“If the government proceeds with merging the ICNF [Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests] with the APA [Portuguese Environment Agency] and the CCDR [Regional Coordination and Development Commissions], we will witness the true end of nature conservation in Portugal,” stated the confederation in a communiqué.
The confederation remarked that, “despite its limitations,” the ICNF is “the only entity with a clear and specialized mission in the conservation of biodiversity, forests, and protected areas.”
It noted that the APA and the CCDR have different roles, primarily focused on licensing and administrative management.
“Integrating the ICNF into this structure would mean diluting nature conservation in a sea of bureaucracy and economic and political interests. If the ICNF already faces challenges in fully achieving its mission, the APA and the CCDR lack both the vocation and technical capacity to assume this responsibility,” it emphasized.
The Portuguese Confederation of Environmental Protection Associations concludes that such a merger would be “a historical setback, the dismantling of all that has been achieved through years of work, dedication, and struggle.”
The political party Livre also submitted a request today to urgently hear the Minister of Environment and Energy in parliament regarding a potential merger of the ICNF’s duties with the other two entities.
The request follows a report by the newspaper Expresso on Tuesday, citing “various unidentified sources,” stating that the Government intends to dissolve the ICNF as it currently exists and divide its responsibilities between the APA and the CCDR.
