Senate should vote tomorrow project with new environmental licensing rules

The Environment Commission (CMA) and the Agriculture and Agrarian Reform Commission (CRA) approved, in separate meetings, the General Law of Environmental Licensing. With the endorsement of the two committees, the proposal is, under urgent regime, to the Senate Plenary. The vote is scheduled for this Wednesday (21).

The text provides for general rules and guidelines to standardize the procedures for issuing environmental license throughout the country and simplifying the granting of licenses to the lower impact enterprises.

Also read: Rapporteur presents a new Opinion of Environmental Licensing Mark in the Senate

Senator Tereza Cristina (PP-MS), rapporteur of the article at CRA, said the proposal will allow unlocking infrastructure works. “I have no doubt that we are going, not only unlock public works – which throws out money that Brazil does not have, because these works start and licensing does not go out and there is no way to continue – but also for private initiative, for money outside, for investments that come from outside the country,” said the senator.

She admits that it is possible to negotiate some points with the government. “Anyone from the executive knows the difficulty that is for a governor to implement enterprises in his states. There are some points that we can discuss, but others are non -negotiable,” he said.

Also read: Petrobras wins in a drilling plan in the Amazon, but future licensing is doubt

Criticism of the project

During the CMA meeting, Senator Fabiano Contarato (PT-ES) showed concern about the possibility of weakening the National Environmental System (Sisnama).

“We will have an environmental war in Brazil, with its peculiarities and its differences. So, the license for adhesion and commitment to medium sized activity, for me, is serious. The weakening of sisnama, for me, is complicated, without the participation of civil society. The depletion of traditional indigenous peoples without being heard is also a point that has to be evaluated,” contarato pointed out.

Environmentalists have also been concerned with the approval of the proposal. The Climate Observatory sent a letter to Senate President David Alcolumbre (Union-AP), warning that the bill has setbacks that pose serious risks to the environment.

According to the document, the approval of the project threatens to deepen pollution, deforestation, greenhouse gas emissions and placing Brazil against what internationally promises, on the eve of the COP-30.