On Monday, Governor Maximiliano Pullaro welcomed the European Union (EU) Ambassador to Argentina, Erik Høeg, to a meeting focusing on the trade, production and investment opportunities that the agreement between Mercosur and the European bloc opens up for Santa Fe.
The meeting took place at the Government House in the city of Santa Fe and was attended by the Minister for Productive Development, Gustavo Puccini; the Minister for the Economy, Pablo Olivares; the Minister for Government and Public Innovation, Fabián Bastia; and the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Enrique Estévez. Also present were the Secretary for International Relations, Claudio Díaz, and the Secretary for Foreign Trade and Investment, Georgina Losada.
Following the meeting, Puccini highlighted the significance of the visit and Santa Fe’s position in trade relations with Europe. “The province has many opportunities arising from this agreement. We account for between 22 per cent and 25 per cent of national exports, which gives us a responsibility to continue identifying opportunities in a demanding market,” he said.
The minister emphasised that Santa Fe is well-placed to compete in that market. “We comply with the standards – particularly environmental and traceability standards – required by the European Union. That also sets us apart from other provinces,” he stated.
Puccini pointed out that the provincial government is working to support small and medium-sized enterprises and producers through training and certification schemes that will enable them to access the European market. He also mentioned investments in logistics infrastructure, particularly in ports and airports, to facilitate exports from Santa Fe.
In this context, he highlighted the recent launch of the direct flight between Rosario and Madrid: “It opens up opportunities in trade, tourism, education and freight transport,” he said. Furthermore, he reported that the Province had highlighted the need to move towards a swift solution to the situation regarding biodiesel, a key sector of the Santa Fe economy.
Strengthening cooperation
For his part, Høeg described the meeting with Pullaro as “excellent” and explained that the aim of the visit is to strengthen the European Union’s cooperation with Santa Fe and to review the progress of the Mercosur–EU agreement, which has been in force since 1 May. “We spoke with the governor about the agreement’s prospects in the area of trade and the new benefits it brings for producers and consumers in Santa Fe,” he said.
The ambassador added that the province plays a key role in implementing the agreement: “We wanted to hear the views of a province such as this and find out how the agreement is working.
This afternoon we will hold a forum to analyse in greater detail the opportunities and challenges for businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises, and how they can comply with European market standards,” he said.
Høeg stated that health and phytosanitary requirements, traceability and measures to combat deforestation will be among the key topics of the meeting, which is to be held at the Santa Fe Stock Exchange.
