European Deputies Pressure Brazil to Refrain from Restricting NGOs in Amazon

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – A group of 68 European Parliament deputies sent a letter to Brazil’s Vice-president Hamilton Mourão and to the National Council of the Legal Amazon, which he coordinates, complaining about plans to restrict the activities of NGOs in the region.

Dated Thursday, November 26th, the text considers news on the establishment of limits and tougher rules for the activities of civil society organizations to be “very worrying”.

“The authorization process for the operation of NGOs is currently well regulated by Brazilian law. For many decades, several NGOs in Brazil have implemented programs and initiatives to fight environmental crimes, protect the Amazon rainforest and the survival of its populations, while promoting sustainable development in the region,” the letter states.

The first signatory is German deputy Anna Cavazzini of the Green Party, also vice-president of the European Parliament delegation for relations with Brazil. Other signatories are members of left-wing parties or environmentalists on the continent.

The letter was prompted by an article in the newspaper “O Estado de S. Paulo” in early November, according to which the Council would be discussing the establishment of a legal framework for the activities of NGOs, which could lead to the restriction of their operations. Mourão said he was unaware of this proposal, although he coordinates the body.

The letter states that NGOs in the Amazon in general act in close partnership with the federal and state governments. “NGOs are not there to replace the government, but rather to complement its actions – and to help make public policies more transparent and effective, through free criticism.”

According to deputies, the purported ongoing plan is a threat to the independence of NGOs and promotes “undue restrictions within the scope of civil society activities”.

The demonstration comes at a time when the word battle of words between Jair Bolsonaro’s government and European leaders is once again heated. Last week, the President threatened to disclose a list of countries on the continent that buy illegally harvested timber from the Amazon, but ultimately retreated.

Since the inception of his government, Bolsonaro has been critical of NGOs, which, he says, hinder the development of the Amazon region. There have been several attempts to create rules for the operation of these organizations, in addition to threats to restrict international funding.

The European Parliament has been highly critical of the Brazilian environmental policy and may bar the trade agreement signed by MERCOSUR with the European Union last year, because of the devastation of the rainforest.

In the letter, deputies mention the increase in forest patch burning. “At a time when the Amazon is burning at record speed, limiting the operations of environmental and social groups and organizations can have devastating consequences,” they say in the document.

According to them, the number of fires detected in the Amazon was 25% higher in the first ten months of 2020 compared to the same period in recent years.

“In this context, we would like to express our full support to NGOs working to protect the Amazon. Maintaining their independence and full scope of activities is crucial for our shared climate and environment,” ends the letter.

Source: Folhapress