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LETTER IN DEFENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Atualizado: Jun 19
We hereby , members of the Brazilian Association of Environmental Law Professors – APRODAB, in the month the World Environment Day is celebrated, make public our concern and disagreement with the accelerated process of set-backs and dismantling of the Brazilian Environmental Policy, a legal-institutional Brazilian heritage, occurring through the proposed amendments for normative, administrative and legislative modifications that threaten and endanger the protection of Brazil’s Environment.
Here are the grave facts of public knowledge:
1. The transfer of the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) from the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) and the establishment of MAPA as a managing body responsible for public forests and for demarcating and conferring title to property quilombola (former African Brazilian slave) peoples for occupied land;
2. The extinction of the Secretariat for Extractivism and Sustainable Rural Development, which is fundamental to support the traditional and quilombola communities;
3. The transfer of the National Water Agency (ANA) and the National Council of Water Resources (MHRN) from the MMA to the Ministry of Regional Development, further weakening the Ministry of the Environment and biding water resources policy to economic and developmentalist interests;
4. The weakening of IBAMA (the National Environment Agency) and ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Protection), both by almost entirely delegating federal competences to states and municipalities, and by the militarization of their command to the detriment of technical personnel;
5. The authorization to auction off the oil in the vicinity of the Abrolhos ecological reserve;
6. Accelerated approval of new pesticides (197 new registrations authorized by the end of May 2019), menacing human health, food safety and the preservation of soil and water resources;
7. The reduction of CONAMA’s (National Council of Environment) delegates in number and representativeness. CONAMA is fundamental for the implementation of the National Environmental Policy, whose good representativity is necessary to guarantee the Democratic Principle, in the elaboration of public environmental policies;
8. The drastic reduction of environmental monitoring, resulting in an exponential growth of environmental devastation, especially the deforestation of the Amazon region;
9. The threat to transform full protection units into shopping centers for unsustainable tourism – “Cancun” model – in total disagreement with the terms of art. 225, paragraph one, item III, of the Federal Constitution, and Law 9,985 / 2000 (Protected Areas Act);
10. The negotiations to facilitate hunting, thus threatening wildlife for the benefit of the arms industry.
In addition to all these actions already in effect, whether by means of provisional measures or decrees, there are also the threats presented either by the president, or by his minister, or by his parliamentary group, namely:
a) The revision of all 334 federal conservation units (parks and other protected areas);
b) The effort to threaten the credibility of the Amazon Fund, through use of vague and unproven accusations of irregularities in the spending of its resources, especially concerning NGO partners, besides the attempt to misuse the Amazon Fund, in destining resources to different objectives than the ones established by their donors;
c) The reform of the Forestry Code to release deforestation agents from restoring APPs (permanent protection areas) and legal reserves, by issuing a new provisional measure, since the original one has expired;
d) The ending of the legal reserve, already proposed through a legislative project.
All these attacks in such a short time have led former ministers of the Environment, political parties and various governments, to publicly denounce the anti-environmental policy of the federal government and the TCU (National Audit Office) to open an investigation into irregularities in the Ministry of the Environment.
However, it takes more to stop this senseless march towards the destruction of a juridical-institutional heritage conquered during the last decades by the Brazilian society.
For such, we, professors who publicly denounce the state of affairs of present-day Brazilian environmental policies, demand:
I. That the National Congress halt these setbacks, by approving the various legislative decrees that render ineffective the normative instruments that presented them;
II. That the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Brazilian Bar Association promote ADI (judicial proceeding of unconstitutionality) , based on the Principle of Prohibition of Enviromental Setback, against all measures that threaten the environment;
III. That the Brazilian society strongly engage in defense of our natural heritage, our environmental legislation and our environmental protection agencies.
The environment is a common asset, a fundamental right of the Brazilian people, who have the duty to protect and preserve it for the present and future generations. That is why, at a moment in history when the world faces several challenges to guarantee the future of all, it does not seem wise for Brazil to backslide and dismantle its policies and programs of action in favor of a balanced environment.
1. Ana Maria de Oliveira Nusdeo – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
2. Ana Maria Jara Botton Faria – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
3. Ana Maria Moreira Marchesan – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Alegre/RS
4. Ana Stela Vieira Mendes Câmara – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
5. André Gustavo de Almeida Geraldes – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
6. Andréia Mello – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
7. Anete Fiuza – Membro da APRODAB – Cuiabá/MT
8. Antonio Augusto Souza Dias – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Velho/RO
9. Beatriz Souza Costa – Membro da APRODAB – Belo Horizonte/DF
10. Carlos Frederico Marés de Souza Filho – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
11. Clarice Ferreira Macedo D’Isep – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
12. Danielle de Andrade Moreira – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
13. Danielle Denny – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
14. Edson Ricardo Saleme – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
15. Elida Lucia Sá Séguin – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
16. Elizabeth de Almeida Meirelles – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
17. Elizabeth Harkot de la Taille – Professora da FFLCH USP – São Paulo/SP
18. Erika Bechara – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
19. Fernanda de Salles Cavedon-Capdeville – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
20. Fernando de Azevedo Alves Brito – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória da Conquista/BA
21. Fernando Fernandes da Silva – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
22. Fernando Rei – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
23. Fernando Walcacer – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
24. Flávia de Sousa Marchezini – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/ES
25. Francelise Pantoja Diehl – Membro da APRODAB – Balneário Camboriú/SC
26. Geovana Cartaxo, Prof. UFC – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
27. Gert Winter – Membro honorário da APRODAB – Bremen/Alemanha
28. Giovanna Paola Primos Ribas – Membro da APRODAB – Ponta Grossa/PR
29. Guilherme José Purvin de Figueiredo – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
30. Heline Sivini Ferreira – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
31. Ibraim Rocha – Membro da APRODAB – Belém/PA
32. Isabella Franco Guerra – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/SP
33. Joana Setzer – Membro da APRODAB – Londres/Inglaterra
34. João Alfredo Telles Melo – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
35. João Carlos V. Veiga Junior – Membro da APRODAB – Concórdia/SC
36. João Paulo Miranda – Membro da APRODAB – Santana do Livramento/RS
37. Jorge Alberto Mamede Masseran – Membro da APRODAB – Campinas/SP
38. José Nuzzi Neto – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
39. José Rubens Morato Leite – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
40. Julia Mattei de Oliveira Maciel – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
41. Júlio Cesar de Sá da Rocha – Membro da APRODAB – Salvador/BA
42. Luciana Cordeiro de Souza Fernandes – Membro da APRODAB – Limeira/SP
43. Luciana Martins de Araújo – Membro da APRODAB – Goiânia/GO
44. Luciana Uchôa Ribeiro – Membro da APRODAB – Lisboa/Portugal
45. Luciola Maria de Aquino Cabral – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
46. Marcelo Abelha Rodrigues – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/SC
47. Marcelo Gomes Sodré – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
48. Márcia Brandão Carneiro Leão – Membro da APRODAB – Campinas/SP
49. Márcia Diegues Leuzinger – Membro da APRODAB – Brasília/DF
50. Maria Luiza Machado Granziera – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
51. Marialice Antão de Oliveira Dias – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Velho/RO
52. Marise Costa de Souza Duarte – Membro da APRODAB – Natal/RN
53. Maurício Duarte dos Santos – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
54. Nina Nicksue Mouro Carneiro – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
55. Norma Sueli Padilha – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
56. Oscar Alexandre Teixeira Moreira – Membro da APRODAB – Caratinga/MG
57. Patrícia Bianchi – Membro da APRODAB – Lorena/SP
58. Paulo Velten – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/ES
59. Pedro Curvello Saavedra Avzaradel – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
60. Petruska Canal Freitas – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/ES
61. Ricardo Antônio Lucas Camargo – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Alegre/RS
62. Ricardo Stanziola Vieira – Membro da APRODAB – Itajaí/SC
63. Rogério Emílio de Andrade – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
64. Rogério G. Rocco – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
65. Sandra Cureau – Membro da APRODAB – Brasília/DF
66. Sheila Pitombeira – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
67. Solange Teles da Silva – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
68. Suyene Rocha – Membro da APRODAB – Palmas/TO
69. Themis Aline Calcavecchia dos Santos – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
70. Ubiracy Araujo – Membro da APRODAB – Brasília/DF
71. Valmir César Pozzetti – Membro da APRODAB – Manaus/AM
72. Vanêsca Buzelato Prestes – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Alegre/RS
73. Virgínia Totti Guimarães – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
74. Vitório Sorotiuk – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
75. Mauro F. de Figueiredo – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
76. Alessandra Galli Aprá – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
77. Álvaro de Azevedo Alves Brito – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória da Conquista/BA
LETTER IN DEFENSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL LAW AND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY
Atualizado: Jun 19
We hereby , members of the Brazilian Association of Environmental Law Professors – APRODAB, in the month the World Environment Day is celebrated, make public our concern and disagreement with the accelerated process of set-backs and dismantling of the Brazilian Environmental Policy, a legal-institutional Brazilian heritage, occurring through the proposed amendments for normative, administrative and legislative modifications that threaten and endanger the protection of Brazil’s Environment.
Here are the grave facts of public knowledge:
1. The transfer of the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) from the Ministry of the Environment (MMA) to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply (MAPA) and the establishment of MAPA as a managing body responsible for public forests and for demarcating and conferring title to property quilombola (former African Brazilian slave) peoples for occupied land;
2. The extinction of the Secretariat for Extractivism and Sustainable Rural Development, which is fundamental to support the traditional and quilombola communities;
3. The transfer of the National Water Agency (ANA) and the National Council of Water Resources (MHRN) from the MMA to the Ministry of Regional Development, further weakening the Ministry of the Environment and biding water resources policy to economic and developmentalist interests;
4. The weakening of IBAMA (the National Environment Agency) and ICMBio (Chico Mendes Institute of Biodiversity Protection), both by almost entirely delegating federal competences to states and municipalities, and by the militarization of their command to the detriment of technical personnel;
5. The authorization to auction off the oil in the vicinity of the Abrolhos ecological reserve;
6. Accelerated approval of new pesticides (197 new registrations authorized by the end of May 2019), menacing human health, food safety and the preservation of soil and water resources;
7. The reduction of CONAMA’s (National Council of Environment) delegates in number and representativeness. CONAMA is fundamental for the implementation of the National Environmental Policy, whose good representativity is necessary to guarantee the Democratic Principle, in the elaboration of public environmental policies;
8. The drastic reduction of environmental monitoring, resulting in an exponential growth of environmental devastation, especially the deforestation of the Amazon region;
9. The threat to transform full protection units into shopping centers for unsustainable tourism – “Cancun” model – in total disagreement with the terms of art. 225, paragraph one, item III, of the Federal Constitution, and Law 9,985 / 2000 (Protected Areas Act);
10. The negotiations to facilitate hunting, thus threatening wildlife for the benefit of the arms industry.
In addition to all these actions already in effect, whether by means of provisional measures or decrees, there are also the threats presented either by the president, or by his minister, or by his parliamentary group, namely:
a) The revision of all 334 federal conservation units (parks and other protected areas);
b) The effort to threaten the credibility of the Amazon Fund, through use of vague and unproven accusations of irregularities in the spending of its resources, especially concerning NGO partners, besides the attempt to misuse the Amazon Fund, in destining resources to different objectives than the ones established by their donors;
c) The reform of the Forestry Code to release deforestation agents from restoring APPs (permanent protection areas) and legal reserves, by issuing a new provisional measure, since the original one has expired;
d) The ending of the legal reserve, already proposed through a legislative project.
All these attacks in such a short time have led former ministers of the Environment, political parties and various governments, to publicly denounce the anti-environmental policy of the federal government and the TCU (National Audit Office) to open an investigation into irregularities in the Ministry of the Environment.
However, it takes more to stop this senseless march towards the destruction of a juridical-institutional heritage conquered during the last decades by the Brazilian society.
For such, we, professors who publicly denounce the state of affairs of present-day Brazilian environmental policies, demand:
I. That the National Congress halt these setbacks, by approving the various legislative decrees that render ineffective the normative instruments that presented them;
II. That the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Brazilian Bar Association promote ADI (judicial proceeding of unconstitutionality) , based on the Principle of Prohibition of Enviromental Setback, against all measures that threaten the environment;
III. That the Brazilian society strongly engage in defense of our natural heritage, our environmental legislation and our environmental protection agencies.
The environment is a common asset, a fundamental right of the Brazilian people, who have the duty to protect and preserve it for the present and future generations. That is why, at a moment in history when the world faces several challenges to guarantee the future of all, it does not seem wise for Brazil to backslide and dismantle its policies and programs of action in favor of a balanced environment.
1. Ana Maria de Oliveira Nusdeo – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
2. Ana Maria Jara Botton Faria – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
3. Ana Maria Moreira Marchesan – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Alegre/RS
4. Ana Stela Vieira Mendes Câmara – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
5. André Gustavo de Almeida Geraldes – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
6. Andréia Mello – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
7. Anete Fiuza – Membro da APRODAB – Cuiabá/MT
8. Antonio Augusto Souza Dias – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Velho/RO
9. Beatriz Souza Costa – Membro da APRODAB – Belo Horizonte/DF
10. Carlos Frederico Marés de Souza Filho – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
11. Clarice Ferreira Macedo D’Isep – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
12. Danielle de Andrade Moreira – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
13. Danielle Denny – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
14. Edson Ricardo Saleme – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
15. Elida Lucia Sá Séguin – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
16. Elizabeth de Almeida Meirelles – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
17. Elizabeth Harkot de la Taille – Professora da FFLCH USP – São Paulo/SP
18. Erika Bechara – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
19. Fernanda de Salles Cavedon-Capdeville – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
20. Fernando de Azevedo Alves Brito – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória da Conquista/BA
21. Fernando Fernandes da Silva – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
22. Fernando Rei – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
23. Fernando Walcacer – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
24. Flávia de Sousa Marchezini – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/ES
25. Francelise Pantoja Diehl – Membro da APRODAB – Balneário Camboriú/SC
26. Geovana Cartaxo, Prof. UFC – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
27. Gert Winter – Membro honorário da APRODAB – Bremen/Alemanha
28. Giovanna Paola Primos Ribas – Membro da APRODAB – Ponta Grossa/PR
29. Guilherme José Purvin de Figueiredo – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
30. Heline Sivini Ferreira – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
31. Ibraim Rocha – Membro da APRODAB – Belém/PA
32. Isabella Franco Guerra – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/SP
33. Joana Setzer – Membro da APRODAB – Londres/Inglaterra
34. João Alfredo Telles Melo – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
35. João Carlos V. Veiga Junior – Membro da APRODAB – Concórdia/SC
36. João Paulo Miranda – Membro da APRODAB – Santana do Livramento/RS
37. Jorge Alberto Mamede Masseran – Membro da APRODAB – Campinas/SP
38. José Nuzzi Neto – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
39. José Rubens Morato Leite – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
40. Julia Mattei de Oliveira Maciel – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
41. Júlio Cesar de Sá da Rocha – Membro da APRODAB – Salvador/BA
42. Luciana Cordeiro de Souza Fernandes – Membro da APRODAB – Limeira/SP
43. Luciana Martins de Araújo – Membro da APRODAB – Goiânia/GO
44. Luciana Uchôa Ribeiro – Membro da APRODAB – Lisboa/Portugal
45. Luciola Maria de Aquino Cabral – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
46. Marcelo Abelha Rodrigues – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/SC
47. Marcelo Gomes Sodré – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
48. Márcia Brandão Carneiro Leão – Membro da APRODAB – Campinas/SP
49. Márcia Diegues Leuzinger – Membro da APRODAB – Brasília/DF
50. Maria Luiza Machado Granziera – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
51. Marialice Antão de Oliveira Dias – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Velho/RO
52. Marise Costa de Souza Duarte – Membro da APRODAB – Natal/RN
53. Maurício Duarte dos Santos – Membro da APRODAB – Santos/SP
54. Nina Nicksue Mouro Carneiro – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
55. Norma Sueli Padilha – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
56. Oscar Alexandre Teixeira Moreira – Membro da APRODAB – Caratinga/MG
57. Patrícia Bianchi – Membro da APRODAB – Lorena/SP
58. Paulo Velten – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/ES
59. Pedro Curvello Saavedra Avzaradel – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
60. Petruska Canal Freitas – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória/ES
61. Ricardo Antônio Lucas Camargo – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Alegre/RS
62. Ricardo Stanziola Vieira – Membro da APRODAB – Itajaí/SC
63. Rogério Emílio de Andrade – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
64. Rogério G. Rocco – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
65. Sandra Cureau – Membro da APRODAB – Brasília/DF
66. Sheila Pitombeira – Membro da APRODAB – Fortaleza/CE
67. Solange Teles da Silva – Membro da APRODAB – São Paulo/SP
68. Suyene Rocha – Membro da APRODAB – Palmas/TO
69. Themis Aline Calcavecchia dos Santos – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
70. Ubiracy Araujo – Membro da APRODAB – Brasília/DF
71. Valmir César Pozzetti – Membro da APRODAB – Manaus/AM
72. Vanêsca Buzelato Prestes – Membro da APRODAB – Porto Alegre/RS
73. Virgínia Totti Guimarães – Membro da APRODAB – Rio de Janeiro/RJ
74. Vitório Sorotiuk – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
75. Mauro F. de Figueiredo – Membro da APRODAB – Florianópolis/SC
76. Alessandra Galli Aprá – Membro da APRODAB – Curitiba/PR
77. Álvaro de Azevedo Alves Brito – Membro da APRODAB – Vitória da Conquista/BA