15 years of Mercosur

MercoNet was created in 1998 with the fundamental objective of strengthening and promoting the contribution of economic research to the advancement and strengthening of the integration process in Mercosur.

This book, the eighth in the Mercosur Network Series, contributes to the consolidation and advances of the bloc on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of signing the Asuncion Treaty (1991). The book synthesizes the research contributions into three fundamental thematic areas:

• Perfecting the regional market and the design of a common trade policy.
• Coordinating macroeconomic policies.
• Foreign direct investment and the role of transnational companies.

The original, and in a way unique, character of these studies is that they are the product of systematic and joint teamwork on the part of researchers belonging to the four Mercosur countries.

We asked Professor Ramón Torrent from the University of Barcelona and Coordinator of the European Union - Latin American Relations Observatory (OBREAL) to write an introductory chapter to help the reader situate the MercoNet research within the greater context of political-institutional evolution within the bloc. This approximation by Prof. Torrent of the ?anatomy of the real Mercosur? contains interesting contributions for understanding the theory of integration in general.

MercoNet has promoted an environment conducive to discussion and exchanges (seminars, workshops and regional conferences) with the purpose of presenting and debating the results of its works with diverse governmental and non-governmental actors involved in the process of integration.

It is in the interest of MercoNet to obtain contributions from the diverse array of representatives in these fields from the government and civil society (businessmen, union leaders, etc.) in order to revitalize the research agenda, and when possible, enrich the perspectives of the governmental entities that make decisions that affect and interest the entire regional community.

Through our specialized publications and broad distribution, we hope to perfect the decision-making process in the economic sphere, through intense dissemination to the widest possible public of all regional economic issues which interest and directly impact our citizen?s daily lives.

FERNANDO GONZÁLEZ GUYER
Director General MercoNet