Lisbon, Jan. 25, 2026 (Lusa) - The Portuguese environmental association, ZERO, on Sunday classified the statements made by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries about the technicians of the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) as an "unprecedented attack on the dignity of institutions".
The Público newspaper reported this week that the Minister of Agriculture, José Manuel Fernandes, sent a video to technicians at the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF) in which he called for proactivity and argued that when legislation prevents projects from being implemented, one should question whether the law makes sense, noting that it can be changed.
Following this news, the minister called on social media for the resignation of the officials responsible for disseminating its content, accusing them of being "liars, cowards and radicals".
On Sunday, in a statement, ZERO - Associação Sistema Terrestre Sustentável (Sustainable Earth System Association) considered that José Manuel Fernandes' statements about the ICNF leaders "call into question the rule of law and violate the Government's Code of Conduct".
"And they represent an unprecedented attack on the dignity of nature conservation institutions. For ZERO, this behaviour is not only a breach of protocol, but also a direct attack on the technical autonomy of the Public Administration and a violation of the rules governing the exercise of political office in Portugal," the association said.
Regarding the minister's statements in the video, ZERO also considers "unacceptable" the principle that "if the law prevents projects from being approved, the law should be changed" in response to technical assessments and opinions that have led to the rejection of certain projects.
"ZERO recalls that the current Government approved, through Cabinet Resolution No. 103/2025, a Code of Conduct that obliges its members to adhere to high ethical standards," which is why it says that the statements made by the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries are "a direct and gross violation of the duties of the Principle of Urbanity".
For the association, by "labelling the leaders of a technical body as “radicals” and “cowards”, the minister is attempting to politicise science and land management".
"This stance reveals an unacceptable attempt to influence the actions of technicians whose mission is to defend natural heritage, suggesting that compliance with legislation is an act of “radicalism”," it adds.
For ZERO, "at a time when Portugal is facing critical climate and biodiversity challenges", the country "needs a strong, independent and respected Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, not a national nature and biodiversity conservation authority humiliated by its own political guardianship".
This situation has already drawn criticism from the Socialist Party (PS), which on Saturday accused the government of exerting "illegitimate pressure" on the entities responsible for environmental impact assessments, such as the ICNF and the country's environment agency, APA, and called for an urgent hearing in parliament with the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries.
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