Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur) decided, on Tuesday (13), to recommend to the Common Market Council (CMC) the creation of a development agency destined to advise the governments of Bloc countries at the projects preparation to be financed with Structural Convergence Fund’s resources (Focem). The proposal has been presented by the Senator Aloizio Mercadante, the current Parliament president.

According to the approved text, Parlasur will still recommend to the Council – Bloc’s highest organ, composed of Ministers of Economy and Foreign Affairs – which the future development agency advises not only at elaboration, but also at project articulation.

Technicians’ expansion
During the meeting occurred in Montevideo, Brazil’s Deputy Representative along Mercosur, Minister José Humberto de Brito Cruz has informed the Brazilian Parliamentarians that there is an intention in expanding from 5 to 16, the technicians’ number of Technical Unity of Focem, currently in charge of analyzing the projects to be financed with fund resources. The employees will be chosen by the means of a public tender.
In Deputy Germano Bonow’s opinion, who participated in that meeting, technicians’ expansion number could be considered a step forward at a development agency consolidation.

Focem is constituted by the four Mercosur countries’ financial contributions – Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. These are non-refundable grants for programs destined to specially stimulate the Bloc’s smaller economies. Brazil collaborates every year with US$ 70 million for Focem, equivalent to 70% of the total.

In addition, Argentine Parliamentarian Guillermo Jenefes’s recommendation proposal was approved in order CMC can inform Parlasur about the current situation of Mercosur’s Identification Project of Structural Convergence Needs.

Falkland Islands
Parlasur’s Plenary also approved declaration proposal presented by five Argentine Parliamentarians destined “to ratify the legitimate and inalienable Argentine sovereignty on Falkland (“Malvinas”), South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands”. Still, a proposal of support declaration to “Latin-America and Caribbean without Famine” was approved. Its author was the Argentine Parliamentarian Adolfo Rodriguez Saá.

With information from the Senate Agency.