In 1993 the European Union and Central America signed a Framework Cooperation Agreement. This agreement entered into force on 01 March 1999. At the May 2002 EU-Latin American Summit the EU and six Central American countries -- Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama -- agreed to negotiate a new Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement, which was signed on 15 December 2003 in Rome.

The EU and Central American countries reiterated their goal of concluding an Association Agreement including a free trade area, in the EU-Latin America Summit in May 2004 in Guadalajara, Mexico, and in May 2005 at the EU-Central America Ministerial meeting in Luxembourg, at which Ministers welcomed the launching of a joint assessment exercise on regional economic integration and the setting up of an ad hoc joint working group in January 2005. The goal of concluding a comprehensive Association Agreement was reaffirmed at the EU-Central America summit held in Vienna, Austria in May 2006. The negotiations for the Association Agreement were launched on 28 June 2007 in Brussels. The first round took place in San Jose, Costa Rica on 22-26 October 2007. On 25-29 February 2008, Central America and the EU concluded the second round of negotiations in Brussels, Belgium. The third round of negotiations took place in El Salvador on 14 April 2008. The fourth round was held in Brussels on 14-18 July 2008. On 06-10 October 2008, countries concluded the fifth round of negotiations. The sixth round of negotiations took place in Brussels, Belgium on 26-30 January 2009.

On 6 April 2009, the EU issued a statment to inform about the temporary interruption of the negotiations for an Association Agreement between the EU and Central America. A few days later, on 24 April 2009, the EU and Central America agreed to re-initiate negotations for an agreement.

Documents relating to the negotiations
24 April 2009	EU and Central America agreed to re-initiate negotations for an agreement
26-30 January 2009	Brussels, Belgium. Sixth round of negotiations of an association agreement Central America-EU
06-10 October 2008	Guatemala. Fifth round of negotiations of an association agreement Central America-EU
14-18 July 2008	Brussels, Belgium. Fourth round of negotiations of an association agreement Central America-EU
16 April 2008	El Salvador. Third round of negotiations of an association agreement Central America-EU
29 February 2008	Brussels, Belgium. Central America and the EU held second round of negotiations of an association agreement
	II round of negotiations: Presentations on sanitary and phitosanitary measures
		EC legislation on food additives
		EC legal instruments to ensure and to control the implementation of the EC legislation
		European Commission Health and Consumer Protection Directorate General Unit E3 - Chemicals, contaminants and pesticides
		The Food and Veterinary Office
		Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs
		Legislation on residues of pharmacologically active substances
		Status of Central American Customs Union in the area of sanitary and phitosanitary measures
	II round of negotiations: Presentations on technical barriers to trade
		The regulatory approach in the internal market
		Free Movement of Goods
		Functioning of Directive 98/34/EC
		The EU market surveillance framework
		Overview of the European institutional framework on standardisation
		The European standardisation. An important pillar for the quality infrastructure
26 October 2007	San Jose, Costa Rica. Central America and the EU held first round of negotiations of an association agreement
29 June 2007	Central America and the European Union start negotiations for new association agreement.
19 April 2007	Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. San José Dialogue Ministerial Meeting Between the European Union Troika and the Ministers of the Countries of Central America. Joint communiqué
13 May 2006	II EU-Central America Summit Joint Communiqué
2 March 2006	Nicaragua. XIV Central America-EU Joint Commission meeting Act
26 May 2005	XXI San José Dialogue Ministerial meeting between the EU and Central America Joint Communiqué
19 January 2005	Act, XIII Central America-EU Joint Commission meeting
28 May 2004	Guadalajara Declaration
15 December 2003	Political Dialogue and Cooperation Agreement
03 October 2003	XII Central America-EU Joint Commission
22 February 1993	Framework Cooperation Agreement
Source: European Union; Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador

The 1993 Framework Agreement established a Joint Committee and a Sub-Committee for Cooperation that meet regularly. In addition, an ad hoc Joint Working Group was established to conduct a joint assessment of regional economic integration.

Documents relating to the ad hoc working group
7-8 November 2005	San Salvador, El Salvador. III Meeting of the ad hoc Central America - EU working group
19-20 July 2005	Brussels, Belgium. II Meeting of the ad hoc Central America - EU working group
30 March - 01 April 2005	San José, Costa RIca. I Meeting of the ad hoc Central America - EU working group
Source: European Union; Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador

• Council of the European Union
• European Union (EU)
• Ministerio de Comercio de Costa Rica (COMEX)
• Ministerio de Fomento, Industria y Comercio (MIFIC)
• Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores de El Salvador