Brazil commission approves Fifa World Cup law draft
(about 6 hours later)
A Brazilian congressional commission has approved a set of measures from football's world governing body Fifa for the 2014 World Cup.
A Brazilian congressional commission has partially approved legislation covering the 2014 World Cup.
Among the provisions Fifa has insisted on is that alcohol be sold at all venues in the tournament.
But sticking points remain, including the insistence by Fifa that alcohol, currently banned, be sold at venues.
The measures will now be voted on by Brazil's congress.
Fifa, football's world governing body, has pressed for the law to be passed soon but it still needs to go before the full Congress.
Fifa says the World Cup needs special rules, but critics say it is seeking undue influence over internal Brazilian matters.
The controversy and delay over the bill come amid continuing concern over the pace of preparations for the event.
The measures would also limit the right of Brazilian students to half-price tickets to matches.
Brazilian lawmakers had repeatedly delayed voting on the World Cup Law, which would set out the legal framework for the tournament.
The insistence on alcohol being sold has caused controversy as it is currently banned at Brazilian stadiums for safety reasons.
The legislation is supposed to enshrine the commitments made by the Brazilian government when it won the right to host the event.
The country's health minister has urged congress to maintain the ban.
But critics of the bill say it seeks undue influence over internal Brazilian matters.
Brewer Budweiser is a big Fifa sponsor.
The insistence on alcohol being sold has caused controversy as it is currently banned in Brazilian stadiums for safety reasons. The country's health minister has urged Congress to maintain the ban.
'Won't negotiate'
TV rights
"Alcoholic drinks are part of the Fifa World Cup, so we're going to have them," said Fifa General Secretary Jerome Valcke during a visit to Brazil in January.
Fifa insists it must protect the commercial rights of its sponsors who help fund the cost of staging the World Cup. Brewer Budweiser is a big Fifa backer.
"Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that's something we won't negotiate. The fact that we have the right to sell beer has to be a part of the law," he added.
The text approved by the commission on Tuesday also sets out which cut-price tickets senior citizens and students will be entitled to.
Alcohol was banned at Brazilian football matches in 2003 as part of attempts to tackle violence between rival football fans.
Another key issue has been to what degree the Brazilian government is liable for costs should the tournament be disrupted, be it through natural disaster or terrorist attack.
The measures have had limited impact, says the BBC's South American football correspondent Tim Vickery.
The legislation still needs to be passed by the lower house and the Senate and signed into law by President Dilma Rousseff.
In order to drink, supporters tend to stay longer outside stadiums, areas that are harder to police than the stadiums themselves.
Meanwhile, broadcaster Globo has bought Brazilian media rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Fifa says.
Much of the football violence in Brazil stems from club rivalries, our correspondent notes. Fans who follow the national side tend to be wealthier and include more women and families.
It did not say what the agreement was worth but Globo has had the rights to broadcast World Cups since 1970.
Health Minister Alexandre Padilha and other members of Congress have called for the ban to be maintained.
Fifa earns about 90% of its income from deals tied to the World Cup.
During his visit to Brazil, Mr Valcke also criticised the pace of construction of stadiums and said Brazil had not yet improved its infrastructure to the level needed to welcome visitors.
The costs of staging the tournament are spiralling, largely because of poor domestic organisation, our correspondent reports.
But one area where Brazil's government can flex its muscles is that of sovereignty - which is why beer sales and ticket prices, governed by local law, are now the front line in the tension between Brazil and Fifa, he adds.
