Brasília, 3/10/2004 (Agência Brasil - ABr) - The energy commercialization bill (Medida Provisória 144) survived an onslaught of amendments and riders (35 in all) in the Senate and the original text was approved. The bill will now go back to the Chamber of Deputies.

According to the government leader in the Senate, Aloizio Mercadante (PT-SP), there should not be any problems in the chamber.

Another energy sector bill (Medida Provisória 145), which creates a research corporation (Empresa de Pesquisa Energética) (EPE) to deal with sector planning, was easily approved in the Senate.