{{Short description|Proposed constitutional amendment to the constitution of Brazil}} {{Infobox legislation |short_title = PEC 215/2000 |legislature = Brazilian National Congress |image = Protesto indígenas na Câmara dos Deputados contra PEC 215.jpg |caption = Indigenous people protesting against PEC 215 |long_title = Adds Section XVIII to Article 49; modifies § 4th and adds § 8th, both in Article 231 of the Federal Constitution. |citation = [https://www.camara.leg.br/proposicoesWeb/prop_mostrarintegra?codteor=176261&filename=PEC%20215/2000 PEC 215/2000] |territorial_extent = Whole of Brazil |considered_by = Chamber of Deputies |bill = Constitutional Ammendment Bill no. 215 of 2000 |bill_citation = [https://www.camara.leg.br/proposicoesWeb/prop_mostrarintegra?codteor=176261&filename=PEC%20215/2000 PEC 215/2000] |bill_date = 28 March 2000 |introduced_by = Dep. Almir Sá |committee_responsible = Constitution, Justice and Citizenship<br />Special Commission - PEC 215/00 |1st_reading = 28 March 2000 |keywords = Indigenous peoples in Brazil |status = Not passed }} '''PEC 215''' is a proposed constitutional amendment to the constitution of Brazil.
It intends to delegate exclusively to Congress the duty of demarcation of indigenous and Quilombola territories, as well as the ratification of land already approved.<ref name="therealnews">{{cite web|url=http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10867|title=Brazil Agrobusiness Lobby Set to Appropriate Native Land and Timber|publisher=therealnews.com|accessdate=2016-05-30|archive-date=2016-06-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610050712/http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=10867|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="ebc">{{cite web|url=http://radios.ebc.com.br/brasil-rural/edicao/2015-10/deputado-diz-que-aprovacao-da-pec-215-nao-aumenta-violencia-contra|title=Deputado diz que aprovação da PEC 215 não vai aumentar violência contra indígena|date=30 October 2015 |publisher=radios.ebc.com.br|accessdate=2016-05-30}}</ref> It would prohibit the expansion of already existing indigenous areas.<ref name="noticiasagricolas">{{cite web|url=http://www.noticiasagricolas.com.br/noticias/questoes-indigenas/164109-pec-215-nota-oficial-da-presidencia-da-republica-desaprova-medida.html#.VyCqPVJefId|title=PEC 215: conheça a posição do Governo e o que pensa a Agricultura - Notícias Agrícolas|publisher=noticiasagricolas.com.br|accessdate=2016-05-30}}</ref> One of the proposal sections provides compensation of the Union to farmers who have properties absorbed by areas demarcated as indigenous land.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2">{{cite web|url=http://www.noticiasagricolas.com.br/noticias/questoes-indigenas/163982-comissao-aprova-tirar-do-executivo-poder-para-demarcar-terra-indigena.html#.VyCq6FJefIc|title=PEC 215: Comissão da Câmara aprova proposta que transfere decisão sobre... - Notícias Agrícolas|publisher=noticiasagricolas.com.br|accessdate=2016-05-30}}</ref> The Federal Constitution considers that indigenous lands belong to the Union and, therefore, there is no compensation to those who lose the ownership of the territory when the demarcation is recognized.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2"/>
Currently, the government and Funai are responsible for demarcation.<ref name="brasilienportal">{{cite web|url=http://www.brasilienportal.ch/news/indio-news/61536-kommission-spricht-sich-fuer-demarkation-von-indio-territorien-durch-kongress-aus/|title=Kommission spricht sich für Demarkation von Indio-Territorien durch Kongress aus » BrasilienPortal|date=28 October 2015 |publisher=brasilienportal.ch|accessdate=2016-05-30}}</ref> Under the proposed amendment, indigenous people might only be able to claim an area, they have lived in and used by 1988.<ref name="brasilienportal"/> It would give Congress the final say on new demarcations, a fact that displeases the indigenous leaders because of the strength of lobbyists.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2"/> Much of the protected area of indigenous lands and quilombola territories are rain forests being important for water and climate. There are farmers, who have filed an appeal.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2"/>
== Legislative process == Approval of the bill depends on two rounds of voting in the plenary sessions of the Chamber of Deputies and the Federal Senate, with qualified quorum, that is, with the votes of at least 308 deputies and 49 senators.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2" /> Parliamentarians opposed to the bill have said they will question its constitutionality in the Supreme Court.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2" /> The bill needs three fifths of the votes in senate to be approved.<ref name="cartacapital">{{cite web|url=http://www.cartacapital.com.br/sociedade/senadores-aderem-a-manifesto-contra-a-pec-215-7012.html|title=Uma esperança para as terras indígenas? — CartaCapital|publisher=cartacapital.com.br|accessdate=2016-05-30|archive-date=2016-08-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160815000640/http://www.cartacapital.com.br/sociedade/senadores-aderem-a-manifesto-contra-a-pec-215-7012.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
PEC 215 has been proposed in repeated sessions of Congress since 2000,<ref name="noticiasagricolas2" /> and has been approved in several congressional committee votes.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2" /> Members of the Chamber of Deputies of PT, PCdoB, PV, PSOL and REDE have advocated against the bill.<ref name="noticiasagricolas2" />
Great land owners have a great impact in congress.<ref name="brasilienportal" /> Protests by indigenous people prevented a vote on PEC 215 in 2014.<ref name="brasilienportal2">{{cite web|url=http://www.brasilienportal.ch/news/indio-news/56065-proteste-der-indios-verhindern-diskussion-und-abstimmung-zur-pec-215/|title=Proteste der Indios verhindern Diskussion und Abstimmung zur PEC 215 » BrasilienPortal|date=17 December 2014 |publisher=brasilienportal.ch|accessdate=2016-05-30}}</ref><ref name="ebc2">{{cite web|url=http://radios.ebc.com.br/jornal-da-amazonia-2a-edicao/edicao/2015-11/indigenas-vao-camara-protestar-contra-pec-215|title=Indígenas vão à Câmara protestar contra a PEC 215|date=4 November 2015 |publisher=radios.ebc.com.br|accessdate=2016-05-30}}</ref> Indigenous people have protested against the bill in front of the Chamber of Deputies.<ref name="ebc2" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Environmental law in Brazil Category:Proposed constitutional amendments of Brazil Category:2015 in politics Category:2015 in Brazil