Civil society organizations promoted this Tuesday (11/04), in front of the National Congress, an act against Provisional Measure (MP) 1,150/2022, which weakens the Atlantic Forest Law and the Forestry Code, allowing loopholes of impunity for who deforest illegally. The mobilization was attended by environmentalists and parliamentarians. The MP was approved by the Chamber of Deputies, on March 30, and is now in the Senate, and can be voted on at any time.
During the demonstration, a 25-meter “SOS Mata Atlântica” flag was extended on the lawn, accompanied by an inflatable chainsaw with the message “#Veta 1.150. Changing the Forestry Code = deforestation. Say no”.
Presented by the ruralist caucus, still during the Bolsonaro government, MP 1,150/2022 opens loopholes so that rural producers are not punished for non-compliance with environmental legislation, in practice extending the deadline for joining the Environmental Regularization Program (PRA) indefinitely.
The Atlantic Forest is the only Brazilian biome that has a specific Law (11,428/2006) for protection, due to its high rate of deforestation. According to the SOS Mata Atlântica Foundation, only 12% of the original vegetation cover has been conserved. If approved, MP 1,150 will contribute to the destruction of what’s left of the biome.
“Provisional measure 1,150 tears up the Atlantic Forest Law, allowing more deforestation in those forests that are more mature, the primary forests, which hold the greatest biodiversity in our country, on our continent and which are extremely important for water reserves, for the maintenance of the climate, for the maintenance of ecosystems and goes against everything the world is doing”, commented Malu Ribeiro, director of public policies at SOS Mata Atlântica. She said that the act was intended to draw the attention of society and senators to the measure not being approved.
???? #SaveAMataAtlântica! #SaveTheForestCode! There is an anti-environmental ???? in the plenary of the @FederalSenate! You, Senator, SAY NO to MP 1150.
The message is from Malu Ribeiro (@Gotinhas), Director of Public Policy at the @sosma. ????
???? @estercezaar pic.twitter.com/Qwa12barvA
— socioambiental (@socioambiental) April 11, 2023
Roberta del Giudice, executive secretary of the Forestry Code Observatory (OCF) explains that MP 1,150 “indefinitely extends the beginning of the restoration of 19 million hectares of Permanent Preservation Areas (APP) and Legal Reserve (RL), located in the nearly 7 million rural properties already registered in the CAR. The interruption of the adjustment process will lead to disbelief in the implementation of environmental legislation, giving a negative signal to the most demanding international markets”.
Nilto Tatto, federal deputy for the Workers’ Party (PT) of São Paulo and president of the Environmentalist Parliamentary Front (FPA), emphasized that the creation of MP 1,150/2022 is yet another attempt to ensure impunity for those who commit environmental crimes in the country and who do not want to assume responsibility and commitment to recover APPs and legal reserves.
“There are almost 20 million hectares that need to be recovered. But there is another very serious problem with this provisional measure as well. A tortoise was placed, which practically buries, annuls a historic achievement of the Brazilian environmentalist movement, which is the law of the Atlantic Forest, ”he added.
A “jabuti” is when parliamentarians insert alterations of a different nature into a legislative proposal, which have nothing to do with what the original text says. This maneuver is done to try to circumvent the vigilance of opponents, the press and society.
“For that reason, we are here in this act, to ensure that the Senate does not approve this provisional measure. It has already been approved in the Chamber, by the ruralist group, and now we are here in a very large mobilization, so that the Senate does not approve this setback in the environmental area in any way. It is throwing the Forest Code and especially the Atlantic Forest law to the ground”, completed the deputy.
As a last resort, if approved, the hope is that it will be vetoed by President Lula.
On the Senate website there is a public consultation with open voting. Vote “no”, here at this link, and help to add to this movement.
Know more:
Forest restoration and Atlantic Forest at risk (Climate Observatory)
Approved in the Chamber of Deputies MP postponing once again the implementation of the Forestry Code (Observatory of the Forestry Code)