The Council and Latin America: The Voice of the States

This chapter provides an overview of the EU Council’s role in the EU's external relations in general and Latin America in particular. It examines the institutional setting within the Council and the numerous state interests in making relations with Latin America. The policymaking process in the Council focused on promoting ties with Latin America and developing inter-regional governance is challenging as an intergovernmental institution. The chapter suggests that Latin American policies are informally being delegated to Iberian states, prioritizing the region in foreign policies instead of at the EU level, resulting in fluctuating relations and a lack of continuity. This has led to periods of consensus and new initiatives, followed by disappointment due to the absence of concrete results. The challenge has been aligning the priorities of Iberian countries with the EU-wide long-term strategy for Latin America. The chapter also examines the internal disagreements among members of the EU Council over the foreign agenda, which limits the agenda toward Latin America.