Brasilia, Brazil --- (METERING.COM) --- February 13, 2013 - Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI) and the European Commission’s in-house Joint Research Center (JRC) have signed an arrangement to strengthen and further structure scientific and other cooperative activities in a number of areas including smart grids.

The arrangement foresees exchange of personnel and scientific information, reciprocal access to laboratories, shared use of scientific infrastructure, and support of training and of joint research.

The arrangement was signed at the 6th EU-Brazil Summit in Brasilia, Brazil in January, as a follow up to a letter of intent concluded during the 5th EU-Brazil Summit in October 2011.

Other areas covered by the cooperation arrangement include disaster prevention and crisis management, climate change and sustainable natural resource management, information and communication technologies (ICT), and nanotechnologies.

The arrangement also confirms training and cooperation activities between the JRC and MCTI under the Brazilian Mobility Program 'Science without Borders,’ under which 100 Brazilian researchers are expected to be hosted at the JRC.