Brazil Decree Clarifies Federal Environmental Agency Power to License Major Projects

摘要

A decree from Brazil's president clarifies that the federal government has environmental oversight over major infrastructure projects whose licensing had been under state jurisdiction, environmental lawyers told Bloomberg BNA. The decree implements 2011 law (LC 140) that defines whether federal, state or municipal environmental agencies will handle licensing based on a project's location and the extent of its environmental impact (34 INER1068, 11/9/11). The decree (No. 8,437), signed by President Dilma Rousseff and Environment Minister Izabella Teixeira, took effect April 23.