The law has suffered repeated delays, frustrating world football’s governing body, and a Brazilian congressional commission has now stated it won’t be voted on until next week. The commission partially approved the proposed law on Tuesday, but some key points – including the sale of alcohol inside stadiums – were set to be voted on separately on Wednesday. However, the Associated Press reported that congressmen postponed the vote as they were called up to handle other congressional matters. “It’s not only FIFA which is worried,” said Vicente Candido, who wrote the bill. “We are all worried now.”
The new law will regulate commercial rights, alcohol sales and advertising rules for the tournament and rubber-stamp the final commitments Brazil’s federal government made to FIFA in its bid to host the World Cup and the 2013 Confederations Cup. There have been wide concerns that world football’s governing body should not be allowed to overstep Brazilian law, contributing to the delays.
If approved, the law still has to go through the lower house and the senate before reaching President Dilma Rousseff. Writing in his regular column on FIFA.com last week, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke again reiterated the need for the bill to be passed as quickly as possible. “We are hoping for an expedited process in this matter, in order for all the involved parties to get on with the job after years and months of talking and discussing the same matter,” he said. “The finalisation of this will enable all parties, both at FIFA and in Brazil, to finally focus on the many operational and organisational duties that lie ahead for Brazil and FIFA, starting with the general infrastructure upgrades to the stadiums for the FIFA Confederations Cup. In particular, this legislative framework formed in the bill is crucial as it is the foundation for many key decisions to be implemented by the host cities, which had been put on hold until President Dilma Rousseff signs this ‘Lei Geral da Copa’, as it is called.”
Source: sportbusiness.com
