Gerardo Cuerva speaks at the First EU-Central America Business Forum on sustainable transport and logistics at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce

The Vice-President of the CEOE and President of CEPYME, Gerardo Cuerva, spoke at the first EU-Central America Business Forum on transport and logistics, which was held at the Spanish Chamber of Commerce. The event explored business opportunities in both sectors; financing initiatives in infrastructure, transport and logistics; and the implementation of innovative solutions in these areas.

The inauguration of the Forum was also attended by the Secretary General for Transport and Mobility of the Spanish Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, María José Rallo; the Secretary General of SIECA, Francisco Lima; the Secretary General of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce, Adolfo Díaz-Ambrona; the Head of Unit, A1 - Coordination and Planning of the European Commission’s Directorate General for Mobility and Transport, Pierpaolo Settembri; and the Director General for Institutional Cooperation and Coordination - ICEX, Spain Exports and Investments, Javier Serra.

The Vice-President of the CEOE and President of CEPYME, Gerardo Cuerva, stressed the importance of improving the region’s infrastructure to deepen regional integration and intra-regional trade in Central America. He went on to explain that not only is more investment required, but investment that contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and to social cohesion. Cuerva reported that Spain is a world leader in transport infrastructure, and many of the companies are also renowned for their commitment to high quality and sustainability, both socially and environmentally. 

The CEOE has an excellent relationship with Central America and SIECA, Cuerva pointed out, thanks to the ties that unite it with its Central American counterpart organisations and, above all, due to the agenda that we pursue jointly through the Ibero-American Business Council (CEIB) and FEDEPRICAP. 

In this respect, he stressed that to guarantee a sustainable infrastructure ecosystem, the CEOE and CEIB believe it essential “to improve the legal security and institutional quality of the bodies involved in project management; to avoid tax increases that further penalise SMEs; that financial institutions develop and promote lines of sustainable projects, and to strengthen their role as catalysts for private investment, through guarantees and co-financing mechanisms through green bonds; and to intensify international cooperation.”