Welcome you to the official website of the EU-CELAC Business Summit, where you will be able to access all the necessary information on this important event, as well as details on how to register for participation.

The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States – European Union Business Summit (today CELAC-UE, previous EU-LAC) is an international event of the highest order that takes place every two years. It brings together business leaders and politicians from both regions, with the aim of strengthening relations between the businesses of Latin America and the Caribbean and those of the European Union. On this occasion the summit will be held in Santiago de Chile on 25th and 26th January 2013, with close to 300 business people from both regions in attendance. The agenda is organized around the objective of improving bi-regional commercial relations and investments and of building a strategic alliance for the sustainable development of all our countries and peoples.

At a time when the economic and financial situation contains a certain degree of uncertainty in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean can build a plan for economic, physical and energy integration, jointly aiming to overcome the challenges of development, growth and the eradication of poverty, taking the opportunity presented by the current global situation, particularly considering that the European Union is the second largest commercial partner for Latin America and the Caribbean, and the main investor.

It should be taken into account that the EU, Latin America and the Caribbean jointly represent more than a billion people, a third of the member states of the United Nations, a third of the member of the G-20, and more than 30% of global GDP.

Moving towards new, closer relations between governments, companies and social bodies in CELAC and in the EU is fundamental to increasing and diversifying investment and commercial relations. To achieve this we must promote a dialogue that will boost investments that are coherent with the needs for social and environmental development in CELAC, at the same time stimulating stable and correct legal frameworks that favour multiplication and diversification of such investment.

A fundamental part of attaining these goals is the private sector. The businesses present and represented at the Summit want to contribute to discussions on sustainable and equitable development for Latin America, the Caribbean and the European Union. They are aware that the key to interaction between the socio-environmental and economic dimensions of development is productive investment from companies in both regions.

The current version of the CELAC-UE Business Summit has therefore chosen the central theme of “Investment for economic growth, social inclusion and environmental sustainability”, which will include discussions on the issues of sustainable energy, boosting SMEs and the development of human capital.

The final conclusions and recommendations of the summit will be set out in a document to be presented to the Heads of State and Heads of Government participating in the CELAC-UE Summit.

On the basis of all this, we are convinced of the relevance of participation for businesses, executives and organisers from the private sector of the European Union, Latin America and the Caribbean, in what will be a unique opportunity to deepen and broaden social, economic and political relations between our two zones.

Lorenzo Constans G.
President
Chilean Confederation of Production and Commerce