November 13, 2002 The unofficial translations of these two
major laws come from the LBA Research Website.
Please feel free to access the website if you wish to to read the laws
in more depth. The link can be found under the October 21st research.
Regulation No. 55
Application
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Authorization of activities on the continental shelf and in waters under
Brazilian jurisdiction (involving research, exploration, removal and demolition
of objects or goods sunken. sumberged, stuck and lost) is within the competence
of the Ministry of the Navy
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Authorization for carrying out aerial surveys on Brazilian territory is
within the competence of EMFA.
Submittal and Formulation of Applications
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If the foreigner does not have available a Brazilian institution to assume
joint responsibility for the activities to be carried out in Brazil, such
person shall request the support of the CNPq, which shall endeavor to identify
institutions in Brazil that may assume this function. If it is not possible
to identify such an institution, the CNPq may itself assume this function
if it considers that the activity to be carried out in Brazil is of interest
to the country's scientific and technological development. MCT shall provide
a perio of 120 days from receiving all required documentation and complete
information to process and analyze requests for authorization, and this
period may be extended if the collection activities, by their nature and
complexity, require more detailed analysis or involve greater number of
consultations by other agencies. If the period is extended, MCT shall inform
the interested parties within 30 days in advance of the period provided
for processing and analysis of the request for authorization. Failure to
do so on the MCT's part results in the authorization being requested to
be automatically granted.
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Requests for authorization shall be submitted to the MCT in three copies
which include the following information: 1. Identifying data on the Brazilian
institution, along with an indication of its degree or participation or
responsibility, including that of a financial nature 2. Identification
of the investigator who will assure the participation of foreigners and
responsibility for their activities on behalf of the Brazilian Institution.
3. Definition of the objectives and goals that it is intending to achieve
and of the materials or data to be collected. 4. Work plan with a description
of the methodology, bibiliographed references and explanatory statement
of the scientific interest of the proposed activity. 5. Various routes
to be followed within Brazil, indicating scheduled dates for the beginning
and end of the stay in each Brazilian location. 6. Description and approximate
quantity and type of material or data to be collected, along with an indications
of its use and destination, specifying the maximum number of specimens
or duplicates to be collected and, in the case of living organisms, including
an evaluation of the estimated impact of the removal of the proposed number
of specimens on each locality. 7. Indication of the place and date of entry
and exit from Brazil of the foreign participants, along with the equipment
of materials to be brought into the country. 8. Curriculum vitae of all
participants from both the Brazilian and foreign sides.
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The following documents need to be attached to the request for authorization:
1. Statement of familiarity with the standards that govern collection activities
in the country, particularly with respect to sending the material collected
abroad. 2. Statement authorizing the MCT and the involved Brazilian institution
to translate, publish, and disseminate the results of the work in Brazil.
3. Statement of the financial responsibility to be assumed for carrying
out the proposed activities. 4. Statement that any materials collected
and subsequently identifies as representative ("tipo") will be restored
to Brazil. 5. Statement of commitment to inform the co-participating and
co-responsible Brazilian institution periodically or when requested of
the progress of the work abroad and of the materials collected, also providing
the scientific results in partial or final form.
Decree No. 98830
(Provisions for the collection by foreigners of data and scientific
materials in Brazil and other matters.)
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The activities which involve the displacement of human and material resources
for the purpose of collecting data, materials, biological and mineral specimens
and integral parts of the native and popular culture, both past and present,
obtained through the use of methods and techniques intended for study,
dissemination, or research shall be authorized as long as they have the
joint participation and joint responsibility of a Brazilian institution
with a high and recognized technical and scientific reputation in the field
of research related to the project to be carried out, based on the evaluation
of the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPq)
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The following agencies shall be responsible for prior concurrence: 1. Ministry
of the Interior (MINTER), through FUNAI and IBAMA for authorizations that
involve staying in or transiting indigenous areas or environmental protections
areas (This one was previously known.) 2. Ministry of Foreign Relations
(MRE), for authorization of activities considered to be of interest to
Brazilian foreign policy. 3. National Defense Advisory Bureau (SADEN/PR),
for authorization of activities involving staying in or transiting through
areas of frontier zone or areas that may affect other national defense
interests.
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Collection of scientific research involving activities regulated by other
provisions of law and specific regulations shall be authorized only with
the prior concurrence of the agencies responsible for the application of
such legislation in accordance with procedures established by the Ministry
of Science and Technology (MCT).
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Requests for authorization for collection and research shall be submitted
to the MCT by the Brazilian institution working with the scientific expedition.
Foreign participants need to specifically: 1. State the financial responsibility
they will assume for the performance of the proposed activities. 2. Authorize
MCT or the Brazilian co-participating institution to translate, publish,
and disseminate in Brazil, free of cost for rights of authorship, reports,
monographs, and other work records of the collections and research carried
out, provided that the authorship and the circumstances contributing to
the execution and results of the project are mentioned. 3. Assume a commitment
to respect all existing provisions and laws (It is good that we have
those laws).
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Except in duly justified cases that are deemed to be exceptional, MCT shall
provide its decision on requests for authorization within 120 days of the
date the complete documentation is received.
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MCT may, at the request of the participants, authorize the installation
within Brazil on a temporary basis for a fixed period of time of the equipment
needed to carry out the collection and research activities.
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The shipment abroad of any materials collected, including in the form of
reproduction through photograph, films, or sound recordings, may be done
only after the prior authorization of MCT, provided that the participant
assures that they will be utilized exclusively in study, research, and
dissemination activities.
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The material collected shall be sent abroad at the expense of the foreign
participant, while the Brazilian co-participating agency shall keep a copy
of field records and collections. The MCT may keep samples, specimens,
or copies of material collected
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The MCT shall by regulation provide special treatment, consistent with
the specific legal regime to which they are subject, to the data or material
collected within Brazil by foregin physical persons in connection with
contracts with Brazilian teaching and research institutions.
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Violations of the regulations can result in immediate suspension for an
indefinite time period of activity being pursued, cancellation of the authorization
that has been granted, declaration of the violator as temporarily or permanently
disqualified to undertake or sponsor scientific research within Brazil,
reporting of the violation tha has been committed to the head of the institution
to which the violator is attached, and/or seizure and loss of the equipment
used in the project and of the material collected pursuant to the provisions
of Brazilian law.
In summary, in order for us to take a scientific expedition into the
Amazon and do research, we must have a Brazilian Institution, whether it
be the CNPq or an institution identified by the CNPq, that is willing to
work with us. Then, we have to request authorization from one or more of
the following agencies: MINTER, MRE, SADEN/PR, the Navy, etc. and include
in our requested application all of the information required according
to Regulation 55. A great idea would be to sign a contract with Brazilian
teaching and research institution since special consideration is given
by the MCT to such ventures. Also, based on the criteria for granting a
license, our group should consider the following factors: 1. Contribution
of the proposed activities to Brazilian scientific and technological development
2. Technical and scientific reputation of the co-participating and co-responsible
Brazilian institution (one of our best bets in this would be to get IBAMA
or FUNAI to be our co0participating Brazilian Agency) 3. Degree of
participation and responsibility of the Brazilian institution involved
4. Scientific qualifications and competence of the foreign participants
5. Methodology to be employed in carrying out the project 6. Financing
sources and guarantees for the performance of the project. 7. Previous
experience. In other words, we have to make our project sound beneficial,
include good methods, have support, and include researchers with experience.
These would only increase our chances at a successful plan implementation.