EUROsociAL has become the flagship programme of the European Union and Latin America for social cohesion. Under the slogan "Support policies, connect institutions", this programme brings together decision-makers and senior officials of government agencies of Europe and Latin America to participate in an exchange of proposals for concrete reforms in their respective spheres of responsibility.

Despite the progress made in the last ten years, eradicating social inequality continues to be a challenge for Latin America. EUROsociAL aims to assist Latin American countries in the reform of their social policies in areas such as health, education, tax systems, regional development, justice, transparency, and employment.

As indicated by the independent auditors in the recent midterm evaluation, one of the main strengths of EUROsociAL is the combination of high-level policy dialogue and specific work focused on proposals for reforms. Thanks to its innovative approach, EUROsociAL successfully generates quantifiable results despite the fact that the resources it has for each country are not very great.

The initiatives EUROsociAL has been supporting since 2013 include reform of the labour information system in Colombia, which will make it possible to identify supply and demand in the job market; a new law for persons with disabilities in Honduras; and a new tax education plan in Brazil. It has also promoted numerous regional actions in Latin America in areas such as tax administration, regional development, justice, and social dialogue.

In this sense, EUROsociAL is an emblematic programme that demonstrates the ongoing interest of the European Union in forming close relationships with Latin America to promote equitable and inclusive development. Attacking social inequality in the region helps make a difference in people's daily lives, and it creates opportunities for employment and growth in all of Latin America.

Andris Piebalgs