Buenos Aires, 27th July 2023. The Ministry of Economy, through the Secretariat of Industry and Productive Development, and AL-INVEST Verde/Component 2 will work jointly with the National Quality Plan for the strengthening of Argentina's national laboratories in charge of the public and private quality system.
To this end, AL-INVEST Verde will provide support by means of a technical assistance to improve traceability of bovine leather, timber, soybeans and derivatives and promote exports of these products to the European Union.
"This type of alliance shows that the world sees Argentina as part of the long-term agenda, such as sustainable production, and in which we are making every effort to strengthen the national quality system to boost our SMEs to the world," said the Secretary of Industry and Productive Development of the Nation, José Ignacio de Mendiguren.
For her part, the Undersecretary of Industry, Priscila Makari, said that "quality is a strategic aspect for the entire national industry and the entire productive apparatus so that our exports have greater Argentine added value and generate more and better jobs". "We are working hard to insert Argentina intelligently into international markets, adapting to global quality standards. In the sustainable development agenda with the European Union we seek to strengthen national capacities to test and certify in our country," he added.
Enrico Prezio, representative of the European Union in Argentina, then took the floor, highlighting this action as "a support measure to be able to accompany countries in the region. partner and strengthen trade relations. "If we want to make a difference on climate change, among others, we need to work together," he said.
Emilio Calvo, director of Component 2 of the AL-INVEST Verde programme, referred to Argentina as "a fundamental country", as the European Union is the first foreign investor in the country and the third largest trading partner. "Specifically, soya derivatives are among the main Argentine products exported to the EU, and bovine hides and wood and its derivatives are among the products with the greatest potential to increase their shipments to the EU market. It is because of this commercial importance that they were prioritised in the action we are presenting today and which we defined jointly with the Undersecretariat for Industry," he said.
Technical assistance
Technical assistance for the strengthening of Argentinean laboratories was presented by the National Director of Regional and Sectoral Development, Maria Sol Pasqualini, and the Coordinator of the Quality Plan, Pablo Barreto, who indicated that its objective is to expand Argentina's quality infrastructure in products related to leather, wood and soybeans.
Consultant Anahi Monier, responsible for the technical assistance by AL-INVEST Verde together with Andrés De Nichilo, explained that this action will be divided into three phases. Firstly, the requirements set out in legislation and in testing and product standards will be analysed, in order to analyse the commercial situation. Once the EU requirements have been systematised, they will be compared with local regulations regarding the quality and sustainability of the products.
Finally, visits will be made to a federal sample of national laboratories and certifiers to identify the capacities that need to be developed so that companies "can have the possibility to test and certify their products locally to facilitate their operations and to have these tests recognised worldwide".
This roadmap will involve producing companies and their chambers of commerce, private and public laboratories, the country's quality infrastructure bodies, as well as other state bodies with competence in the applicable legislation and the control of compliance with it. With this assistance, the aim is to systematise the quality, traceability and sustainability standards required by the European Union for the entry of leather, soya and wood products.
National Quality Plan
The National Quality Plan of Argentina promotes the development of quality infrastructure in the country and promotes its international recognition, through training for companies and consumers, to reach the highest standards and achieve greater environmental sustainability. It also disseminates the national offer of tests, calibrations, certifications, verifiers, reference materials and interlaboratories.
About AL-INVEST Verde
AL-INVEST Verde is a European Union (EU) programme whose main objective is to promote sustainable growth and job creation in Latin America by supporting the transition towards a low-carbon, resource-efficient and more circular economy. Through Component 2, led by FIIAPP in consortium with IILA, the programme provides assistance for strengthening public policy and multi-stakeholder dialogues on sustainable agricultural and value chains, environmental and labour standards, as well as sustainable trade and economic policy and regulatory frameworks.
