After the approval of the Environment Minister Marina Silva said that the presidential veto “is put” and that the government works in alternatives to repair what called a “serious setback”. According to her, the text endangers agriculture, industry, exports and international credibility of Brazil.
In an interview with the newspaper The globeMarina avoided confirming that President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva will fully veto the project, but indicated that this is a concrete possibility. The minister stressed that the government is not committed to measures that “disassemble” the main tool of Brazilian environmental policy.
“Obviously, we will position ourselves on the merits, but it has always been signaled that the government will work vetoes and alternatives to make this repair,” said the minister. She classified the date of project approval as a “day of mourning”.
Technical reaction
Marina said that technical and legal opinions are being finalized to support Lula’s decision, and cited as possibilities an alternative bill, a provisional measure or the judicialization of the new milestone.
“Let’s dialogue to present alternatives. You can do a bill, you can do an MP. Everything in dialogue with Congress,” he said. “Now, damaging the protection and decades of the Licensing Law in the blink of eye, at dawn, by remote vote, is unthinkable.”
The minister also recalled that the government’s orientation, through leader José Guimarães (PT-CE), was for the base to vote against the project. Nevertheless, the measure was approved by 267 votes in favor and 116 against, in a session started at night and completed early in the morning of Thursday (17).
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Climate impact
The proposal is criticized by environmental entities for opening loopholes for “self -decline”, especially with the creation of the adhesion and Commitment License (LAC), which allows the approval of enterprises with only a self -declaration of the entrepreneur.
The proposal also reaches the country’s international prestige, according to Marina. “Greenhouse gas reduction goals and the end of deforestation by 2030 are committed to this new milestone,” he warned. The fear is that the project removes Brazil from international agreements and amplify judicial disputes for lack of legal certainty.
The advancement of the text represents a defeat to Marina Silva and the most environmental sectors of the government. The approval, however, was supported by other ministries – such as agriculture, transport, mines and energy and Civil House – that see in the project an opportunity to accelerate works and reduce regulatory bottlenecks.
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PL was accelerated after agreement between Senate President David Alcolumbre (Union-AP) and the ruralist bench. The text had been approved in the Senate in May and underwent the second vote in the House with punctual changes.
If Lula opts for the veto-partial or total-Congress can still knock it down. Regardless of the presidential sanction, government members have already indicated that the new rules may be questioned in the Federal Supreme Court.
