On May 7th, the EU-LAT Network took part in the meeting for the evaluation of the implementation of the trade pillar of the EU-Central America Association Agreement-inception report organised by the EU Trade. Among the 39 participants were representatives of the Commission and the evaluation team, as well as from business, trade union and NGO- sectors. 

For this meeting, we elaborated a document of contributions and recommendations for the evaluation of the Trade Agreement, focusing on case studies in Guatemala and Nicaragua. Included in our recommendations for the evaluation were the need to maintain and conduct interviews with local communities and local civil society organisations, to add a human rights position with a gender perspective and an intersectional approach, and to maintain environmental justice and sustainable approaches. 

Among the main highlights from the meeting were the presentation from the evaluation team as well as the debate section in which the evaluation will look to conduct strategic interviews with civil society organisations at each stage of the evaluation process and will present an interim report. Another talking point was the need to add a gender dimension to the evaluation process in which an analysis will be made to measure the impact on women in their various roles (worker, consumer), but also specifically taking each sector into account. Lastly, the evaluation team explained that the monitoring will be done at different stages of the process and it will contemplate the follow-up given to the decisions and especially to the work of the board and the advisory groups involved in “Trade and sustainable development” table.