BRASILIA, June 21 (Reuters) - Brazil's central bank maintained its benchmark interest rate on Wednesday for a seventh consecutive policy meeting, but took a more dovish tone on its future steps by excluding from its policy statement the possibility of upcoming rate hikes.

The rate-setting committee, called Copom, held its benchmark Selic interest rate at a six-year high of 13.75%, in line with the expectations of all 47 economists surveyed by Reuters, amid an easing inflation outlook and signs of more fiscal discipline.

A shift in the central bank's stance has been eagerly anticipated since its May rate-setting meeting, as Congress has made progress on new budget rules to rein in rising public debt.

However, Copom made clear its upcoming moves will depend on economic data, avoiding any clear signal about the decision at its next rate-setting meeting in early August, when many are betting it will kick off a series of rate cuts.

"The current scenario demands patience and serenity in the conduct of monetary policy," the committee wrote in its policy statement, adding that "the future steps of monetary policy will depend on the inflationary dynamics."

Rafaela Vitoria, chief economist at Banco Inter, said the central bank's message has turned less hawkish, as expected.

"But it was very subtle about the possibility of a policy change, saying it will depend on the data," she said. "Considering that the market is really pricing a cut in August, I think this has left things more open."

Improved risk perceptions under Brazil's new government, which Standard & Poor's cited last week when lifting the country's credit outlook to positive, have brought down interest rate futures and boosted the Brazilian real, which has firmed 6% against the U.S. dollar in the past three weeks.

Economists have trimmed longer-term inflation expectations, which had troubled policymakers by drifting away from official targets. Current inflation has also dropped more than expected despite surprisingly strong economic growth to start the year, supporting bets that monetary easing could kick off in August.

Against that backdrop, more business leaders have echoed President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's persistent calls for lower interest rates. Since taking office in January, he has blasted the central bank for holding rates steady despite cooling inflation, warning it was hindering economic growth.

In May, the annual inflation rate reached its lowest point in over two years, dipping below the 4% threshold for the first time since late 2020.

The central bank stressed in its policy statement that risks to its inflation outlook remain in both directions, citing global inflationary pressures and "residual uncertainty" about a new fiscal framework to be approved by lawmakers.

The new budget rules cleared a Senate committee on Wednesday but had not reached a plenary vote by the time of the interest rate decision.

Policymakers also cut their inflation projection for this year to 5.0%, from 5.8% in the previous meeting, and to 3.4% for 2024, from 3.6% previously. Policymakers are targeting 3.25% inflation for this year and 3.0% in 2024. (Reporting by Marcela Ayres; Editing by Brad Haynes and Jamie Freed)