During August and September, the Jean Monnet Module from the Universidad Austral organized the 2nd edition of the Update Workshop: European Union, Mercosur and Argentina: Strategic challenges and opportunities in a changing world.

Co-financed by the European Union , it was a training and exchange forum on current European affairs, Mercosur, and its implications for Argentina. It took place over five sessions: three online (August 12, 19, and 26) and two in-person (September 7 and 8, Buenos Aires), fostering a dynamic and inclusive dialogue among academics, experts, and government officials.

Thematic areas and specialists

Introduction to the European Union: Teresa Freixes, Juan Luis Manfredi, Régis Dandoy, Javier Sepúlveda Estrada and Mónica Velasco Pufleau spoke about the constitutional foundations, institutions, governance, foreign policy and digital agenda.

Challenges and current political situation of Mercosur: Ignacio Bartesaghi and Dolores Gandulfo spoke about the internal situation, the structural challenges and the future of South American integration.

Role of the EU and Mercosur in the new global configuration: José Antonio Sanahuja, Sofía del Carril and Santiago Ardisson elaborated on the role of both blocs in the new global order and the EU-LAC bi-regional architecture.

The section on Legal, Regulatory and Economic Aspects of the EU-Mercosur Agreement was led by María Gattinoni, Alejandro Perotti and Alejandro Arroyo Welbers.

EU cooperation opportunities in Argentina: Iván Navas Fernández, Teresa Bouza Serrano and Victoria Giussani (EU Delegation in Argentina) presented the main lines of action.

The closing panel, moderated by Julieta de San Felix, included the participation of Victoria Clark , Julio Lescano and Juan Manuel Brückner, who shared experiences and proposals to strengthen cooperation at different levels of government.

The workshop, a pioneering initiative of its kind, established itself as a benchmark for training decision-makers and for strengthening academic and political ties between the European Union, Mercosur, and Argentina.