The Ministry of the Environment will now join the Executive Committee of CIMCE, with voting rights on critical and strategic mineral projects, as per Decree 13.160/2026.
The federal government has formalized the expansion of the environmental ministry’s participation in the operational decisions of the country’s energy and industrial transition.
Through Decree 13.160/2026, published in the Official Gazette of the Union, the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change now holds a seat and voting rights on the Executive Committee of CIMCE.
This measure amends the regulation established in September, ensuring that sustainability assessment directly follows the technical analysis of mining sector projects.
With the change, the ministry will directly influence deliberations on priority projects and the granting of instruments under the National Policy on Critical and Strategic Minerals.
Roles and voting power in the executive instance
Previously, the environmental agency’s presence was limited to the Full Council, a body focused on general guidelines.
Now, its role extends to the review of specific cases within the mineral ecosystem.
The Executive Committee has the prerogative to classify, approve, and prioritize proposals submitted to the council, as well as to qualify enterprises for access to public incentive mechanisms.
Alongside the environmental agency, the decision‑making sphere includes the House of Civil Affairs, the MDIC, the MCTI, and the ministries of Defense, Finance, Mining and Energy, and Foreign Affairs.
“The council is responsible for decisions on specific cases within CIMCE’s competence, including the approval, classification, and prioritization of projects, as well as the qualification of enterprises for access to national policy instruments.”
Council structure and priority minerals
The regulatory change follows the inaugural meeting of CIMCE, held with the presence of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
During the meeting, the government outlined a list of 27 minerals deemed essential for Brazil’s industrial development.
Presided over by the Casa Civil, the council’s plenary brings together 13 ministries, as well as representatives from states, municipalities, the private sector, and the academic community.
The council is responsible for approving the national sector plan, defining strategic inputs, and approving commercial transactions involving mining companies and foreign capital.
Adding the environmental sector to the executive arm of CIMCE aims to align investment attraction with socio‑environmental and decarbonization requirements.
As the committee progresses in its project reviews, the integration of industrial policy and environmental governance is likely to set the pace for new licensing and investment in the country.