Brazil and the United States last Friday signed a Memo-randum of Understanding (MOU) expressing their intention to cooperate on the development and deployment of biofuels, and they are to begin such work in Central America and the Caribbean to plug local production and consumption of the product.
They indicated that they would cooperate in enhancing their collective public and private sector resources toward the advancement of biofuels and related technologies, and identified three areas of cooperation – bilateral, third countries, and global, according to a press release.
Brazil and the US would also establish a steering group to oversee the work being carried out under the MOU so that proper coordination is maintained across each of the three areas of cooperation.
Considering the strategic importance of biofuels as a transformative force in the region to diversify energy supplies, bolster economic growth, advance social agendas and improve the environment, they also took into account the existing mechanisms and ongoing cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, environment, and science and technology regarding biofuels.
At the bilateral level, the two countries intend to advance the research and development of next generation biofuels technology “leveraging where possible work being done in the framework of the Brazil-US Com-mercial Dialogue (2006), the Consultative Committee on Agriculture (2003), the Consultative Group on Energy (2003) the US/Brazil Common Agenda for the Environment (1995) and the Joint Commission on Cooperation in Science and Technology (1984) – amended and extended by the Protocol signed on March 21, 1994,” the release stated.
In terms of the ‘third countries’ area of cooperation, they intend to work “jointly to bring the benefits of biofuels to select third countries through feasibility studies and technical assistance aimed at stimulating private sector investments in biofuels.”
According to the release, they “intend to begin work in Central America and the Caribbean to encourage local production and consumption of biofuels, with a view to continuing joint work in key regions across the globe.”
And on the global front, Brazil and the US expressed their desire to “expand the biofuels marketplace through cooperation on the establishment of uniform standards and codes.” To achieve this goal, the release stated, the two countries intend to “cooperate through the International Biofuels Forum (IBF), leveraging existing work being carried out between the US National Institute of Stan-dards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institute of Meteorology, Standards and Industrial Quality of Brazil (INMETRO) and coordinating with existing and complementary international fora.”
The Under Secretary of Economic, Energy and Agricultural Affairs in the US Department of State will be the US government’s primary representative for the implementation of the MOU, while in Brazil the Under Secretary General for Political Affairs in the Ministry of External Relations will be the counterpart.
The release noted also that each representative, or their designees, will be responsible for providing information regarding actions taken by their respective government.
According to the MOU which took effect from last Friday when it was inked in Sao Paulo, Brazil, issues relating to domestic trade or tariffs would be raised in other multilateral, regional or bilateral fora.
