Daniella Jinkings       Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – In the latest chapter in the running battle between the International Soccer Association (FIFA) and the Brazilian government (both of which diplomatically deny any battle), the Brazilian Consumer Defense Institute (“Idec”) jumped in with a letter to president Dilma Rousseff complaining about the government’s announced intention to review its General Law for the World Soccer Cup (“Lei Geral da Copa”). Idec claims that the changes being proposed would gut (“tornar sem validade”) the country’s Consumer Defense Code (“Código de Defesa do Consumidor”) during the 2014 World Cup. The organization sent copies of its letter to the minister of Sports, Orlando Silva, and the minister of Justice, José Eduardo Cardozo.

There are four controversial issues. First, the question of the sale of alcoholic beverages. FIFA has a sponsorship contract with a beer brewery while Brazil has state laws that prohibit the sale at soccer games. Second, as the World Cup is a FIFA event that takes place in a sovereign state, FIFA controls the price and sale of tickets to games. Brazil has laws guaranteeing half-price tickets to senior citizens and students. FIFA is not interested in losing any ticket revenue. Third, with regard to commercial rights and protection of trademarks, FIFA, which controls rights and trademarks, wants Brazil to put more teeth into its laws and make penalties tougher. Fourth, credentials for games are controlled by FIFA – for journalists and authorities.

The issues are so important that president Dilma Rousseff met with the FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke, in Brussels. Brazil will probably be flexible about everything except the half-price for seniors, which is enshrined in the country’s Senior’s Statutes("Estatuto do Idoso").

Idec is very upset at what it sees as a trampling on citizen rights, such as the Soccer Fan’s Statute, state laws giving students half-price tickets and, especially, the Consumer Defense Code. Idec says it is worried that social progress will simply be set aside during the World Cup.

“This is unbelievable. They are going to disregard advances made in social benefits and ignore valid national laws because of this event, a sports event,” said a spokesperson for Idec.

The consumer watchdog institute is also worried about a clause (“cláusula penal”) in the General Law that allows FIFA to punish no-show consumers who order tickets but do not pay for them for some reason. According to Idec, first, FIFA gets exclusive ticket rights and then they get a pass as far as Brazilian law is concerned.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Lei Geral da Copa: Idec envia carta a Dilma com críticas ao governo e à Fifa