The inaugural session of Mercosul Parliament will come about on December 14th, at the National Congress in Brasília. The date for the inauguration was announced by senator Sérgio Zambiasi (PTB-RS), the current president of Mercosul Joint Parliamentary Committee (CPCM), on Wednesday (18), during a Plenary meeting. He informed he had taken part in a CPCM meeting in Montevideo (Uruguay), in which member countries have agreed the inaugural session should take place in Brazil, although the Parliament’s headquarter will be in Montevideo.

At the Plenary, Zambiasi said Congresses of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay have already endorsed Mercosul Parliament creation, and Uruguay might do it by the end of October. The senator has also said that, after the inaugural session, a transition committee will be settled with the purpose of coordinating definitive installation of the Parliament. The new organ must be functioning by the end of March, in 2007.

CPCM last meeting occurred on October 10th in Montevideo, said Zambiasi, who had a meeting with senator Geraldo Mesquita Júnior (PMDB-AC) and federal deputies Mauro Passos (PT-SC) and Dr. Rosinha (PT-PR). Zambiasi pointed out that a day before this meeting, Uruguay had hosted a seminar regarding integration in Mercosul, with parliamentary officers from member countries and civil society delegates. Zambiasi stated that, after the seminar, leaders from unions, cooperatives and feminist movements submitted the new entity some proposals.

- This is the first time South American countries have a concrete opportunity for setting new ways of integrating, in social, economic and human fields.- Zambiasi celebrated.