MercoNet Series Nº15 This book is a recompilation of the research results on the biofuels industry in Mercosur supported by the IDRC. There is strong consensus at the international level about the need to promote the generation of new energy sources that can replace fossil fuels. The stimulation of the production and the use of renewable energies which are less harmful to the environment and less expensive, as is the case of biofuels, has become increasingly important in the public debate and has been given priority in the political agenda.

Serie Red Mercosur N° 8 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, which is 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:

Serie Red Mercosur N° 7 The Mercosur region, and Argentina and Brazil in particular, were important in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) during the 1990s, and even today continue to attract important investment flows, although on a lesser scale. As a consequence, the presence of transnational companies and the degree of internationalization of the Mercosur economies have greatly increased in the last few years. These changes had visible impacts on the reorganization of some industrial sectors and services that went from being nationally controlled to being controlled by foreign company subsidiaries.

Serie Red Mercosur N° 4 This publication is the result of a joint initiative of the Mercosur Economic Research Network (MercoNet) and the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). Ten years after signing the Asuncion Treaty, the publication is a contribution on the part of the regional academic community to Mercosur?s development and advancement

MercoNet Series N° 1 Mercosur, and Argentina and Brazil in particular, have been important centers for attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) during the 1990s. For this reason, the presence of transnational companies has grown substantially in the four Mercosur countries. When the participation of the transnational branches in external sales and trade structures is considered, these economies rank among the most ?transnationalized? in the world.