Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354 granting temporary support under Regulation (EU) 2020/672 to the Portuguese Republic to mitigate unemployment risks in the emergency following the COVID-19 outbreak
Date: 2022-01-04
Institutions: Directorate-General for Economic and Financial Affairs, European Commission
Subjects: EU loan, Portugal, aid to undertakings, coronavirus disease, emergency aid, employment aid, epidemic, fight against unemployment, public expenditure, self-employed person

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 4.1.2022  COM(2022) 3 final 2021/0436 (NLE)  Proposal for a COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354 granting temporary support under Regulation (EU) 2020/672 to the Portuguese Republic to mitigate unemployment risks in the emergency following the COVID-19 outbreak  
 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

1. 

• 

CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL 

Reasons for and objectives of the proposal 

Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672 (‘SURE Regulation’) lays down the legal framework for 
providing  Union  financial  assistance  to  Member  States,  which  are  experiencing,  or  are 
seriously threatened with, a severe economic disturbance caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. 
Support  under  SURE  serves  for  the  financing,  primarily,  of  short-time  work  schemes  or 
similar measures aimed at protecting employees and the self‐employed and thus reducing the 
incidence of unemployment and loss of income, as well as for the financing, as an ancillary, 
of some health-related measures, in particular in the workplace. 

On  25  September  2020,  the  Council  granted  financial  assistance  to  Portugal  with  a  view  to 
complementing  its  national  efforts  to  address  the  impact  of  the  COVID-19  outbreak  and 
respond  to  the  socio-economic  consequences  of  the  outbreak  for  workers  and  the  self-
employed. 

On 9 December 2021, Portugal requested the Union to extend the list of measures for which 
the Council granted financial assistance in Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354. 

In accordance with Article 6(2) of the SURE Regulation, the Commission has consulted the 
Portuguese  authorities  to  verify  the  sudden  and  severe  increase  in  actual  and  planned 
expenditure  directly  related  to  Portuguese  labour  market  measures  and  health-related 
measures  caused  by  the  COVID-19  pandemic.  In  particular,  these  measures  pertain  to  new 
measures which Portugal implemented: 

(a)  

the extraordinary support scheme for self-employed workers, workers without access 
to  other  social  protection  mechanisms,  and  managers  whose  income  has  been 
particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In the case of self-employed workers, the measure provides a benefit equal to two-
thirds  of  the  drop  in  the  workers’  monthly  income,  between  the  monthly  average 
according  to  the  last  quarterly  income  statement  and  the  monthly  average  of  2019, 
with  an  upper  limit  of  EUR 501.16.  Eligible  self-employed  workers  are  those 
experiencing a drop in income of at least 40% in the period from March to December 
2020, compared with 2019. 

In  the  case  of  workers  without  access  to  other  social  protection  mechanisms,  the 
measure  provides:  (i)  for  employees,  a  benefit  equal  to  the  difference  between  the 
monthly reference value of EUR 501.16 and the average monthly wage per adult in 
the respective household; or, (ii) for self-employed workers, a benefit equal to two-
thirds  of  the  drop  in  the  workers’  monthly  income,  between  the  monthly  average 
according  to  the  last  quarterly  income  statement  and  the  monthly  average  of  2019, 
with an upper limit of EUR 501.16. 

In the case of managers, the measure provides a benefit equal to either their reference 
average monthly income when it is below 1.5 times Portugal’s social support index 
(EUR 438.81),  or  two-thirds  of  their  reference  average  monthly  income  when  it  is 
equal  or  above  the  aforementioned  index.  Eligible  managers  are  those  whose 
business activity has been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or 
that  are  experiencing  revenue  losses  of  at  least  40%  in  the  period  of  30  days 

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preceding  the  request  for  support,  compared  with  the  same  month  of  the  previous 
year, or with the monthly average of the two months prior to that period. 

In all cases, the benefit has a lower limit equal to EUR 50, increased to 50% of the 
observed  monthly  income  drop  when  the  latter  falls  between  50%  and  100%  of 
Portugal’s  social  support  index,  or  EUR 219.40  when  the  income  drop  exceeds  the 
aforementioned index. 

the social support scheme for artists, authors, technicians and other art professionals. 
The measure provides for a monthly benefit equal to Portugal’s social support index 
(EUR 438.81). 

the  hiring  of  additional  health  professionals  and  overtime  work  in  the  National 
Health Service to help address pandemic-related challenges. 

(b)  

(c)  

Portugal provided the Commission with the relevant information. 

Taking into account the available evidence, the Commission proposes to the Council to adopt 
an  Implementing  Decision  to  extend  the  list  of  measures  for  which  the  Council  already 
granted financial assistance in Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354.  

Health-related  measures,  as  requested  by  Portugal,  including  the  additional  health-related 
measures requested on 9 December 2021, amount to EUR 1 513 823 304. 

• 

Consistency with existing policy provisions in the policy area 

The present proposal is fully consistent with Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672, under which 
the proposal is made. 

The present proposal comes in addition to another Union law instrument to provide support to 
Member States in case of emergencies, namely Council Regulation (EC) No 2012/2002 of 11 
November 2002 establishing the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) (‘Regulation (EC) 
No 2012/2002’). Regulation (EU) 2020/461 of the European Parliament and of the Council, 
which amends that instrument to  extend its  scope to  cover major public  health emergencies 
and to define specific operations eligible for financing, was adopted on 30 March. 

• 

Consistency with other Union policies 

The proposal is part of a range of measures developed in response to the current COVID-19 
pandemic such as the ‘Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative’, and it complements other 
instruments  that  support  employment  such  as  the  European  Social  Fund  and  the  European 
Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI)/InvestEU. By making use of borrowing and lending in 
this  particular  case  of  the  COVID-19  outbreak  for  supporting  Member  States,  this  proposal 
acts  as  a  second  line  of  defence  to  finance  short-time  work  schemes  and  similar  measures, 
helping protect jobs and thus employees and self-employed against the risk of unemployment. 

2. 

• 

LEGAL BASIS, SUBSIDIARITY AND PROPORTIONALITY 

Legal basis 

The legal basis for this instrument is Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672. 

• 

Subsidiarity (for non-exclusive competence)  

The  proposal  follows  a  Member  State  request  and  shows  European  solidarity  by  providing 
Union financial assistance in the form of temporary loans to a Member State affected by the 
COVID-19  outbreak.  As  a  second  line  of  defence,  such  financial  assistance  supports  the 

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government’s increased public expenditure on a temporary basis in respect of short-time work 
schemes  and  similar  measures  to  help  them  protect  jobs  and  thus  employees  and  self-
employed against the risk of unemployment and loss of income. 

Such  support  will  help  the  population  affected  and  helps  to  mitigate  the  direct  societal  and 
economic impact caused by the present COVID-19 crisis. 

• 

Proportionality 

The proposal respects the proportionality principle. It does not go beyond what is necessary to 
achieve the objectives sought by the instrument. 

3. 

• 

RESULTS 
CONSULTATIONS AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS 

EX-POST 

EVALUATIONS, 

OF 

STAKEHOLDER 

Stakeholder consultations 

Due to the urgency to prepare the proposal so that it can be adopted in a timely manner by the 
Council, a stakeholder consultation could not be carried out. 

• 

Impact assessment 

Due to the urgent nature of the proposal, no impact assessment was carried out. 

4. 

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS 

The  Commission  should  be  able  to  contract  borrowings  on  the  financial  markets  with  the 
purpose  of  on-lending  them  to  the  Member  State  requesting  financial  assistance  under  the 
SURE instrument. 

In  addition  to  the  provision  of  Member  State  guarantees,  other  safeguards  are  built  into  the 
framework in order to ensure the financial solidity of the scheme: 

 

 

A rigorous and conservative approach to financial management; 

A  construction  of  the  portfolio  of  loans  that  limits  concentration  risk,  annual 
exposure and excessive exposure to individual Member States whilst ensuring 
sufficient resources could be granted to Member States most in need; and 

 

Possibilities to roll over debt. 

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2021/0436 (NLE) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL IMPLEMENTING DECISION 

amending Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354 granting temporary support under 
Regulation (EU) 2020/672 to the Portuguese Republic to mitigate unemployment risks in 
the emergency following the COVID-19 outbreak 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, 

Having regard to Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672 of 19 May 2020 on the establishment of 
a  European  instrument  for  temporary  support  to  mitigate  unemployment  risks  in  an 
emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 outbreak1, and in particular Article 6(1) thereof, 

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

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Further  to  a  request  from  Portugal  on  11  August  2020,  on  25  September  2020  the 
Council granted financial assistance to Portugal in the form of a loan amounting to a 
maximum of EUR 5 934 462 488 with a maximum average maturity of 15 years, with 
a  view  to  complementing  Portugal’s  national  efforts  to  address  the  impact  of  the 
COVID-19 outbreak and respond to the socio-economic consequences of that outbreak 
for workers and the self-employed. 

The  loan  was  to  be  used  by  the  Portuguese  Republic  to  finance  the  short-time  work 
schemes, similar measures and health-related measures, as  referred to  in Article 3 of 
Council Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354.2 

The  COVID-19  outbreak  has  immobilised  a  substantial  part  of  the  labour  force  in 
Portugal.  This  has  led  to  a  still  sudden  and  severe  increase  in  public  expenditure  in 
Portugal  in  respect  of  new  measures  that  Portugal  implemented,  namely  the 
extraordinary  support  scheme  for  self-employed  workers,  workers  without  access  to 
other social protection mechanisms, and managers whose income has been particularly 
affected  by  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  the  social  support  scheme  for  artists,  authors, 
technicians  and  other  art  professionals,  and  the  hiring  of  additional  health 
professionals  and  overtime  work  in  the  National  Health  Service  to  help  address 
pandemic-related challenges. 

The COVID-19 outbreak and the extraordinary measures implemented by  Portugal in 
2020  and  2021  to  contain  that  outbreak  and  its  socio-economic  and  health-related 
impact had and still have a dramatic impact on public finances. Portugal had a general 
government  deficit  and  debt  of  5.7%  and  133.6%  of  gross  domestic  product  (GDP), 
respectively,  by  the  end  of  2020.  According  to  the  Commission’s  2021  autumn 
forecast, Portugal’s general government deficit and debt are forecast to narrow to 4.5% 

OJ L 159, 20.5.2020, p. 1. 
Council  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2020/1354  of  25  September  2020  granting  temporary  support 
under  Regulation  (EU)  2020/672  to  the  Portuguese  Republic  to  mitigate  unemployment  risks  in  the 
emergency following the COVID-19 outbreak (OJ L 314, 29.9.2020, p. 49). 

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(5) 

(6) 

(7)  

and  128.1%  of  GDP,  respectively,  in  2021,  and  Portugal’s  GDP  is  projected  to 
increase by 4.5% in  2021. 

On 9 December 2021, Portugal requested the Union to extend the list of measures for 
which  financial  assistance  was  already  granted  by  Implementing  Decision  (EU) 
2020/1354 with a view to continuing to complement its national efforts undertaken in 
2020  and  2021  to  address  the  impact  of  the  COVID-19  outbreak  and  respond  to  the 
socio-economic  consequences  of  the  outbreak  for  workers  and  the  self-employed.  In 
particular, it concerns the measures set out in recitals 6 and 7. 
‘Law No 75-B/2020 of 31 December’3 and the subsequent ‘Government Ordinance No 
19-A/2021 of 25 January’4, which are referred to in Portugal’s request of 9 December 
2021, introduced an extraordinary support scheme for self-employed workers, workers 
without  access  to  other  social  protection  mechanisms,  and  managers  whose  income 
has been particularly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

In  the  case  of  self-employed  workers,  the  measure  provides  a  benefit  equal  to  two-
thirds  of  the  drop  in  the  workers’  monthly  income,  between  the  monthly  average 
according  to  the  last  quarterly  income  statement  and  the  monthly  average  of  2019, 
with  an  upper  limit  of  EUR 501.16.  Eligible  self-employed  workers  are  those 
experiencing a drop in income of at least 40% in the period from March to December 
2020, compared with 2019. 

In  the  case  of  workers  without  access  to  other  social  protection  mechanisms,  the 
measure  provides:  (i)  for  employees,  a  benefit  equal  to  the  difference  between  the 
monthly reference value of EUR 501.16 and the average monthly wage per adult in the 
respective household; or, (ii) for self-employed workers, a benefit equal to two-thirds 
of the drop in the workers’ monthly income, between the monthly average according 
to the last quarterly income statement and the monthly average of 2019, with an upper 
limit of EUR 501.16. 

In  the  case  of  managers,  the  measure  provides  for  a  benefit  equal  to  either  their 
reference average monthly income when it is below 1.5 times Portugal’s social support 
index (EUR 438.81), or two-thirds of their reference average monthly income when it 
is  equal  to  or  above  the  aforementioned  index.  Eligible  managers  are  those  whose 
business activity has been temporarily suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, or 
that are experiencing revenue losses of at least 40% in the period of 30 days preceding 
the request for support, compared with the same month of the previous year, or with 
the monthly average of the two months prior to that period. 

In  all  cases,  the  benefit  has  a  lower  limit  equal  to  EUR 50,  increased  to  50%  of  the 
observed  monthly  income  drop  when  the  latter  falls  between  50%  and  100%  of 
Portugal’s social support index, or to EUR 219.40 when the income drop exceeds the 
aforementioned index. 
‘Annex of the Resolution of the Council of Ministers No 41/2020 of 6 June’5 and the 
subsequent  ‘Government  Ordinance  No  180/2020  of  3  August’6  and  ‘Government 
Ordinance No 37-A/2021 of 15 February’7, which are referred to in Portugal’s request 
of 9 December 2021, introduce a social support scheme for artists, authors, technicians 

3 
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5 
6 
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‘Diário da República n.º 253/2020, 1º Suplemento, Série I de 2020-12-31’, pp. 171-(2) to 171-(288). 
‘Diário da República n.º 16/2021, 1º Suplemento, Série I de 2021-01-25’, pp. 25-(2) to 25-(8). 
‘Diário da República n.º 110-A/2020, Série I de 2020-06-06’, pp. 3 to 37. 
‘Diário da República n.º 149/2020, Série I de 2020-08-03’, pp. 19 to 25. 
‘Diário da República n.º 31/2021, 1º Suplemento, Série I de 2021-02-15’, pp. 21-(2) to 21-(11). 

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(9) 

and  other  art  professionals.  The  measure  provides  for  a  monthly  benefit  equal  to 
Portugal’s social support index (EUR 438.81). 

Portugal  also  introduced  a  series  of  new  health-related  measures,  which  it  has 
implemented  to  address  the  COVID-19  outbreak.  In  particular,  it  concerns  the 
measures set out in recital 9. 
‘Decree-Law  No  10-A/2020  of  13  March’8  and  the  subsequent  ‘Decree-Law  No  10-
A/2021  of  2  February’9,  which  are  referred  to  in  Portugal’s  request  of  9  December 
2021, provided for the hiring of additional health professionals and overtime work in 
the National Health Service to help address pandemic-related challenges. In particular, 
the administrative process underlying the hiring of workers under fixed-term contracts 
by  the  National  Health  Service  was  streamlined,  and  additional  doctors  and  nurses 
have been hired since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.  Moreover, the  legal 
limits established for overtime work by civil servants were suspended in the National 
Health Service, and the organisation of shifts using supplementary work by specialist 
doctors  and  nurses,  if  necessary,  was  made  possible  to  cope  with  the  COVID-19 
pandemic. 

that 

(10)  Portugal fulfils the conditions for requesting financial assistance set out in Article 3 of 
Regulation  (EU)  2020/672.  Portugal  has  provided  the  Commission  with  appropriate 
increased  by 
the  actual  and  planned  public  expenditure  has 
evidence 
EUR 5 934 462 488  as  of  1  February  2020  due  to  the  national  measures  taken  to 
address  the  socio-economic  effects  of  the  COVID-19  outbreak.  This  constitutes  a 
sudden and severe increase because it is related also to new measures directly related 
to short-time work schemes and similar measures that cover a significant proportion of 
undertakings and of the labour force in Portugal. 

(11)  The Commission has consulted Portugal and verified the sudden and severe increase in 
the actual and planned public expenditure directly related to short-time work schemes 
and  similar  measures,  as  well  as  the  recourse  to  relevant  health-related  measures 
related to the COVID-19 outbreak, referred to in the request of 9 December 2021, in 
accordance with Article 6 of Regulation (EU) 2020/672.  

(12)  Health-related  measures,  as  requested  by  Portugal,  including  the  additional  health-

related measures referred to in recital 9, amount to EUR 1 513 823 304. 

(13)  Financial  assistance  already  granted  by  Implementing  Decision  (EU)  2020/1354 
should therefore also cover the new measures which Portugal implemented, referred to 
in recitals 6, 7 and 9. 

(14)  This Decision should be without prejudice to the outcome of any procedures relating 
to  distortions  of  the  operation  of  the  internal  market  that  may  be  undertaken,  in 
particular  pursuant  to  Articles  107  and  108  of  the  Treaty.  It  does  not  override  the 
requirement  for  Member  States  to  notify  instances  of  potential  State  aid  to  the 
Commission under Article 108 of the Treaty. 

(15)  Portugal  should  inform  the  Commission  on  a  regular  basis  of  the  implementation  of 
the planned public expenditure, in order to enable the Commission to assess the extent 
to which Portugal has implemented that expenditure. 

(16)  The  decision  to  provide  financial  assistance  has  been  reached  taking  into  account 
existing  and  expected  needs  of  Portugal,  as  well  as  requests  for  financial  assistance 

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‘Diário da República n.º 52/2020, 1º Suplemento, Série I de 2020-03-13’, pp. 22-(2) to 22-(13). 
‘Diário da República n.º 22/2021, 2º Suplemento, Série I de 2021-02-02’, pp. 15-(15) to 15-(19). 

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pursuant  to  Regulation  (EU)  2020/672  already  submitted  or  planned  to be  submitted 
by other Member States, while applying the principles of equal  treatment,  solidarity, 
proportionality and transparency, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

Article 1 
Implementing Decision (EU) 2020/1354 is amended as follows: 

(1) 

Article 3 is replaced by the following: 

Portugal may finance the following measures: 

‘Article 3 

(a) 

(b) 

(c) 

(d) 

(e)  

(f)  

(g)  

the  support  for  the  maintenance  of  employment  contracts  through  the 
temporary  interruption  of  work  or  reduction  of  normal  working  time,  as 
provided for in Articles 298 to 308 of ‘Law No 7/2009 of 12 February’; 

the  new  and  simplified  special  support  for  the  maintenance  of  employment 
contracts  through  the  temporary  interruption  of  work  or  reduction  of  normal 
working time, as provided for in ‘Decree-Law No 10-G/2020 of 26 March’ and 
Article  2  of  ‘Decree-Law  No  27-B/2020  of  19  June’,  as  amended  by  Article 
142 of ‘Law No 75-B/2020 of 31 December’; 

the  special  vocational  programmes  for  the  maintenance  of  employment 
contracts  through  the  temporary  interruption  of  work  or  reduction  of  normal 
working time, as provided for in Articles 5 (2) and 7 to 9 of ‘Decree-Law No 
10-G/2020 of 26 March’; 

the  new  special  support  for  firms  for  the  resumption  of  business  activity,  as 
provided  for  in  Article  4(1)  to  (7)  and  (10)  to  (12)  and  Article  5  of  ‘Decree-
Law  No  27-B/2020  of  19  June’,  and  in  Article  14-A  of  ‘Decree-Law  No  46-
A/2020 of 30 July’, as added by Article 4 of ‘Decree-Law No 6-C/2021 of 15 
January’; 

the new income stabilisation supplement for employees  covered by  either the 
support  schemes  referred  to  in  points  (a),  (b)  or  (c)  for  the  maintenance  of 
employment contracts through the temporary interruption of work or reduction 
of  normal  working  time  as  provided  for  in  Article  3  of  ‘Decree-Law  No  27-
B/2020 of 19 June’, as amended by ‘Decree-Law No 58-A/2020 of 14 August’; 

the  new  and  progressive  special  support  for  the  maintenance  of  employment 
contracts through the temporary reduction of normal working time as provided 
for in  ‘Decree-Law No 46-A/2020 of 30 July’,  as amended by Article 142 of 
‘Law No 75-B/2020 of 31 December'; 

the new special support for the self-employed, informal workers and managing 
partners as provided for in Articles 26 to 28-A of ‘Decree-Law No 10-A/2020 
of  13  March’,  as  amended  by  Article  5  of  ‘Decree-Law  No  20-C/2020  of  7 
May’, and Article 325-G of ‘Law No 2/2020 of 31 March’, as added by Article 
3 of ‘Law No 27-A/2020 of 24 July’; 

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(h)  

(i)  

(j)  

(k)  

(l)  

(m)  

(n)  

(o)  

(p)  

the family allowance for employees prevented from working due to the need to 
assist their children under 12 years of age or other dependents, as provided for 
in Article 23 of ‘Decree-Law No 10-A/2020 of 13 March’; 

the  special  support  for  the  maintenance  of  trainers’  employment  contracts  in 
the  light  of  the  cancellation  of  vocational  trainings  as  provided  for  in 
‘Government  Order  No  3485-C/2020  of  17  March’,  ‘Government  Order  No 
4395/2020 of 10 April’ and ‘Government Order No 5897-B/2020 of 28 May’; 

the  regional  employment-related  measures  in  the  autonomous  region  of  the 
Azores  as  provided  for  in  ‘Resolution  of  the  Council  of  the  Regional 
Government of the Azores No 97/2020 of 8 April’, ‘Resolution of the Council 
of  the  Regional  Government  of  the  Azores  No  120/2020  of  28  April’, 
‘Resolution  of  the  Council  of  the  Regional  Government  of  the  Azores  No 
128/2020  of 5 May’, ‘Resolution  of the Council of the Regional  Government 
of  the  Azores  No  129/2020  of  5  May’,  ‘Resolution  of  the  Council  of  the 
Regional Government  of the Azores No 195/2020 of 15 July’, ‘Resolution  of 
the  Council  of  the  Regional  Government  of  the  Azores  No  196/2020  of  15 
July’ and ‘Resolution of the Council of the Regional Government of the Azores 
No 200/2020 of 17 July’; 

the  regional  employment-related  measures  in  the  autonomous  region  of 
Madeira,  as  provided  for  in  ‘Resolution  of  the  Regional  Government  of 
Madeira  No  101/2020  of  13  March’  and  ‘Ordinance  No  133-B/2020  of  the 
Vice-Presidency of the Regional Government of Madeira and of the Regional 
Secretariat for Social Inclusion and Citizenship of 22 April’; 

the  allowance  for  employees  and  self-employed  in  prophylactic  isolation  as 
provided  for  in  Article  19  of  ‘Decree-Law  No  10-A/2020  of  13  March’  and 
Article  325-F  of  ‘Law  No  2/2020  of  31  March’,  as  amended  by  Article  3  of 
‘Law No 27-A/2020 of 24 July’; 

the sickness allowance owing to the contraction of COVID-19 as provided for 
in  ‘Government  Order  No-2875-A/2020  of  3  March’,  Article  20  of  ‘Decree-
Law No 10-A/2020 of 13 March’ and Article No 325-F of ‘Law No 2/2020 of 
31 March’, as amended by Article 3 of ‘Law No 27-A/2020 of 24 July’; 

the  purchase  of  personal  protective  equipment  to  be  used  in  the  workplace, 
notably in public hospitals as provided for in Norm No 012/2020 of 6 May, as 
amended on 14 May 2020, and in Norm No 013/2020 of 10 July, as amended 
on 23 June 2020, both issued by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health, 
as well as in line ministries, municipalities and the autonomous regions of the 
Azores and Madeira as provided for in Article 3 of ‘Decree-Law No 10-A/2020 
of 13 March’; 

the school hygiene campaign as provided for in  Article 9 of ‘Decree-Law No 
10-A/2020 of 13 March’; 

the  testing  for  contraction  of  COVID-19  of  inpatients  and  workers  of  public 
hospitals, as well as of employees of nursing homes and childcare facilities, as 
notably provided for in Norm No 012/2020 of 6 May, as amended on 14 May 
2020, and in Norm No 013/2020 of 10 July, as amended on 23 June 2020, both 
issued by the Portuguese Directorate-General for Health; 

(q)  

the  new  special  compensation  for  workers  in  the  National  Health  Service 
involved in fighting the COVID-19 outbreak as provided for in Article 42-A of 

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(r) 

(s) 

(t) 

‘Law No 2/2020 of 31 March’, as amended by Article 3 of ‘Law No 27-A/2020 
of 24 July’, and by Article 291 of ‘Law No 75-B/2020 of 31 December’; 

the extraordinary support scheme for self-employed workers, workers without 
access to other social protection mechanisms, and managers whose income has 
been  particularly  affected  by  the  COVID-19  pandemic,  as  provided  for  in 
Article  156  of  ‘Law  No  75-B/2020  of  31  December’,  and  subject  to  the 
conditions  set  out  in  points  (2) (c)  to  (f)  therein,  as  further  specified  in 
‘Government Ordinance No 19-A/2021 of 25 January’; 

the  social  support  scheme  for  artists,  authors,  technicians  and  other  art 
professionals provided for in point 2.5.1 of the ‘Annex of the Resolution of the 
Council of Ministers No 41/2020 of 6 June’, as further specified in Articles 10 
to 12 of ‘Government Ordinance No 180/2020 of 3 August’, and extended by 
Articles 5 to 7 of ‘Government Ordinance No 37-A/2021 of 15 February’; 

the hiring of additional health professionals and overtime work in the National 
Health Service to help address pandemic-related challenges, as provided for in 
Article 6 of ‘Decree-Law No 10-A/2020’ of 13 March and in Articles 5 to 8 of 
‘Decree-Law’ No 10-A/2021 of 2 February. 

(2) 

Article 4 is replaced by the following:  

1. 

2. 

‘Article 4 

Portugal  shall  inform  the  Commission  by  30  March  2021,  and  every  six 
months  thereafter  of  the  implementation  of  the  planned  public  expenditure 
until that planned public expenditure has been fully implemented. 

Where  measures  referred  to  in  Article  3  are  based  on  planned  public 
expenditure  and  have  been  subject  to  an  Implementing  Decision  amending 
the 
Implementing  Decision 
Commission  within  6  months  after  the  date  of  adoption  of  that  decision,  and 
every  6  months  thereafter  of  the  implementation  of  the  planned  public 
expenditure until that planned public expenditure has been fully implemented.’ 

(EU)  2020/1354,  Portugal  shall 

inform 

This Decision is addressed to the Portuguese Republic. 

Article 2 

Done at Brussels, 

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

9 

  EN