Brasília, November 19, 2002 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - To guarantee the consumer rights of fans who go to stadiums to attend sporting events. That is the goal of an agreement to cooperate that the ministers of Justice, Paulo de Tarso Ribeiro, and Sports and Tourism, Caio Luiz de Carvalho, signed today.

The agreement stipulates the Ministry of Sports and Tourism should inform the Secretariat of Economic Rights about the time, place, and date of events, as well as gate receipts and attendance. The Ministry of Justice will be responsible for making the National Sports Legislation available to the Ministry of Sports and Tourism and state and municipal consumer defense agencies, as well as for keeping up-to-date the laws on consumer protection and defense.

Ribeiro hopes that a culture of respect for the fan is created in Brazil. "We believe that, beginning next year, the fan can have at his (her) disposal a series of conditions ranging from the provision of services to the need always to honor the obligations he (she) is owed," he emphasized. (DAS)