Company: AKO-B
Filing Date: 2025-03-26
Form Type: 20-F
Source: 0001410578-25-000473
Chunk: 77

Company: ANDINA BOTTLING CO INC
Filing Date: 2025-03-26
Form: 20-F
Item: Item 4
Chunk 77
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 for the new treatment of environmental concerns. Environmental issues are regulated at federal, state and municipal levels. The Brazilian Constitution empowers the public authorities to develop regulations designed to preserve and restore the environment and to control industrial processes that affect human life. Violations of these regulations are subject to criminal, civil and administrative penalties.
In addition, Law N° 6,938 of 1981, known as the Brazilian Environmental Policy, introduced an environmental regime under which no environmental damage is exempt from coverage. This legislation is based on the idea that even a polluting waste tolerated under the established standards could cause environmental damage, and therefore subjects the party causing such damage to the payment of an indemnity. Moreover, as mentioned above, activities damaging to the environment lead to criminal and administrative penalties, provided for in Law N° 9,605 of 1998 or the Environmental Crimes Act.
Numerous governmental bodies have jurisdiction over environmental matters. At the federal level, the Ministério do Meio Ambiente (Brazilian Ministry of Environment) and the Conselho Nacional do Meio-Ambiente or CONAMA dictate environmental policy, including, without limitation, initiating environmental improvement projects, establishing a system of fines and administrative penalties and reaching agreements on environmental matters with offending industries. The Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis or IBAMA, enforces environmental regulations set by CONAMA, through the development of several activities for the preservation and conservation of natural heritage and controlling and supervising the use of natural resources. In addition, various federal authorities have jurisdiction over specific industrial sectors, all aspects listed by these government bodies are fully met by Andina Brazil.
Finally, various state and local authorities regulate environmental matters in the Brazilian territory including the Instituto Estadual do Ambiente or INEA, the main environmental authority in Rio de Janeiro, the Instituto Estadual de Medio Ambiente e Recursos Hídricos (“IEMA”), the main authority on environmental issues in Espírito Santo, the Companhia de Tecnologia de Saneamento Ambiental - CETESB, the main environmental authority in São Paulo and the Secretaria de Estado de Meio Ambiente e Desenvolvimento Susutentável (SEMAD), the main environmental authority in Minas Gerais. INEA, IEMA, CETESB and SEMAD periodically inspect industrial sites. We believe that we are in compliance in all material respects with the standards established by all the governmental authorities applicable to our operations in Brazil. We cannot