The EU-CA bi-regional meeting will bring toobtainher public and private sector leaders in Panama City to promote concrete investment, financing and business cooperation projects between the European Union and Central America, within the framework of the Association Agreement and the Global Gateway Strategy.
Panama City, 26 February 2026. The European Union (EU) and Central America (CA) will hold the EU-CA 2026 Forum in Panama City on 19 and 20 March 2026: trade, connectivity and sustainable investment, a high-level bi-regional meeting that is positioned as the main space to promote concrete investment projects, financing and business cooperation between the two regions.
The Forum -organized by the European Union, with the support of the Central American Economic Integration Secretariat (SIECA), the Central American Integration System (SICA) and the Consultative Committee on Economic Integration (CCIE)- aims to operationally align the EU-Central America Association Agreement with the Global Gateway Strategy, strengthening a shared agfinisha aimed at productive transformation, regional integration and sustainable development. The selection of Panama as host is an important sign of confidence and confirms the counattempt’s position as a strategic point for dialogue and international investment.
For two days, representatives of the public and private sectors, European and Central American institutions, business chambers, financial organizations and sectoral experts will analyze how to shift from dialogue to action, promoting initiatives that strengthen regional competitiveness and respond to global challenges such as climate alter, security of supply chains and the green and digital transition.
The agfinisha includes high-level institutional opening sessions, strategic panels and technical workshops focapplyd on priority areas such as sustainable logistics, green maritime corridors, clean mobility, railways, digital transformation and regional energy integration.
One of the central spaces will be the Global Gateway Investment Hub Workshop, designed specifically for the private sector, where access to European financing, the structuring of bankable projects and technical support for companies interested in participating in Global Gateway initiatives in Central America will be addressed in a practical way.
Felice Zaccheo, Head of Unit for Latin America and the Caribbean of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), re before his arrival in Panama that “Global Gateway represents the EU’s strategic offer Union to build sustainable connectivity with Central America. This Forum allows us to shift from principles to practice, transforming shared priorities into real investments that positively impact people and territories.”
Responsible and competitive bi-regional trade
The second day of the Forum will be dedicated to responsible and competitive trade, with special emphasis on trade facilitation, diversification of exports to the European Union and compliance with sustainability standards, including a technical workshop on traceability and compliance with the European Deforestation Regulation (EUDR).
In this context, Paolo Garzotti, Head of Unit for Bilateral Trade Agreements, Directorate-General for Trade (DG TRADE), stressed that “the Association Agreement between the European Union and Central America has proven to be much more than a trade treaty: It is a pillar of mutual trust that has boosted regional integration and created new opportunities for businesses in both regions.”
To date, the presence of more than 200 people has been confirmed: leaders from the public and private sectors, who will meet to promote investment, financing and business cooperation projects between the European Union and Central America, within the framework of the Association Agreement and the Global Gateway Strategy.
About the Global Gateway Strategy
The European Global Gateway strategy aims to promote smart, clean and secure links in the digital, energy and transport sectors, and to strengthen health, education and research systems worldwide. The European Commission and the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Policy launched this strategy in 2021.
Global Gateway aims to mobilise up to €300 billion in investments through a Team Europe approach, bringing toobtainher the EU, its Member States and its financial and development institutions. It aims to achieve a transformative impact in the priority sectors. It focapplys on smart investments in quality infrastructure, respecting the highest social and environmental standards and in line with the interests and values shared by the EU and partner countries: rule of law, human rights and international norms and standards.
At the EU-CELAC Summit between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean, the European Commission announced under the Global Gateway initiative, a €45 billion shared European investment agfinisha for the region.
Further information on Global Gateway: https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/global-gateway/global-gateway-overview_en
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