AFormatinSearchofSubstance AnOverviewofRelationsbetweentheEUandLatinAmericainaEuropeanPerspective 2 05 disenchantmentisduetoexaggeratedexpectations withregardto Europes interestinLatinAmerica ; forothersitdemonstratesalossofinterestinLatin AmericabytheEU.Therefore , thereisgrowingcriticism oftheEuropean Commissionwhich , fromthestandpointofLatin Americanpoliticians , isnot respondingadequatelytothechangesintheirregionandtheneedsoftheir people.Forinstance , whileEuropeisofferingpoliticaldialoguetoitsLatin Americancounterparts , thelatterexpectnegotiationsonfreetradeagreements andaccesstotheEuropeanSingleMarket.Inthiscontext , aclimateofsuspicion andalossofconfidencehasarisen. 2.3 TheStructureofRelations FromthepointofviewofLatinAmericangovernments , biregionalrelations withEuropehavechangedinparticularsincetheEU begantointegratenew memberstates.Firstofall , thenew memberstateshavenotshown much interestintheregionandarekeenerondevelopingrelations with Asia.The EasternEuropeancountriesconsiderLatinAmerican marketstobenotvery interestingornotworthtryingtoconquer.Thereforethetraditionalmember states , suchasSpain , Franceand Germany , continuetobeLatin Americas preferredcounterpartsin Europe , eventhoughitisalsolookingfor more intensivecontacts withthe East.In addition , thegrowing diversityinthe EuropeanUnion , thedisparitybetweennewandoldmembersandthedifferent ratesofintegrationindifferentpolicyareashavecalledintoquestionEuropean leadershipininternationalpoliticsinLatinAmericaneyes.ForLatinAmerica , Europeanpoliticslacksinternalconsensus , whiletheEU hasdevelopeda tendencytodrawitswagonsintoacircleandtointensifyrelationswithitsnear neighbours , inturnneglectingrelationswithregionsfurtheraway , suchasLatin America. Spaincontinuestobethe majorportofentryfortheLatin American countries , although Spainsparticipationin Latin American publicservices privatisationprocessesoverthepastdecadehasledtoacertaindistancing.The smallerand mediumsizedcountriesoftheregioninparticularseemtohave difficultyactingstrategicallyinthefaceofthesocalled “ Europeanjungle ”, asa resultofwhichtheyarelookingfora “ gatekeeper ” inordertocometoterms withtheEU. ThereisgrowingconcerninLatinAmericaabouttheEuropeantendencyto talkaboutthenew “ Left ” movements , partiesandgovernmentsintheregionas iftheycomprisedan homogenousdevelopment.From the Latin American perspectivethissimplifyingandgeneralisingviewseemstoproveonceagainthe
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