Copaíba, an affiliate and member of the Coordination of the RMA (Network of NGOs of the Atlantic Forest), shares the Note published by the National Coordination of the RMA itself with other collectives of Civil Society organizations:

“The Ministry of the Environment’s Circular Letter number 5, published on Tuesday (14) and which “determines the lifting and suspension of the execution for 90 days of agreements and partnerships, including terms of collaboration and terms of promotion with third-party bodies sector agreed by the Funds Managed by MMA, Ibama, ICMBio and JBRJ” violates the principle of legality and raises, without minimal evidence, doubts about the suitability of civil society.

Law 13,019/2014, national in scope, known as the Regulatory Framework for Civil Society Organizations (MROSC), in force since January 2016, regulates relations between governments and civil society organizations. It only provides for suspension as a sanction, a measure that should only be taken after opening an administrative proceeding in which the interested party has the right to contradictory and full defense.

The act of the Minister of the Environment, Ricardo Salles, does not present any justification, which violates the constitutional principle of the motivation of administrative acts.

The minister adopts, without legal basis and without motivation, an extreme generic sanctioning measure, with the potential to cause discontinuity in federal environmental management. The damage will be to the environment, which in theory Salles should protect, and to vulnerable populations across the country”.

The above note is signed by the following collectives of civil society organizations:

Brazilian Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (Abong)

Latin American Ecosocialist Alliance (Aela)

Brazilian Forum of NGOs and Social Movements (FBOMS)

Matogrossense Forum on Environment and Development

Teles Pires Forum

Amazon Working Group (GTA)

GT Infrastructure

Ethos Institute

Climate Observatory (OC)

Platform for a New Regulatory Framework for Civil Society Organizations (MROSC)

Brazilian Network of Environmental Education (Rebea)

Atlantic Forest NGO Network (RMA)