Welcome from the Chair

As the elected Chair of the Delegation for relations with the countries of Central America, I preside over our regular meetings in Brussels and Strasbourg and set the agenda for our work with the nine countries this delegation follows: Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. The Delegation follows a broad variety of issues in these countries, ranging from the economic and political situation to social, legal and human rights issues.

During this term of the European Parliament, the Delegation's work is focused on the EU-Central America Association Agreement, which was signed on 29 June 2012 in Tegucigalpa (Honduras). The trade pillar provisionally entered into force in 2013, but one EU member state (Belgium) has not yet ratified the Agreement, meaning that political cooperation and development are still under the provisions of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement signed in 2003. I hope that the Association Agreement can enter into force in the near future.

The Association Agreement provides for the establishment of an EU-Central America Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) with the six countries party to the Association Agreement (Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama). Currently, our Committee is working jointly with our partners, the Central American Parliament (Parlacen) and the Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica on the drafting of the rules of procedure for this interparliamentary body. Once set up, the JPC will greatly strengthen the inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two regions.

The Delegation travels once a year to Central America, normally visiting two countries. During its visit, DCAM typically meets representatives of the national parliaments, government, the private sector and civil society. DCAM visited El Salvador and Honduras from 23 to 28 February 2020.

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic certainly has changed the agenda of our Delegation, which I think will be busy for a long time looking at the consequences of the pandemic for Central America and the European Union.

I look forward to guiding our delegation through these challenging times in a rapidly changing world.

Tilly Metz

Chair