Bridging Regions Through Innovation: EU–LAC Cooperation on AI, Virtual Seminar 2026

Event organized in the framework of the Slovenian MFEA international conference LAC Days 2026 activities with support of the EU-LAC Digital Alliance.

Context:

In the framework of the EU–LAC Digital Alliance, this session will deepen bi-regional dialogue on Artificial Intelligence. The meeting will bring together regulators, policymakers, and experts from both regions to exchange concrete experiences on approaches that support experimentation and innovation while ensuring compliance with ethical and legal standards. The discussion will emphasize Slovenia’s role as a champion of digital cooperation, highlighting its leadership in bridging European and LAC perspectives on human-centric and trustworthy AI. By connecting emerging regulatory practices and showcasing pilot initiatives, the event will contribute to the design of cooperative frameworks for testing and scaling AI solutions across regions, including through instruments such as regulatory sandboxes.

1. Context and Political Rationale
   
   The European Union – Latin America and Caribbean (EU–LAC) Digital Alliance provides a strategic framework for deepening digital cooperation across both regions, with a specific focus on collaborative approaches to emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). In recent years, EU–LAC collaboration has increasingly explored AI governance mechanisms, capacity building, and policy exchange, including through a series of TAIEX-facilitated workshops in 2025 and 2026 that brought together regulators, policymakers, and experts from Europe and the LAC region.
   
   The event is co-organised by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Slovenia, under the umbrella of the MFEA annual international conference Latin America and the Caribbean Days 2026 activities and in alignment with EU–LAC Digital Alliance policy goals. It will highlight Slovenia’s leadership in connecting EU and LAC actors, reinforce shared understanding of AI governance models, and explore concrete frameworks for future bi-regional collaboration.
   
   
2. Objectives
   
   The seminar aims to:
   
   
3. Advance political dialogue on AI sandboxes as instruments for innovation and regulatory cooperation between the EU and LAC regions.
   
   
4. Share experiences with implementation from EU and LAC jurisdictions, with attention to legal, ethical, and policy dimensions.
   
   
5. Highlight Slovenia’s role as a facilitator of digital policy dialogue and cooperation in the EU–LAC context and sharing of experience in the implementation of AI regulation
   
   
6. Strengthen policy coherence and follow-up actions building on insights from TAIEX 2025 activities.
   
   
7. Identify next steps for EU–LAC collaborative experimentation spaces, capacity building, and regulatory exchange mechanisms.