Source: Agência Senado - Brasília / DF - 10/12/2009

The Foreign Relations Commission (CRE) approved at its meeting this Thursday (10) a memorandum of understanding (PDL 813/09) for the establishment of a bilateral Brazil-Paraguay intelligence group in the sphere of piracy, counterfeiting and smuggling of pirated and counterfeit products.

For the rapporteur, senator Romeu Tuma (PTB-SP), Brazil has great concern in relation to pirated medicines, which are generally false, because they cause, in addition to tax losses, great damage to the health of Brazilians.

In its meeting this Thursday (10), under the presidency of senator Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG), the Committee on Foreign Relations and National Defense (CRE) approved several international agreements.
They deal with measures to facilitate Paraguay's access to the sea, the round of negotiations in Mercosur on matters of services, amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Marine Pollution from Ships (MARPOL73/74) of the International Maritime Organization, and amendments to the Constitution of the International Labor Organization (ILO), as well as the Constitution of the International Telecommunication Union.
The six legislative decree bills still need to be approved in the Senate's Plenary to become effective.

The CRE also approved the text of the Agreement by Exchange of Notes, between Brazil and Norway, to allow the paid work of dependents of diplomatic and consular personnel, as well as the texts of the Brazil-Lithuania Agreement and the Brazil- Russia for short-stay visa waiver. The four draft legislative decrees still need to be approved in the plenary of the Senate.
At the request of senator Mozarildo Cavalcanti (PTB-RR), the Commission approved a statement by the director general of the Federal Police Department, Luis Fernando Corrêa, at the Amazon subcommittee, on the agency's role in monitoring Brazilian borders.
The CRE's president, senator Eduardo Azeredo (PSDB-MG), led the meeting.