FGV strengthens institutional presence in Europe at a seminar in the European Parliament

The president of the Fundação Getulio Vargas (FGV), Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal, chaired the seminar "Challenges and Opportunities of the Brazil-European Union Partnership", held at the European Parliament in Brussels on October 16. The event marked a significant step in consolidating the institutional presence of FGV in Europe and reinforced its role as a bridge of dialogue and transatlantic cooperation.

The Foundation was welcomed by the Member of the European Parliament Ana Miguel Pedro, one of the representatives of Portugal, in a meeting that brought together authorities, academics, and representatives of public and private institutions from Brazil and the European Union.

In the opening session, the Member of the European Parliament highlighted the importance of relations between Brazil and the European Union, not only in commercial matters but also in cultural and social fields, emphasizing Brazil's dynamism. The General Director of FGV Europe, Cesar Cunha Campos, presented a strategic overview of FGV's positioning on the continent. The Ambassador of Brazil to Belgium, Silvio José Albuquerque e Silva, and the Minister Aloysio Nunes Ferreira, Head of Strategic Affairs at ApexBrasil in Brussels, emphasized the importance of strengthening political and economic cooperation between the two blocs, as well as highlighting the importance of the new FGV office in Brussels.

The main lecture, entitled "Geopolitics in Times of Uncertainty", was led by President Carlos Ivan Simonsen Leal, who discussed the strategic challenges of the current international situation and highlighted the opportunities for deepening relations between Brazil and the European Union.

The seminar also included two thematic panels. The first, "Mercosur-European Union: Opportunities and Challenges of the Agreement", gathered Paolo Garzotti (European Commission – DG Trade), Vera Thorstensen (FGV EESP), and Christina Terra (ESSEC Business School and former director of Postgraduate Programs at FGV), who debated the economic and commercial perspectives of the partnership.

The second panel, "Global Security in Times of Uncertainty", featured the participation of Fabian Zuleeg(European Policy Centre), Guntram Wolff (Université libre de Bruxelles), and Elena Lazarou (ELIAMEP and former director of the Center for International Relations at FGV), who discussed the role of international cooperation in the face of contemporary geopolitical challenges.

The closing was conducted by the Ambassador of Brazil to the European Union, Pedro Miguel da Costa e Silva, who highlighted the future prospects for cooperation between Brazil and the EU and emphasized the importance of initiatives such as that of FGV for strengthening political, academic, and economic dialogue between the two blocs.

Among the participants, notable were Antonio José Campos Moreira, Attorney General of Justice of the Public Ministry of the State of Rio de Janeiro (MPRJ); Marfan Martins Vieira, Secretary-General of Institutional Relations and Defense of Prerogatives of the MPRJ and former Attorney General of Justice; the lawyer Décio Freire, president of the Board of Directors of Décio Freire & Associados (DFA); and the vice president of FGV, Clovis de Faro, emeritus professor of FGV EPGE.

Among the Brazilian and European institutions present, representatives of ApexBrasil Brussels, Fraunhofer Institut, ESSEC Business School, Brugel University, German Economic Institute, European Policy Centre (EPC), JBS Group, and Enel stood out, among others.