The Mercosul Parliament will meet from Monday (3) in its fifth ordinary session in Montevideo, Uruguay. During the session, that will take two days, the constitution of the permanent committees of the new legislative organ should be defined. Also a report of the pro tempore presidency, now exercised by Uruguayan deputy Roberto Conde, will be presented.

The parliament will have ten committees. Among them, the committees on Juridical and Institutional Affairs, Economic Affairs, International Affairs and the one on Education, Culture, Science, Technology and Sports. Each one of the four current effective partners of Mercosul - Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay - should preside two committees in a permanent way. The other committees, that would be given to Venezuela, a partner in adhesion process, would be presided provisorily by other countries.

The committees will be able, according to the Standing Rules approved by the parliament in the last meeting, to promote public hearings on subjects linked to the development of the integration process, with the presence of representatives from entities of the civil society, business leaders, non-government organizations and social movements. The meetings will be accomplished in Montevideo, except in exceptional cases, which, for decision of most of their members, the committees can meet in other countries that compose the block.

The first appointment of Brazilian senators in the Uruguayan capital on Monday (3) will be a working breakfast, at 8h30, with ambassador Regis Arslanian, permanent delegate to the Latin-American Association of Integration (Aladi) and to Mercosul. At 10h, a special session of the parliament will be accomplished for the discussion of a proposal to modify the article 134 of the Standing Rules, that deals with the quorum for the beginning of the sessions. At 11h the fifth ordinary session will take place. The session will continue on Tuesday (4), starting from the 9h30.

Still in 2007, according to Nahes, free trade agreement can be firm between Mercosul and Council of Cooperation of the Golf, that it includes, besides Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arábia, Oman and Kuaite. The presidential message with his / her indication (118/07) had them reporter senator João Tenório (PSDB-AL). The meeting was presided by senators Heráclito Fortes (DEM-PI) and Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG).