In country presidents' the 39th meeting that integrate Mercosur in San Juán, Argentine, and finished on last Tuesday (03), a Common Customs Code was approved eliminating double taxing of products circulating in more than one country of the block. From 2012, products imported in Brazil, Argentine, Paraguay and Uruguay that are re-exported to other Mercosur members will only pay one taxation.

President of Brazilian Representation in Mercosur Parliament (Parlasur), Deputy José Paulo Tóffano, considers that the economic block advance has not been followed at the political scope.

For Tófanno, Common Customs Code has been a great advance after six years of theme discussion. “This advance in the customs code with the double taxing extinction is a very significant step for Mercosur goals: complete elimination of circulation taxes of goods, and in the future, maybe the creation of the unique currency.”

Proportionality
Tóffano criticizes, however, discussion absence on proportionality of each country representation in the block Parliament. Nowadays, each Mercosur member owns 18 parliamentarians. Only after integrants of each country in Parlasur’s definitive number being established, direct election achievement will be possible in order the population can choose Mercosur parliamentarians.

Free Trade
For the Deputy Dr. Rosinha, this week meeting was also marked by other great step: the free trade agreement with Egypt. Dr. Rosinha defends Mercosur partnership with countries having the similar presence into the block. “When you discuss treaties with economies more or less the same size, everyone wins.”

Free trade agreement with Egypt is the second one signed up by Mercosur. The first one was signed up with Israel and started being valid in this year. Ethanol is one of Brazil’s tax-free products that will be exported to Egypt.

Block Presidency
Also in Mercosur meeting, which finished in this last Tuesday, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva took block presidency over. The position was occupied in the last six months by the Argentine mandatory, Cristina Kirchner. Lula is going to continue in the position until 2010.

Mercosur has a rotating presidency each semester among the block integrants – Argentine, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Senator Aloizio Mercadante will take Parlasur presidency over for Brazil, in session to be performed next Monday (9) in Montevideo (Uruguay).

Translation - Grupo Solución/SP Language – Márcia Regina Monteiro Ferreira