President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) sanctioned, this Friday (8), the new environmental licensing law (Law 15.190, 2025), with vetoes to the original text approved by Congress in July (PL 2.159 / 2021).
In total, 63 of the 400 provisions were vetoed. The deleted sections include points considered critical by environmentalists, especially those that relaxed requirements for projects with significant environmental impact.
According to the Federal Government, the vetoes follow four main guidelines:
- Preserve the integrity of the licensing process;
- Ensure the rights of indigenous and quilombola peoples;
- Provide legal security to enterprises;
- Streamline licensing without compromising environmental responsibility.
At a press conference, Environment Minister Marina Silva highlighted that the decision represents a balance between speed and environmental protection. “We were able to maintain the integrity of the licensing process, ensuring speed without compromising the quality of the processes,” he stated.
The new legislation has a direct impact on infrastructure projects, such as solar plants, transmission lines, and hybrid systems, which require licensing to be implemented.
A provisional measure (MP 1.308 / 2025) and another bill, with constitutional urgency, were also signed by Lula, to partially reinstate the vetoed provisions. The MP deals exclusively with the regulation of the so-called LAE (Special Environmental Licensing), with rules that ensure agility in the process.
Vetoed
Among the vetoed provisions is the possibility of a single-phase LAE. This licensing modality can only be used for priority projects, which will have teams focused on expediting licensing.
The possibility of simplified licensing for projects with medium pollution potential, which includes the self-declaration licensing method, was also vetoed. As a result, the LAC (Licensing by Adhesion and Commitment) is maintained only for projects with low environmental impact.
The government also vetoed provisions that broadly transferred the definition of licensing parameters and criteria to the states and the Federal District. With these vetoes, the government established that states and the Federal District must adhere to "national standards."
The possibility of removing the Atlantic Forest from the special protection regime for the suppression of native forest was also vetoed.
Another veto struck down a provision that limited consultations with Indigenous and Quilombola communities for projects carried out in their areas. The veto means that Indigenous and Quilombola groups that have initiated the recognition process must be consulted.
The provision that exempted rural producers with a CAR (Rural Environmental Registry) pending review by state agencies from environmental licensing requirements was also repealed. The government also vetoed a provision that limited compensation actions to direct environmental impacts, excluding so-called indirect impacts.
The article that ended the obligation to follow the opinions of management bodies of conservation units when licensing projects that directly affect the unit or the protected surrounding area was also vetoed.
With the veto, conservation unit agencies will have real power over the process. Another veto by President Lula maintained the responsibility of financial institutions in granting credit in cases of environmental damage in projects they finance.
With information from the Senate Agency and Agência Brasil
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