The European Union and El Salvador

The relations between the European Union and El Salvador started in the early 1990’s, while El Salvador was emerging from a long civil war, that ended in 1992. The initial cooperation focused on economic development, reconstruction, and strengthening democratic governance. Since 1992 onwards, El Salvador has received around 200 million euros in EU aid, and most of this aid has been given during the period 2014-2020.

The Framework Cooperation Agreement between the European Economic Community and Central American states was signed on 22 February 1993 in San Salvador, El Salvador. This agreement included six central American states: Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Panama, and Nicaragua, and entered into force in March 1999. The Framework Cooperation Agreement introduced a more strategic and institutionalized framework with a regional approach, and including political, economic and social dimensions in a single treaty. Some of the highlights of this treaty regionally were the EU involvement in election observation in the following years and the strengthening of regional institutions like SICA. 

Currently, the bilateral relations between El Salvador and the EU are based on two instruments:

• The Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) which was signed in 2003 between the EU and six Central American countries including Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. After the Framework Cooperation Agreement had established the legal ground for structured cooperation between the EU and Central American region, the ADPC institutionalized and reinforces structured cooperation and strengthen political consultation between both sides.  The Agreement entered into force in 2014 and has intensified political dialogue and strengthened the exchange of information and cooperation on issues such as regional integration, poverty reduction, social cohesion, sustainable development and conflict prevention and resolution, among others.

• The  Association Agreement with Central America, which was signed between the EU and six Central American states (Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) on 29 of June 2012. The commercial pillar is provisionally implemented (explanatory document in Spanish), and is based on three pillars: political dialogue, cooperation and trade. The agreement entered fully into force in 2024 and became the first region-to-region association agreement between the EU and Latin America region.

Likewise, the EU has played an active role during electoral events in El Salvador, participating with Electoral Expert Missions (EEM) in 2012, 2014 and 2021 elections and with Electoral Observation Missions (EOM) in 2009, 2018 and 2019.

El Salvador and the EU have consolidated their economic and trade relations through the establishment of the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America, expanding and improving trade relations with a reciprocal trade liberalization process.

This agreement promotes the following objectives:

• Expansion of trade by reducing tariff barriers and facilitating trade rules and regulations.

• The promotion of regional economic integration.

• The effective, reciprocal and gradual opening of public procurement markets.

• Adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights.

• The establishment of an effective, fair and predictable dispute resolution mechanism.

• The promotion of trade that contributes to sustainable development through collaborative joint work.

Total trade between the EU and Central America grew from approximately €8.7 billion in 2012 to €22 billion in 2023, an increase of about 154 percent. During this period, EU exports to Central America rose by 139 percent, while Central American exports to the EU increased by 165 percent. This agreement has been a positive step to provide legal certainty and consolidate access to the European market for Salvadoran products. Salvadoran exports to the EU grew by 67 percent between 2019 and 2022, increasing from approximately $167 million to $288 million. The number of Salvadoran exporters rose from about 160 in 2013 to 250 in 2022, with broader participation in EU markets. Growth has occurred in both agricultural and manufactured goods, with exporters diversifying beyond traditional sectors.

You can find updated information on bilateral trade between the EU and El Salvador here.

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Development Cooperation

The European Union is one of El Salvador's main strategic development cooperation partners and its objectives are the consolidation of democratization and the sustainable development of the country.

To that end, the EU allocates funds to State public policies and to initiatives from civil society organizations and the private sector, among others, in order to impact the most vulnerable communities. Our cooperation efforts are guided by the EU's strategy, Global Gateway, which aims to create smart, sustainable and secure ties in the digital, climate change and renewable energy, transport, health, education and research sectors, in line with the European Green Pact.

The strategy, helps to tackle the most pressing global challenges, from fighting climate change, to improving health systems, and boosting competitiveness and security of global supply chains. Global Gateway is a EU quality investment offer to its partners around the world. It aligns  partners’ interests with EU interests in a geopolitical perspective. It’s the EU contribution to narrowing the global investment gap accompanying the social and just green and digital transitions beyond European borders and boosting competitiveness and security of global supply chains.

Furthermore, the EU-Latin America and Caribbean Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA), aims to address investment gaps in the common priorities, with the goal of significantly  increasing both private capital and public funding for sustainable and inclusive development in key areas, including digital transformation, education, health infrastructures, energy production, environmental perspectives, raw materials and fostering local value chains, and their integration in global value chains.

Humanitarian Aid

From the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, which was heightened by the tropical storms Amanda and Cristobal, the EU and its Member States provided a coordinated response through the "Team Europe" initiative. The EU has helped El Salvador to address the health crisis and humanitarian needs, as well as to strengthen the capabilities of local partners and limit a negative socio-economic impact.

In addition, Team Europe is one of the main donors of the COVAX mechanism, through which it ensures, with a contribution of more than 2.47 billion euros, the delivery of 1.3 billion vaccines against COVID-19 in 92 countries, including El Salvador, which has already received 320,400 doses.

Civil society is a first level interlocutor for the European Union and its Member States, and we maintain a close dialogue with representatives of civil society in El Salvador.

In order to make this dialogue more effective, the EU Delegation, its Member States, and with the help of local civil society organisations (CSOs), a Roadmap for Engagement with Civil Society for the period 2014-2020 has been established.

One of EU’s works abroad is to show its common cultural heritage, making it accessible to other societies, while supporting and promoting European arts and creative industries. 

Therefore, on the 9^th of May the EU Delegation celebrates Europe Day in El Salvador, together with local Member States and key partners. This is a small celebration that aims to show the cultural wealth of a continent that has created the largest space for peace, security, liberty and justice in the world. 

During May, the Delegation also creates a one-month-long program with a wide range of activities, most of them free of charge and accessible to different audiences, including the European Film Festival, concerts, photography exhibitions, radio and television programmes, public conferences, family activities and sporting competitions.

The full programme of the “Month of Europe” is available every April on the websites and social media accounts of the EU Delegation and the European embassies.

The European Union and SICA have an excellent relationship that began more than 30 years ago with the San José Dialogue in 1984 and was reinforced with the entry into force of the Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (ADPC) in May 2014. Both regions share the values ​​of democracy, respect for human rights and the principles of sustainable development and cooperation.

The EU attaches special importance to regional integration and the need to continue strengthening SICA in the five pillars of regional integration: Democratic Security, Comprehensive Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change, Social Integration, Economic Integration and Strengthening of the Regional Institutionalism.

The EU offers bilateral and regional cooperation to the region and its regional integration process. The regional Multiannual Indicative Program for the 2014-2020 period amounts to € 120 million to support regional priorities.