• Representing the EU before the country's authorities.
• Coordinating with the Embassies of the Member States and other EU representatives.
• Monitoring EU-Costa Rica and EU-Central America political and trade relations, reporting on EU decisions and regulations.
• Cooperate with Costa Rican public entities and civil society organisations, in accordance with the guidelines for EU cooperation with Latin America.
• Follow and support the management of EU cooperation projects in Costa Rica.
• Have close and fluid contact with the media, civil society organisations, universities, chambers of commerce, among others.
• Support and seek synergies in EU policies in the areas of science and technology, human rights and environment.

Since 1984 with the establishment of the Delegation in the country, the European Union has been one of the most important strategic partners for Costa Rica; our joint work has been key to politically mature relations. There are two instruments that articulate this relationship:

• The Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement (PDCA) between the European Union and Central America, which entered into force in 2014. Thanks to this agreement, both regions have been able to intensify political dialogue, favouring cooperation on issues of regional integration, social cohesion, environment, science and technology, and education.
• The EU-Central America Association Agreement consists of three pillars: political, cooperation and trade.

The European Union and Costa Rica

The year 2024 marked the full ratification and entry into force of the Association Agreement between the EU and Central America. The Association Agreement consists of three pillars: political dialogue, cooperation, and trade. The trade pillar had been provisionally applied since 2012. Following ratification by all 27 EU Member States, starting in 2024 the provisions related to political dialogue and cooperation will also be applied, ensuring an even stronger and more comprehensive relationship.

Trade Relations
Under the trade pillar of the Association Agreement (provisionally applied since 2012), total trade between the EU and Costa Rica has been steadily increasing, rising from €2.374 billion in 2013 to a historic high of €7.203 billion in 2024. This represents a 203% increase, making Costa Rica the EU's top trading partner in the Central American region. Broken down further, the figures between 2013 and 2024 show that EU exports to Costa Rica increased by 140%, while EU imports from Costa Rica grew by 233%.

Among the main European products exported to Costa Rica in 2024 were machinery and mechanical appliances, medical devices, as well as vehicles, fuels, and plastics. In turn, the main Costa Rican goods imported by the EU in 2024 were medical devices, food products such as fruits, animal or vegetable fats and oils, electrical machinery and equipment, as well as processed vegetables and fruits.

The basket of Costa Rican goods offered to the European market has undergone significant changes in its composition. While in 2013, non-agricultural goods accounted for 30% of total exports, since 2022, these non-agricultural exports have surpassed agricultural exports, reaching 63.9% in 2024.

This shift also reflects the high added value of trade, focused on the medical, optical, and surgical device sector. Imports from Costa Rica to the EU in this sector grew alongside the development of Costa Rica’s industry, process specialization, and a skilled workforce. This is evident in the figures for the 2013–2024 period, where imports of medical devices grew by 704%, rising from €236 million in 2013 to €1.899 billion in 2024, making them the leading import product to the EU.

In terms of trade in services, according to data for the 2013–2023 period, EU exports to Costa Rica increased by 185%, rising from €595 million in 2013 to €1.508 billion in 2023. Over the same period, EU imports from Costa Rica saw a sharp increase of 279%, going from €458 million to €1.736 billion.

In terms of accumulated foreign direct investment (2013–2023), a total of €6.038 billion has been mobilized in investments between the EU and Costa Rica, making the country the main driver of FDI among Central American nations.

Source: Eurostat

The EU and Costa Rica have a historic relationship with regard to cooperation and Costa Rica is a proactive, successful and committed partner in the formulation and implementation of new cooperation approaches that reflect its national needs linked to EU priorities. The country has established itself as a strategic partner for EU cooperation.

Highlighting the priorities of the new Von der Leyen Commission, the European Green Pact and digitalisation form the basis of EU cooperation in the world. The environment is already a pillar of EU cooperation in Costa Rica.

In 2023, the European Union launched the Global Gateway European strategy aimed at promoting smart, clean, and secure connections in the digital, energy, and transport sectors, as well as strengthening health, education, and research systems worldwide.

Global Gateway is fully aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals, as well as the Paris Agreement. With a "Team Europe" approach, the Global Gateway strategy brings together the EU, its Member States, and its financial and development institutions to mobilize the private sector to drive transformative investments.

The EU Global Gateway Investment Agenda for Latin America and the Caribbean identifies potential investment projects that respond to the needs of this region, create local added value, and promote growth, employment, and social cohesion.

This agenda is a political commitment to work together, identifying opportunities for green and fair digital investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, leveraging the open environment created by trade and investment agreements, and helping to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Global Gateway in Latin America and the Caribbean.

European companies have a long history of working together with the advanced economies in Latin America and the Caribbean. Europe’s Global Gateway initiative builds on the close ties between the two regions. It seeks to create a partnership where the public sector of Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean (like development banks and national export credit agencies) link up with the private sector, to generate business investments that can contribute to wealthier societies to the benefit of all. Global Gateway promotes the European values of good governance, transparency and sustainability to improve the lives of many.

The EU-LAC Global Gateway Investment Agenda (GGIA) is the roadmap of strategic priorities that the EU has chosen to invest in with its Latin American and Caribbean partners.

Global Gateway has an ambitious agenda including activities ranging from 5G extension to remote areas, green bonds, greener transport systems, clean hydrogen energy and better health infrastructures to scaling up joint research. It should result in smarter, cleaner and more secure links between the two regions.

Public Diplomacy, through concrete actions with civil society actors, the private sector, universities, youth, women, and the media, seeks to create and consolidate collaborative links between the European Union and Costa Rica.

In this context we can point out very specific annual activities such as:  Annual European Union-Costa Rica Gender Equality Award; European Film Festival, Reading Circle "Between Letters and Stars" (a rapprochement of European writers and artists with the Costa Rican public); Beach cleaning; Cleteando por Europa (cycling tour around the capital to promote the use of energy and clean transport); Talks in universities and analysis forums on the role of the European Union in the world and specifically in Costa Rica; participation of the Head of Delegation in multiple forums and presentations to government, private sector, civil society.