Brazil’s National Council for Combating Piracy (CNCP), which is linked to the National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) of Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), had its second meeting in early December. The organization has been developing an update to country’s National Plan to Combat Piracy for the four-year period 2026–2029.
The Plan will feature the integration between public bodies of inspection and control of pirate trade, consumer empowerment and adaptation to the realities of digital commerce, especially in the face of the growing migration of consumption to the online environment.
“Piracy has consolidated itself as an organized crime activity, articulated nationally and internationally, financing illicit networks and connecting to smuggling, money laundering and exploitation of illegal labor. It threatens the health and safety of the consumer and weakens the development of the country,” said Ricardo Lewandowski, Minister of Justice and Public Security.
Citing a recent crisis involving beverages adulterated with methanol, policymakers showed that piracy has impact that extends beyond copyright and economic concerns and can represent a direct threat to public health, requiring coordinated responses from the State to prevent the entry, production and circulation of risk substances.
Expanded role
Against this backdrop, the National Secretary of Consumer Affairs, Paulo Pereira, highlighted the role of the CNCP as a space for articulation and strategic integration. “The Council should function as a center for analysis and information sharing, capable of identifying illegal practices and supporting prevention and repression actions in a more qualified way,” said Pereira.
For 2026, the CNCP will have the goal to help improve the understanding of illegal trade and its actors, with emphasis on data sharing, trend analysis and improvement of mechanisms for identifying illicit practices.
Priorities include expanding tools that allow the consumer to verify the origin and authenticity of products, strengthen educational actions on the risks of the illegal market and promote faster responses to signs of new threats, especially in sensitive sectors, such as beverages and medicines.
The goal is to consolidate a more integrated, preventive and capable of anticipating movements of criminal organizations.
National Policy to Combat Piracy
The National Policy to Combat Piracy (PNCP) guides the State’s action in confronting illegal trade and protecting intellectual property. Structured by the CNCP, it is operationalized through the National Plan to Combat Piracy, a four-yearly document that organizes prevention, awareness, training and institutional strengthening actions. The policy brings together different spheres of government and representatives of civil society to promote a safer, more competitive economic environment aligned with the public interest.
Why it matters
The National Council for Combating Piracy and Crimes against Intellectual Property (CNCP) is a collegiate that brings together representatives of public power and civil society to articulate policies of prevention, combat and awareness on illicit practices related to piracy and illegal trade. The Council acts in the coordination of strategies, the exchange of information and the promotion of educational actions to reduce consumer damage and strengthen legality.
Further reading
National Council to Combat Piracy meets to discuss new plan for the State. Press release. December 11, 2025 (Modified December 29, 2025). National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), Ministry of Justice & Public Safety, Brazil
CNCP defines new cycle of the National Plan to Combat Piracy. Press release. December 3, 2025. National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon), Ministry of Justice & Public Safety, Brazil
