Preparation of a comparative study focused on the continuities and new nuances of inequalities in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean

Official Opinion

The EU-LAC Foundation and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO) announce the results of the call for proposals for the development of a comparative study focused on the continuities and new nuances of inequalities in Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.

We appreciate the excellent response to this call for proposals, which received 29 applications from researchers interested in contributing to the comparative analysis of inequalities between the two regions. The evaluation process was carried out by an evaluation committee from both institutions. From the EU-LAC Foundation, the evaluations were conducted by Dr. Anna Barrera and Valentina Rodríguez, with the assistance of Nele Koch, Jocelyne Tomas, Aurelia Puliafito, and José Rodríguez Ramos. From CLACSO, the participants were Gabriela Roffinelli, Jorge Rojas, Josefina Torres, Julio Gambina, Jésica Pla, and María Fernanda Sañudo.

The projects were evaluated under criteria of quality and relevance, taking into account the theoretical and conceptual suitability of each proposal, the methodological suitability in relation to the proposed topic and the capacity of the project to generate results transferable to political practice, aligned with the bi-regional cooperation agenda between the European Union and Latin America and the Caribbean.

Based on the evaluation criteria, the Committee selected the winning proposal that outstandingly met all the requirements:

Selected research proposal: "Lights on inequality. Is energy the cause of new inequalities between, and within, Latin America and Europe?"provisional title)

Research team:

• María María Ibáñez Martín, National University of the South and Institute of Economic and Social Research of the South (CONICET) – Argentina
• G. Federico Nastasi, Centro Studi di Politica Internazionale – Italy
• Yormy Eliana Melo Poveda, Universidade Federal Fluminense – Brazil

Study Summary: The selected research addresses energy inequality in Europe and Latin America, analyzing how unequal access to energy impacts household well-being and exacerbates other structural inequalities. Organized around three levels of energy deprivation—indigence, poverty, and vulnerability—the study explores the profiles of affected households and uses logistic regression models to identify the socioeconomic factors that influence the likelihood of experiencing these deprivations. A comparative analysis between countries in both regions is prioritized, generating indicators and public policy recommendations to mitigate energy inequalities within a framework of a just energy transition. This project aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals and will contribute to the bi-regional debate on energy justice and climate change.

The EU-LAC Foundation and CLACSO congratulate the selected team and thank all participants for their valuable contributions to the study of inequalities between Europe and Latin America and the Caribbean.