America to the table. On the part of the European Commission, through itsDirectorate-General for International Development and Cooperation (EuropeAid), coordinated the Paz Velasco-Velázquez Council and Eva Estaún, leading a list of participants who included experts from the European External Action Service of the European Union, the EU-LAC Foundation, the ECLAC, the IDB, the ILO, FLACSO, the FIIAPP, the IILA, Expertise France and the SISCA