Congress overturns Lula's veto and returns exclusive competence to the Ministry of Agriculture for registering pesticides
This Thursday (9), the National Congress partially overturned President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's veto regarding the new Pesticides Law. With this, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock once again has exclusive competence for the registration of pesticides, as requested by the ruralist bench. This decision represents a setback for the government, which defended greater security in the inspection of agricultural products.
What does overturning the veto mean?
The partial overturn of the veto means that the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock resumes exclusive control over the registration of pesticides in the country. This implies that Anvisa and Ibama will have less decision-making power in this process, which may speed up the release of new products, but also raises concerns about the safety and supervision of these products.
How does this impact the pesticide law?
Congress's decision changes the pesticide law by returning exclusive competence to the Ministry of Agriculture. This may facilitate the approval of new pesticides, but it also raises concerns about the safety and environmental impacts of these products. Furthermore, the decision also makes the use of pesticides more flexible, which could have consequences for public health and the environment.
What is the position of the government and the ruralist group?
The government defended the veto as a measure to guarantee greater security in the inspection of pesticides, while the ruralist group argued that the centralization of competence in the Ministry of Agriculture would speed up the registration process and avoid the division of responsibilities between different bodies. The bench considers the decision a victory for the reduction of bureaucracy and modernization of the agricultural sector.
The overturning of so many vetoes on an issue as important as pesticides can generate an image of fragility and lack of control on the part of the government. This is because vetoes represent the Executive's position on certain points of legislation, and when they are overturned, they demonstrate that Congress disagrees with this position and is imposing its will.
In this specific case, the overturning of the vetoes can be interpreted as a defeat for the government, which defended greater regulation and safety in the use of pesticides. The image that remains is that of a government that has failed to impose its vision on a topic so relevant to public health and the environment, which can generate distrust and criticism from society and sectors linked to environmental preservation and health. .
What are the next steps?
The remaining vetoes will be considered in a session scheduled for May 28th. The expectation is that Congress will maintain the trend of overturning vetoes, which could significantly change the pesticide law and impact the agricultural sector and the environment.
