About the Mission

The EU EOM Colombia 2026 is headed by Esteban González Pons, Vice-President of the European Parliament. In total, it deploys more than 100 observers from 26 Member States of the European Union, as well as from Norway and Switzerland.

The mission is coordinated by a core team of 10 experts in different electoral fields, present in Colombia since the end of January.

In the second week of February, they will be joined by 40 Long Term Observers (LTO) to be deployed across the country to follow the electoral campaign and the work of the election administration in the field. 46 Short Term Observers (STO) are also foreseen to be deployed closer to Election Day. Finally, a delegation of the European Parliament and a number of diplomats from the EU and the EU Member States accredited in Colombia will join the mission on Election Day.

The EU EOM will remain in the country until the completion of electoral process.

The EU EOM conducts a comprehensive analysis of the electoral process, based on long-term observation. Observers meet with the election administration, political parties, candidates, civil society organisations and the media, among others. The mission observes, among others:

• the legal framework and its implementation;
• the voter registration;
• the registration of candidates;
• campaign activities and campaign finance;
• the work and the impartiality of the electoral administration;
• the use of electoral technology;
• the respect for fundamental freedoms, civil and political rights;
• the participation of women;
• the participation of Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, and the LGBTI community;
• the role of citizen observers and their access to the process;
• freedom of the press, the role of the media and social networks, as well as their coverage of the elections and the campaign;
• voting, counting, tabulation and the announcement of results;
• the complaints and appeals process and the post-electoral environment.

The mission will remain in the country until the completion of the electoral process.

The European Union uses an established methodology for observing elections. This methodology has been applied to more than 200 electoral processes observed in 75 countries, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Election Observation, adopted at the United Nations in 2005.

Observers do not interfere in the electoral process. All EU election observers are bound by a Code of Conduct that ensures their neutrality and impartiality. 

The EU observation methodology is public and applied in the same manner by all EU EOMs deployed around the world. It relies on the principles of independence, impartiality, non-interference, professionalism and a long-term approach. The EU observation methodology is public and applied in the same manner by all EU EOMs deployed around the world.

EU election observation missions are funded entirely by the European Union's budget.

The mission will issue a preliminary statement and hold a press conference in Bogotá after each day of voting.

Once the process is concluded, the mission will publish a final report, which may include a set of recommendations for future electoral processes.

The EU EOM Preliminary Statements and the Final Report are public documents. Both will be available on this website. 

Reports from previous missions to Colombia can be found in the EU EOM Database.