The Center for International Strategies of Governments and Social Organizations (CIG) of the School of Government of the Universidad Austral and the Embassy of the European Union in Argentina organized a Dialogue Meeting on the EU-MERCOSUR Agreement, a space for exchange and analysis on the opportunities and challenges that this treaty presents for Argentina and the region.
The event took place on Tuesday, March 25th at the CABA headquarters of the Universidad Austral and included the participation of Eran Nagan, Deputy Ambassador of the European Union in Argentina, Fernando Straface, Director of the CIG, María Concepción Latorre, European Expert, and Viktoria Lovenberg, Head of the Commercial Section of the Embassy.
This event was part of a series of meetings organized by the European Union Embassy in Argentina with key local stakeholders. On this occasion, the focus was on young Argentine leaders, who will play a central role in implementing this agreement and in developing an international integration strategy for our country. Participants included representatives from Argentine cities and provinces, and young leaders from the Argentine Industrial Union (UIA), the Argentine Council for International Relations (CARI), the Argentine Rural Society's Athenaeum, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ISEN), the National Senate, the Buenos Aires City Legislature, and others.
At the opening of the event, Eran Nagan, Deputy EU Ambassador to Argentina, highlighted that the agreement would create a market of 800 million people with a total GDP equivalent to a quarter of the global economy, making it the world's largest trading zone. This will allow MERCOSUR access to a market of 450 million people with a GDP per capita of approximately USD 35.000, representing a significant economic opportunity for the region.
Eran Nagan, Deputy EU Ambassador to Argentina
During her remarks, María Concepción Latorre emphasized the importance of having reliable partners in the current global context. She stressed that the European Union is a transparent partner committed to its trade and investment agreements. Furthermore, she noted that all impact studies project growth in Argentine and regional manufacturing GDP. She underscored that the agreement also aims to facilitate SMEs' access to the European market and foster political cooperation and technological complementarity. According to Latorre, greater trade integration between the blocs will attract more investment and generate production using cleaner technologies, strengthening Argentina's competitiveness.
For his part, Fernando Straface emphasized that the Agreement will require a new generation of policymakers prepared to address the relationship between economic development and sustainability. The effective implementation of the treaty will demand experts capable of aligning trade commitments with climate and social objectives, ensuring that MERCOSUR exports meet European standards without harming local production sectors. The joint work between the School of Government of the Universidad Austral And the European Union, initiated at the end of last year, will contribute to the formation of these new leaders that the process needs.
To that end, the joint work between the School of Government of the Universidad Austral And the European Union seeks to empower public actors through knowledge generation, the exchange of good practices and the design of training tools, thereby maximizing the benefits of internationalization and inclusive development of the country.
María Concepción Latorre, European Expert
The School of Government of the Universidad Austral got a Jean Monnet Module of the European Union In November 2024, she was selected by the European Union, from more than 1.300 applications worldwide, to carry out a project focused on training, research and impact in European studies for three years.
With the CIG, the work agenda includes promoting a better understanding of the Agreement, empowering Argentine public actors through knowledge generation, the exchange of best practices, and the design of training tools, to maximize the benefits of its internationalization and contribute to the country's inclusive development. Furthermore, a "European Union Bloc" will be included in the Executive Program "Internationalization as an engine of development" which has already trained more than 60 policymakers from all Argentine provinces. Experts from embassies of countries that have undergone similar processes will also participate in the Dialogue Series of the Observatory on Argentina's Accession to the OECD.
