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1st Business ForumMERCOSUR – European Union
From Agreement to Action: Business, Trade and Investment
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About the Forum
The first MERCOSUR–European Union Business Forum will take place on December 2, 2026 in Punta del Este, Uruguay, under the theme “From Agreement to Action: Business, Trade and Investment”.
It will be the leading bi-regional business event of the year and the first since the signing of the Partnership Agreement and the provisional entry into force of the MERCOSUR – European Union Interim Trade Agreement.
The Forum will bring together authorities and business leaders from both regions with a clear goal: to turn the opportunities opened up by the Agreement into new business, investment and strategic partnerships, also within the framework of the European Union’s Global Gateway strategy.
The Forum is jointly organised by the Government of Uruguay, as holder of the MERCOSUR Pro Tempore Presidency, and the European Union, with the support of the European Investment Bank (EIB), CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) and Uruguay XXI.
The event will open three decisive days for the bi-regional relationship:
Dec 2MERCOSUR – European Union Business Forum · Punta del Este
Dec 3First Trade Council of the Interim Trade Agreement · Montevideo
Dec 469th MERCOSUR Summit of Heads of State · Montevideo
What will the Forum offer?
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B2B meetings and networking
Spaces to identify opportunities and connect with business and institutional stakeholders from both regions.
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Business success stories
Companies from MERCOSUR and the European Union will share success stories of bi-regional business ties.
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Sector panels
Agribusiness, innovation and the digital economy, infrastructure and logistics, energy and critical raw materials.
Date and venue
Event details
- Date
- Wednesday, December 2, 2026
- Address
- Punta del Este Convention Center
- Location
- Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay
Punta del Este Convention Center
Punta del Este, Maldonado, Uruguay
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Audience
Who will attend?
+250Participants
More than 250 participants will attend the first MERCOSUR – European Union Business Forum, including:
- Senior executives of companies from Europe and from MERCOSUR countries
- High-level authorities from MERCOSUR countries and from the European Union and its Member States, including ministers of trade
- Executives of development finance institutions
- Representatives of chambers of commerce and business associations from MERCOSUR and European Union countries
Topics
Four pillars of the bi-regional agenda
02
Innovation and digital competitiveness
03
Finance and investment
04
Infrastructure, logistics and energy
Wednesday, December 2, 2026
Provisional programme
- 8:30 – 9:30
Registration
- 9:30 – 10:00Opening
Welcome remarks
- 10:00 – 10:45Panel 1
Sustainability and competitiveness in MERCOSUR and European Union agribusiness
Moderator European Union
- 10:45 – 10:55MERCOSUR-EU Business Success Stories 1
Agribusiness
- 10:55 – 11:40Panel 2
Innovation and digital competitiveness in the MERCOSUR – European Union space
Moderator Inter-American Development Bank (IDB)
- 11:40 – 11:50MERCOSUR-EU Business Success Stories 2
Digital
- 11:50 – 12:00MERCOSUR-EU Business Success Stories 3
Services and logistics
- 12:00 – 13:30
Lunch for participants
- 13:30 – 14:00
Official ceremony
- Mario Lubetkin, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Uruguay
- Maroš Šefčovič, Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security, European Commission
- 14:00 – 14:45High-level panel
Finance and investment for a new stage in MERCOSUR – European Union relations
Moderator European Union
- 14:45 – 14:55MERCOSUR-EU Business Success Stories 4
Renewable energy and critical raw materials
- 15:35 – 16:20Panel 3
Infrastructure, logistics and energy for deeper MERCOSUR – European Union economic integration
Moderator CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean
- 16:20 – 16:30MERCOSUR-EU Business Success Stories 5
Infrastructure
- 16:30 – 17:00
Closing
- 18:00 – 20:00
Reception · MACA Museum
In parallel
B2B networking
9:30 – 12:30 14:00 – 16:30
Sector-based B2B networking and meeting space to facilitate concrete business connections between participants from MERCOSUR and the European Union.
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