It makes its decisions through three bodies: the Common Market Council (CMC), the highest body of MERCOSUR, which politically guides the integration process, the Common Market Group (GMC), which ensures the daily functioning of the bloc, and the Trade Commission (CCM), in charge of the administration of the common commercial policy instruments.
Assisting these bodies there are more than 300 negotiation forums in the most diverse areas, which are made up of representatives from each member country and promote initiatives to be considered by the decision-making bodies. Once the rules have been negotiated and approved by the bloc’s decision-making bodies, they are mandatory and when necessary, they must be incorporated into national legal systems through the procedures provided for by the legislation of each country.
In order to ensure the simultaneous validity of the MERCOSUR regulations in the States Parties, a procedure has been established for the incorporation of the MERCOSUR regulations into the legal system of the States Parties based on Art. 40 of the Ouro Preto Protocol. With the passage of time and for the purposes of implementing its regional policies, MERCOSUR has created various permanent organizations in different cities, including the Fund for the Structural Convergence of MERCOSUR (FOCEM), the Institute of Public Policies in Human Rights (IPPDH), the Social Institute of MERCOSUR (ISM), the Parliament of MERCOSUR (PARLASUR), the Secretariat of MERCOSUR (SM) and the Permanent Court of Review (TPR).
