Overview
- The Lei Geral do Licenciamento Ambiental (Law 15.190/2025) entered into force on February 4 after the 180‑day period following presidential sanction.
- Congress overturned President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s vetoes, restoring provisions that ease procedures and expand simplified licensing pathways.
- Three constitutional challenges (ADIs 7913, 7916 and 7919) were filed at the Supreme Federal Court, with Minister Alexandre de Moraes as rapporteur and information already requested from Congress and the Presidency.
- The law introduces new modalities, including the Licença Ambiental Especial (LAE) and self‑declaratory routes, with some articles allowing streamlined processes and, in specific cases, dispensing with environmental impact assessments.
- The LAE creates a ‘strategic enterprise’ category decided by a government commission meeting twice a year and sets a one‑year licensing deadline, fueling concerns from environmental groups and Indigenous and quilombola representatives about weakened safeguards and rights.