COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Portugal Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2025-07-08
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: Portugal, administrative transparency, corruption, democracy, freedom of the press, human rights, independence of the judiciary, pluralism in the media, rule of law, whistleblowing

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Strasbourg, 8.7.2025  SWD(2025) 922 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2025 Rule of Law Report                           Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Portugal Accompanying the document Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions 2025 Rule of Law Report                             The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2025) 900 final} - {SWD(2025) 901 final} - {SWD(2025) 902 final} - {SWD(2025) 903 final} - {SWD(2025) 904 final} - {SWD(2025) 905 final} - {SWD(2025) 906 final} - {SWD(2025) 907 final} - {SWD(2025) 908 final} - {SWD(2025) 909 final} - {SWD(2025) 910 final} - {SWD(2025) 911 final} - {SWD(2025) 912 final} - {SWD(2025) 913 final} - {SWD(2025) 914 final} - {SWD(2025) 915 final} - {SWD(2025) 916 final} - {SWD(2025) 917 final} - {SWD(2025) 918 final} - {SWD(2025) 919 final} - {SWD(2025) 920 final} - {SWD(2025) 921 final} - {SWD(2025) 923 final} - {SWD(2025) 924 final} - {SWD(2025) 925 final} - {SWD(2025) 926 final} - {SWD(2025) 927 final} - {SWD(2025) 928 final} - {SWD(2025) 929 final} - {SWD(2025) 930 final} - {SWD(2025) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

In Portugal, significant steps have been taken to improve the human resources allocated to the 
justice  system,  thanks  to  new  recruitments  and  legislative  changes.  The  early  end  of  the 
legislature  had  an  impact  on  some  reforms,  such  as  those  related  to  the  system  of  case 
allocation,  the  efficiency  of  complex  criminal  cases,  and  access  to  judgments,  which  could 
not  be  finalised.  The  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  has  called  for  a  reflection  on  possible 
mechanisms  to  ensure  its  stability  and  safeguard  its  independence.  The  efficiency  of 
Administrative  and  Tax  Courts  improved  in  first  instance,  while  serious  concerns  remain 
regarding  the  disposition  time  in  second  instance  courts,  especially  among  businesses.  The 
working conditions and security in court and prosecution premises affect  the functioning of 
the  courts.  Changes  to  the  legal  aid  system  were  introduced  to  address  the  low  level  of 
remuneration of legal aid providers, with the Bar Association calling for further changes. 

The  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  2020-2024  is  still  to  be  evaluated,  and  a  new  anti-
corruption strategy is expected to be developed. Steps were taken to improve the resources of 
the  Anti-Corruption  Mechanism  (MENAC),  and  further  changes  were  made  to  improve  its 
structure and functioning. New measures were introduced to  ensure sufficient  resources  for 
preventing,  investigating  and  prosecuting  corruption.  While  corruption  cases  remain  a 
priority,  investigation,  prosecution  and  adjudication  of  high-level  corruption  cases  face 
delays.  The  effective  monitoring  and  verification  of  asset  declarations  by  the  Transparency 
Entity  improved  significantly.  Shortcomings  in  the  integrity  framework  are  expected  to  be 
addressed under the new legislature. Despite efforts under the previous legislature, lobbying 
remains unregulated. The system of preventive audit over EU-funded projects was amended. 

The  Media  Regulatory  Authority  continues  to  carry  out  its  task  with  reinforced  financial 
resources.  The  conclusion  of  a  high-profile  case  concerning  a  merger  suspension  prompted 
new  proposals  and  discussions  regarding  the  legal  framework  on  transparency  of  media 
ownership. A new Media Action Plan comprising 30 measures was presented. A concession 
contract  for  public  service  media  has  been  signed  and  its  financial  resources  improved 
following the updating of the audiovisual tax. The LUSA News Agency is now nearly fully 
owned  by  the  state.  Some  steps  were  taken  to  improve  working  conditions  for  journalists, 
such as the adoption of an action plan for journalists’ safety,  while the number of incidents 
affecting journalists has decreased.  

Due  to  the  early  termination  of  the  legislature,  it  was  not  possible  to  finalise  the  planned 
reforms  to  improve  the  transparency  of  law-making.  The  Office  of  the  Ombudsperson 
continues to perform effectively, despite continuing to deal with a high number of complaints 
related to administrative delays. Civil society space continues to be considered as open, and 
there were further improvements regarding access to financing for civil society organisations. 

1 

 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall,  concerning  the  recommendations  in  the  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Portugal  has 
made: 

•  Significant  progress  in  stepping  up  efforts  to  ensure  adequate  human  resources  of  the 
justice  system,  in  particular  regarding  judicial  clerks,  and  some  further  progress  in 
continuing  efforts  to  improve  its  efficiency,  in  particular  of  Administrative  and  Tax 
Courts.  

•  Some progress in ensuring the adequacy of the general criminal procedure legislation to 

efficiently deal with complex criminal proceedings.  

•  Significant  progress  in  continuing  efforts  made  to  ensure  sufficient  resources  for 
preventing,  investigating  and  prosecuting  corruption,  and  some  further  progress  in 
ensuring sufficient resources for the new Anti-Corruption Mechanism.  

•  Significant  progress  in  ensuring  the  effective  monitoring  and  verification  of  asset 

declarations by the Transparency Entity.  

•  No  progress  in  finalising  the  reforms  to  improve  the  transparency  of  law-making, 

particularly on the implementation of impact assessment tools. 

On this basis, and considering other developments that took place in the period of reference, 
and  in  addition  to  recalling  the  relevant  commitments  made  under  the  Recovery  and 
Resilience  Plan  and  the  relevant  country-specific  recommendations  under  the  European 
Semester, it is recommended to Portugal to: 

•  Step  up  efforts  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  the  justice  system,  in  particular  of 

Administrative and Tax Courts. 

•  Take  forward  measures  to  ensure  the  adequacy  of  the  general  criminal  procedure 

legislation to efficiently deal with complex criminal proceedings. 

•  Adopt  rules  on  the  regulation  of  lobbying,  including  the  creation  of  a  comprehensive 

public lobbying registry.  

•  Finalise  the  reforms  to  improve  the  transparency  of  law-making,  particularly  on  the 

implementation of impact assessment tools. 

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I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Portugal continues to be average among 
the  general  public  and  is  now  low  among  companies.  Overall,  58%  of  the  general 
population and 32% of companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to 
be  ‘fairly  or  very  good’  in  20252.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general 
public  has  increased  in  comparison  with  2024  (53%)  and  has  significantly  increased  in 
comparison  with  2021  (48%).  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  companies  has 
significantly decreased in comparison with 2024 (44%) and has decreased in comparison with 
2021 (39%). 

The High Council for the Judiciary has called for a reflection on possible mechanisms to 
ensure  its  stability  and  safeguard  its  independence.  The  Council  continues  to  call  for 
changes  to  the  legislative  framework  governing  its  organisation  and  functioning,  but  no 
follow-up has been given so far to its proposals3. The Council has also initiated discussions 
on  potential  challenges  to  its  institutional  stability  and  independence  stemming  from  the 
impact  on  its  composition  of  the  successive  dissolutions  of  Parliament  in  2021,  2024,  and 
2025,  which  led  to  the  early  termination  of  the  four-year  terms  of  office  of  the  seven 
members  elected  by  Parliament.  The  concerns  raised  include  the  risks  of  possible  greater 
political  influence  in  the  Council,  as  well  as  the  risk  of  undermining  its  effectiveness  in 
supervising and managing the justice system4. The Council has thus called for a reflection on 
possible  mechanisms  to  ensure  stability  and  safeguard  its  independence,  such  as  minimum 
periods of tenure of the members appointed by Parliament5. To note that the High Council for 
the Judiciary and the High Council for Administrative and Tax Courts are not composed by a 
net  majority  of  judges  elected  by  their  peers,  which  continues  to  be  raised  as  a  concern  by 
stakeholders6.  European  standards  state  that  not  less  than  half  of  the  members  of  judicial 
councils  should  be  judges  chosen  by  their  peers  from  all  levels  of  the  judiciary  and  with 
respect for pluralism inside the judiciary7.  

The  legislative  process  aimed  at  making  the  case  allocation  system  more  operational 
could  not  be  finalised  due  to  the  early  end  of  the  legislature.  The  system  of  electronic 
allocation  of  cases  continues  to  be  applied,  ensuring  its  transparency8.  However,  concerns 

1  An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here.  
2   Figures  50 and 52, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures 49 and 51, 2023 EU Justice Scoreboard. The 
level  of  perceived  judicial  independence  is  categorised  as  follows:  very  low  (below  30%  of  respondents 
perceive judicial independence as fairly good and very good); low (between 30-39%), average (between 40-
59%), high (between 60-75%), very high (above 75%). 

3   ENCJ, written input, p. 4. See also 2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 4. 
4   The  Council  has  important  competences,  particularly  in  the  selection  process  for  judicial  appointments, 

appraisals and promotions, and disciplinary proceedings. ENCJ, written input, p. 36. 

5   Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary.  
6   EAJ, written input, p. 10; MEDEL – Portugal, written input, p. 8. 
7  

In  December  2023,  the  Council  of  Europe’s  Group  of  States  Against  Corruption (GRECO)  recalled  their 
recommendation  to  Portugal  that  not  less  than  half  the  members  of  the  two  councils  should  be  judges 
chosen by their peers, GRECO (2024a). See also Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (2010), 
para. 27; Venice Commission, (2020), para. 44; Consultative Council of European Judges  (CCJE) (2021), 
para. 29; (2007), paras. 15 ff.  

8   2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 3-4. 

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remain  regarding  the  administrative  burden  it  creates  for  courts9.  Following  stakeholders’ 
requests10 and in line with the conclusions of an evaluation of the system11, in February 2025 
the Government  adopted a proposal  aimed at making  the system  more operational12, which 
was generally welcomed13. While the proposal was transmitted to Parliament, its dissolution 
in March 2025 and subsequent end of legislature meant that no immediate follow-up could be 
ensured14. Stakeholders expect the proposal to be followed up in the next legislature.  

Quality  

The  recruitment  of  new  legal  clerks,  and  the  reform  of  the  criteria  for  access  to  the 
judiciary  and  prosecution  have  contributed  to  significant  progress  in  improving 
adequate  human  resources  for  the  justice  system15.  Important  steps  have  been  taken  to 
address  the  deficit  of  legal  clerks,  with  concerns  about  vacant  posts16,  a  high  number  of 
retirements17, and a need to address unequal distribution18. A new recruitment procedure for 
legal clerks has resulted in over 500 new clerks taking office19. Progress was also achieved in 
the revision of the Statute of Legal Clerks, which came into force in April 202520. This also 
allowed to put an end to clerks’ strikes that had been ongoing since 2023. While stakeholders 
highlight that further measures are still necessary21, they consider this was an essential step to 
make  the  career  more  attractive.  Regarding  legal  and  technical  advisers,  while  new 
recruitments  took  place  at  the  level  of  the  Supreme  Court  of  Justice  and  lower  instance 
judicial courts22, there has been no reinforcement for second instance Administrative and Tax 

9   Which  requires  judges  and  prosecutors  to  be  present  in  the  room  while  the  legal  clerks  electronically 
allocate  cases,  even  though  they  do  not  influence  the  actual  allocation  and  do  not  perform  any  formal 
control over it. 

10   The trade unions representing judges, prosecutors and legal clerks, as well as the Bar Association, presented 
a  joint  position  to  the  Minister  of  Justice,  requesting  the  amendments  of  the  requirements  of  physical 
presence legally imposed.  

11   The  implementing  regulation  of  the  system  of  allocation  required  an  evaluation  of  the  system  within  six 
months of its full operationalisation, finalised in July 2024 (2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 3-4). 

12   Portuguese Government (2025a).  
13   Country visit Portugal, Judges’ Union, Prosecutors’ Union, Union of ‘Funcionários Judiciais’. 
14   The  dissolution  of  Parliament  in  March  2025,  and  consequent  early  termination  of  the  legislature,  has 
suspended a number of reforms across areas covered in the Rule of Law Report, such as: the reform of the 
case allocation system; the revision of the age of retirement in the judiciary; the reform of Administrative 
and  Tax  Courts;  changes  to  the  criminal  procedure  legislation;  the  implementation of  the  Anti-corruption 
Agenda,  and  measures  envisaged  therein;  the  implementation  of  the  Media  Action  Plan;  and  the  reforms 
related to legislative transparency, both at Parliament and Government level. 

15   The  2024  Rule of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Portugal  to:  “[s]tep  up  efforts  to  ensure  adequate  human 

resources of the justice system, in particular regarding judicial clerks (…)”. 

16   As of February 2024, there were over 1 100 vacancies in first instance ordinary courts and 59 vacancies in 
first instance Administrative and Tax Courts (Directorate-General for the Administration of Justice (2024)).  
17   ENCJ,  written  input,  p.  34;  Country  visit  Portugal,  Unions  of  ‘Oficiais  de  Justiça’  and  ‘Funcionários 

Judiciais’. 

18   In particular, the courts of the metropolitan area of Lisbon and Prosecution Services (Country visit Portugal, 

High Council for Public Prosecution, Unions of ‘Oficiais de Justiça’ and ‘Funcionários Judiciais’). 

19   Portuguese Government, written input, p. 5; Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. A new recruitment 

procedure for 51 new clerks was initiated in April 2025, to fill the vacant posts. 

20   Including  adoption  of  new  remuneration  tables  and  career  structure.  Country  visit  Portugal,  Ministry  of 
Justice. The revision of the Statute of Legal Clerks is also a reform under the Portuguese RRP (Milestone 
18.10). 

21   In particular regarding career progression, also in light of the Constitutional court’s judgment nr. 892/2023, 

which declared unconstitutional some of the provisions pertaining to the rules of career progression. 

22   Country visit Portugal, Supreme Court of Justice and High Council for the Judiciary. 

4 

 
 
 
Courts  and  Prosecution23.  As  regards  judges  and  prosecutors,  further  steps  were  taken  to 
increase their number as new rules were adopted which broadened access to initial training24, 
reduced  the  complexity  of  the  selection  procedure,  and  made  the  career  more  attractive25. 
Moreover,  a  new  training  centre  for  judicial  professions  has  been  operationalised,  which  is 
also expected to attract more applicants26. Stakeholders broadly welcomed these changes as a 
first step to address concerns regarding the increasing workload of judges and prosecutors27. 
The  revision  of  the  mandatory  age  of  retirement,  which  would  allow  for  the  completion  of 
terms  for  senior  positions  in  the  judiciary,  as  well  as  provisions  establishing  minimum 
periods  of  tenure  were  under  consideration  by  the  Government,  following  calls  from 
stakeholders, however these could not be completed. Overall, given the steps taken, there has 
been  significant  progress  in  stepping  up  efforts  to  ensure  adequate  human  resources  of  the 
justice system, in particular regarding judicial clerks. 

Working  conditions  and  security  in  court  and  prosecution  premises  affect  the 
functioning  of  the  courts.  Stakeholders  report  that  working  conditions  in  court  and 
prosecution premises continue to deteriorate28, despite recent investment in the maintenance 
and  renovation  of  some  buildings  deemed  a  priority29.  Their  poor  condition  often  leads  to 
postponement  of  procedural  acts,  with  an  impact  on  the  efficiency  of  the  justice  system30. 
Concerns regarding security in court and prosecution premises31, including those used by the 
EPPO32, also remain, and in several buildings there are no suitable dedicated lawyers’ rooms 
to  guarantee  professional  secrecy33.  While  the  expenditure  in  the  justice  system  in  2023 
registered a small increase, it remains one of the lowest in the EU34. According to European 
standards,  States  allocate  adequate  resources,  facilities  and  equipment  to  courts  to  enable 
them to work efficiently35. 

While  further  efforts  to  improve  digitalisation  are  being  made,  online  access  to 
judgments  remains  limited.  The  use  of  digital  technologies  by  courts  and  prosecution 

23   Country visit Portugal, High Council for Administrative and Tax Courts, High Council for Prosecution. 
24   In particular, the completion of a master’s in law in no longer mandatory. 
25   New recruitments are already taking place under the new rules, and the number of applicants has increased. 

Portuguese Government, written input, p. 6. Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary. 

26   Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. Whereas the initial training for the 23 new judicial court judges 
and 23 new prosecutors will already take place in the new centre, the training for Administrative and Tax 
Courts judges will continue to take place exclusively in Lisbon, raising concerns that this will further lower 
the attractiveness of this jurisdiction (Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Administrative and Tax 
Courts). 

27   EAJ,  written  input,  p.  31;  ENCJ,  p.  36;  MEDEL  –  Portugal,  p.  10.  See  also  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report, 
Portugal, p. 9. In an open letter of 12 June 2025 signed by over 1 000 prosecutors, the Union of Prosecutors 
raised  concerns  regarding  the  excessive  workload  and  working  conditions  of  prosecutors,  in  particular  in 
light  of  the  rules  on  appointments  approved  in  June  2025,  which  the  Union  deems  to  lower  the  level  of 
specialisation (Union of Prosecutors (2025)). 

28   EAJ, written input, 23; MEDEL – Portugal, written input, p. 10. 
29   2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 9. 
30   ENCJ, written input, pp. 34-35. 
31   Country  visit  Portugal,  Judges’  Union,  Prosecutors’  Union,  Union  of  ‘Funcionários  Judiciais’,  Union  of 

‘Oficiais de Justiça’. 
32   EPPO, written input, p. 44. 
33   Country visit Portugal, Bar Association. 
34   Figure  33,  2025 EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  The  expenditure  on  law  courts  as  a  percentage  of  GDP  further 

decreased in 2023, remaining average (Figure 34, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard). 

35   Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (2010), para. 33. 

5 

 
 
 
remains  generally  widespread36,  while  the  digital  solutions  in  criminal  cases  remain 
comparably  more  limited37.  Further  efforts  to  improve  digitalisation  are  being  made, 
including  in  the  context  of  the  Recovery  and  Resilience  Plan,  in  particular  as  regards 
electronic notifications and communications38, as well as a new information system to handle 
electronically the judicial proceedings, including in  criminal  proceedings39. While the Anti-
corruption Agenda adopted in June 2024 listed the publication of judgments of all instances 
as a priority40, this project could not be finalised41, and online access to published judgments 
remains among the lowest in the EU42. 

The legal aid system  was revised  to address  the low level  of  remuneration of legal aid 
providers, with the Bar Association calling for further changes.  In September 2024, the 
legal aid system was amended through Government ordinance, allowing courts, prosecution 
services,  and  police  authorities  to  designate  as  State-appointed-lawyer  any  lawyer  who 
signals availability. These amendments address the need to ensure the provision of legal aid, 
in case the Bar Association does not prepare the lists of available lawyers, and were prompted 
by protests against the low level of remuneration of legal aid providers43, which included the 
halting  of  the  preparation  of  those  lists  by  the  Bar  Association.  The  amendments  triggered 
further  protests,  with  the  Bar  Association  expressing  concerns  regarding  legislative 
transparency44,  as  well  as  the  impact  on  the  autonomy  of  the  Bar  and  the  quality  of  legal 
aid45. Further amendments were introduced in February 2025, broadening the cases for which 
legal aid is available and amending the table of remuneration of legal aid providers46. These 
new rules have been broadly  welcomed,  nevertheless  the Bar Association  called for  further 
changes, considering that some of the amendments may translate, in practice, into a reduction 
to the remuneration of lawyers47. 

Efficiency 

There has been some further progress in increasing the efficiency of Administrative and 
Tax  Courts  at  first  instance,  while  serious  concerns  remain  regarding  the  disposition 
time in second instance in particular among businesses48. The efficiency in first instance 
Administrative and Tax Courts has improved, with a decrease in disposition time at 597 days, 
and further improvement of the clearance rate, which rose to 120%49. However, the situation 

36   Figures 41 and 42, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
37   Figure 45, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
38   Portuguese RRP, Milestone 18.3. Portuguese Government, written input, p. 6. 
39   Portuguese RRP, Milestone 18.7. 
40   Portuguese Government, written input, p. 8. 
41   Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice.  
42   Figure 47, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. A GRECO recommendation in this regard remains only partially 

implemented. 

43   The  remuneration  of  legal  aid  providers  is  among  the  lowest  in  the  EU  (Figure  25,  2025  EU  Justice 

Scoreboard). CCBE, written input, p. 162. 

44   The Bar Association, which was not consulted in the legislative process, argued that the Law on Legal Aid 

was overturned through a lower ranking legislative act (regulatory ordinance). 

45   CCBE, written input, p. 162. 
46   The new rules will come into force in August 2025. Ministry of Justice (2025). 
47   In particular, in cases where a resolution is reached through court conciliation, without reaching the hearing 

phase (Country visit Portugal, Bar Association).  

48   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Portugal to: “[…] continue efforts to improve its efficiency, 

in particular of Administrative and Tax Courts”. 
49   Figures 5, 10 and 13, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

6 

 
 
 
has  deteriorated  in  second  instance,  where  1 200  days  are  needed  to  resolve  a  case50.  The 
High  Council  for  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts  proposed  to  the  Ministry  of  Justice 
measures  aimed at  increasing  the efficiency of these courts,  and which  will still need to  be 
taken  up51.  The  creation  of  a  new  second  instance  is  provided  for  by  law,  but  its 
operationalisation remains pending, making it difficult to reduce the high number of pending 
cases per judge and to improve the low level of clearance rate52. While efficiency is higher in 
civil  and commercial cases, the disposition time in  first  instance has slightly decreased, the 
clearance  rate fell below 100%, and the case backlog  registered an increase53. Stakeholders 
consider  that  the  efficiency  shortcomings  in  the  justice  system  are  a  long-term  obstacle  to 
investment  and  the  business  environment54.  In  fact,  a  significant  number  of  cases  pending 
before Administrative and Tax Courts have a high economic value55. Portugal remains under 
enhanced  supervision  by  the  Committee  of  Ministers  of  the  Council  of  Europe  for  the 
excessive  length  of  proceedings  before  both  civil  and  administrative  jurisdictions56.  Given 
that there has been some improvement at first instance, but serious concerns remain regarding 
second  instance,  there  has  been  some  further  progress  in  increasing  the  efficiency  of 
Administrative and Tax Courts. 

There  has  been  some  progress  in  ensuring  the  adequacy  of  the  general  criminal 
procedure legislation to efficiently deal with complex criminal proceedings57. The need to 
ensure  the  efficient  handling  of  complex  criminal  cases,  commonly  referred  to  as  ‘mega 
procedures’,  continues  to  be  considered  as  a  priority  by  stakeholders58.  In  this  context,  the 
High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  created  a  working  group,  tasked  with  identifying  the  main 
causes of delays in these cases and proposing solutions that promote efficiency. The working 
group’s  proposals  were  transmitted  to  the  Minister  of  Justice  in  January  202559.  The  Anti-
Corruption  Agenda  also  includes  measures  expected  to  contribute  to  this  purpose60,  and 
legislative  changes  directly  aimed  at  avoiding  the  creation  of  such  ‘mega  procedures’  were 
also  included  among  the  major  initiatives  of  the  previous  legislature61.  However,  none  of 
these measures could be pursued further, due to the early end of the legislature and it remains 
to be seen how the steps taken will be advanced further. Given the steps taken, there has been 
some progress on this recommendation. 

50   Figure 8, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
51   Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Administrative and Tax Courts.  
52   338 cases per judge and a resolution rate of 97% in the North Central Administrative Court; 725  cases per 

judge and a resolution rate of 88% in the South Central Administrative Court.  

53   Figures 5, 10 and 13, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
54   2024 European Semester, Portugal, p. 14. 
55   In  2023,  636  new  cases  with an  economical value over  EUR  1  million  were  registered  in  Administrative 
and  Tax  Courts;  it  is  estimated  that  the  total  number  of  tax  cases  pending  before  these  courts  amount  to 
EUR 12 000 million (Jornal de Negócios (2025)). 

56   Committee of Ministers (2025). 
57   The 2024 Rule of Law Report recommended to Portugal to: “[t]ake measures to ensure the adequacy of the 

general criminal procedure legislation to efficiently deal with complex criminal proceedings.” 

58   Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 12-13. 
59   Proposals  include:  amending  the  code  of  criminal  procedure  to  avoid  excessive  delays  in  proceedings; 
amending  the  criminal  investigation  phase,  promoting  greater  efficiency  and  speed;  strengthening 
procedural  management  practices  and  promoting  a  culture  of  efficiency  in  the  courts;  combating  dilatory 
procedural  acts;  providing  adequate  technological  and  human  resources  to  courts  to  deal  with  the 
complexity of mega procedures (High Council for the Judiciary (2025)). 

60   Including changes to the instruction phase of the process, and granting judges more powers to deter dilatory 

procedural acts, which contribute to procedural delays.  
61   Portuguese Government (2025), written input, pp. 9-10. 

7 

 
 
 
II.  ANTI-CORRUPTION FRAMEWORK  

The  perception  among  experts,  citizens  and  business  executives  is  that  the  level  of 
corruption  in  the  public  sector  remains  relatively  high.  In  the  2024  Corruption 
Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Portugal scores 57/100 and ranks 15th in the 
European  Union  and  43rd  globally62.  This  perception  has  deteriorated  over  the  past  five 
years63.  The  2025  Special  Eurobarometer  on  Corruption  shows  that  91%  of  respondents 
consider corruption widespread in their country (EU average 69%) and 64% of  respondents 
feel  personally  affected  by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average  30%).  As  regards 
businesses, 75% of companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 63%) and 
50%  consider  that  corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  35%). 
Furthermore, 32% of respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter 
people  from  corrupt  practices  (EU  average  36%),  while  23%  of  companies  believe  that 
people  and  businesses  caught  for  bribing  a  senior  official  are  appropriately  punished  (EU 
average 33%)64. 

The National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020-2024 is still to be evaluated,  and the new 
anti-corruption strategy remains to be developed. While bills on lobbying were prepared 
by  political  groups  in  the  Parliament,  most  of  the  measures  set  out  in  the  Anti-corruption 
Agenda adopted in June 202465 – which includes 32 measures based on four pillars: effective 
punishment, procedural speed, public sector protection, and prevention – were not yet put in 
place66. The ad hoc Parliamentary Committee67 created in October 2024 to follow up on the 
implementation and monitoring of the Anti-corruption Agenda has not discussed a legislative 
file68,  and  it  has  not  yet  been  renewed  under  the  new  legislature.  The  National  Anti-
Corruption Strategy 2020-2024, expected to be evaluated by 30 November 202469, remains to 
be assessed70. A new National Anti-Corruption Strategy, together with a specific action plan 
to ensure its implementation, are further expected71. 

Some  further  progress  was  achieved  with  regard  to  the  resources  of  the  Anti-
Corruption  Mechanism  (MENAC),  and  further  changes  were  made  to  improve  its 

62   Transparency  International  (2025).  The  level  of  perceived  corruption  is  categorised  as  follows:  low  (the 
perception among experts and business executives of public sector corruption scores above 79); relatively 
low (scores between 79-60), relatively high (scores between 59-50), high (scores below 50). 

63   In 2020 the score was 61, while, in 2024, the score is 57. The score significantly increases/decreases when 
it  changes  more  than  five  points;  improves/deteriorates  (changes  between  4-5  points);  is  relatively  stable 
(changes from 1-3 points) in the last five years. 

64   Data from Special Eurobarometer 561 (2025) and Flash Eurobarometer 557 (2025).  
65   Portuguese Government (2024).  
66   The Anti-Corruption Agenda remained in place only for 9 months which did not allow for progress on other 

listed measures. 

67   Resolution 72-A/2024.  
68   Country visit Portugal, Assembly of the Republic.  
69   Art. 215, Law No 82/2023. 
70   According to the OECD criteria, Portugal scores 4 out of 15 (below the EU average) on the adequacy of 

implementation structures and reporting; OECD (2024). 

71   According  to  Art.  285,  2025  State  Budget  Law,  the  new  Strategy  is  expected  to  foresee  rules  on  its 
monitoring,  objectives,  repartition  of  competences  between  authorities,  the  timetable  and  deadlines  for 
implementation as well as the publication of delivery indicators. Civil  society looked forward to the new 
strategy:  Country  visit  Portugal,  Observatory  of  Economy  and  Fraud  Management,  Transparency 
International – Portugal. 

8 

 
 
 
structure  and  functioning72.  In  the  second  year  of  its  activity,  MENAC73  issued  four 
recommendations  to  the  Government,  inspectors  and  entities  under  the  General  Corruption 
Prevention Regime74 and supported educational activities. Its current activities remain limited 
to  overseeing  compliance  with  the  General  Corruption  Prevention  Regime75,  while  its 
mandate is wide, extending to evidence-based analyses, tailored recommendations for sector-
specific  risks,  or  guidance  in  view  of  the  legislative  reforms76.  In  2024,  MENAC  received 
152  reports  denouncing  corruption77.  In  November  2024,  the  electronic  platform  for  the 
reception, automatic processing and storage of compliance instruments became operational78. 
MENAC  informed  on  the  upcoming  focus  on  private  sector  entities  for  the  effective 
implementation  of  the  General  Regime  for  the  Prevention  of  Corruption  in  the  areas  of 
climate  and  energy,  in  particular  concerning  the  issuance  of  official  permits  and  the 
relationship with Directorate-General of Energy and Geology79. In December 2024, MENAC 
and  the  National  Association  of  Portuguese  Municipalities  signed  a  working  protocol  to 
implement  measures  to  promote  transparency,  integrity  and  prevention  of  corruption  and 
related offences80. Amendments to the structure and functioning of MENAC81, which entered 
into  force  in  May  202582,  were  made  to  address  challenges  regarding  resources83  and 
coordination with authorities84. These amendments led to the creation of a Board of Directors 
and establish new rules for the recruitment of MENAC’s staff, which will no longer depend 
on  secondments.  These  changes  are  intended  to  address  concerns  voiced  by  stakeholders 
related  to  MENAC’s  effectiveness  and  limited  operational  activities85.  In  light  of  these 
developments, some further progress was made to ensure sufficient resources for MENAC. 

Significant  progress  was  made  to  ensure  sufficient  resources  for  the  handling 
corruption cases86. As regards the Criminal Police, between 2022  and 2025, it is  expected 
that  1 100  new  inspectors  will  have  been  recruited,  strengthening  careers  in  criminal 
investigations,  scientific  policing  and  security87.  While  these  resources  will  be  allocated 

72   The 2024 Rule of Law  Report recommended to  Portugal to: “[c]ontinue  efforts made to ensure  sufficient 
resources for preventing, investigating and prosecuting corruption, including for the new Anti-Corruption 
Mechanism”. 

73   It  is  an  independent  entity  with  administrative  and  financial  autonomy,  whose  mission  is  to  promote 
transparency and integrity in public action and to ensure the effectiveness of policies to prevent corruption 
and related offences. Ministerial Implementing Order No. 155-B/2023. 

74   MENAC (2025), Recommendations 1/2024 (updated and expanded in 2025), 7/2024, 8/2024, 9/2024. 
75   Decree-Law No. 109-E/2021.  
76   National Anti-Corruption Strategy 2020-2024, 2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 17.  
77   MENAC, 2024 Annual Report, p. 9. 
78   It allows organisations with 50 or more employees  to submit  documents essential to compliance with the 
General Regime for the Prevention of Corruption, such as corruption prevention plans and implementation 
reports. So far, 12 000 entities notified their obligations through the platform. MENAC (2025), p. 31. 

79   Country visit Portugal, MENAC.  
80   This  is  particularly  important  as  local  government  remains  a  risk  area  for  corruption.  Portuguese 

Government, written input, p. 15. 

81   Decree-Law  approving  the  institutional  restructuring  of  the  National  Anti-Corruption  Mechanism 

(MENAC). Portuguese Government (2025).  

82   The President of the Republic promulgated the Government’s Decree-Law on 10 April 2025. 
83   On  31  December  2024,  12  members  of  staff  were  recruited  while  15  vacancies  were  unfilled.  MENAC 

(2025), pp. 20-22. 

84   Country visit Portugal, MENAC.  
85   Country  visit  Portugal,  Observatory  of  Economy  and  Fraud  Management,  Transparency  International  – 

Portugal. 

86   The  2024 Rule of Law  Report recommended to  Portugal to: “[c]ontinue  efforts made to ensure  sufficient 

resources for preventing, investigating and prosecuting corruption […]”. 

87   Portuguese Government, written input, p. 14.  

9 

 
 
 
across  criminal  law  areas,  it  is  expected  that  this  will  contribute  to  better  investigating 
corruption cases, which requires long periods of training, and where difficulties in retaining 
staff  continue  to  be  reported88.  The  authorities  inform  that  the  Central  Investigation  and 
Prosecution  Department  (DCIAP)  has  also  received  reinforced  resources  to  work  on  anti-
corruption  matters89.  Resources  foreseen  for  fighting  foreign  bribery  have  also  increased  in 
202490. As regards the  financial resources  of the  Inspectorate  General  of Finance (IGF), an 
increase  of  7%  is  foreseen  for  2025  compared  to  2024.  It  is  also  planned  to  hire  30  new 
inspectors  in  2025  and  15  more  in  2026  for  the  specific  task  of  preventing  and  combating 
corruption  in  local  authorities91.  Stakeholders  acknowledge  the  positive  impact  of  the 
measures that have been implemented in the last years92, with some noting however that the 
shortage of prosecutors and clerks93, lack of specialised advisers and outdated IT equipment94 
has  an  impact  on  handling  corruption  cases  by  the  prosecution.  Overall,  given  the  tangible 
efforts  made  to  recruit  new  staff  and  various  further  measures  in  the  pipeline,  significant 
progress  has  been  made  to  ensure  sufficient  resources  for  preventing,  investigating  and 
prosecuting corruption.  

While  corruption  cases  remain  a  priority,  there  are  challenges  in  ensuring  the  timely 
investigation,  prosecution  and  adjudication  of  high-level  corruption  cases.  Generally, 
corruption cases, including those on foreign bribery95, are handled efficiently and as a matter 
of  priority96.  In  parallel,  the  authorities  continue  to  face  difficulties  in  handling  high-level 
corruption  cases  in  a  timely  manner,  which  poses  the  risk  that  these  cases  become  time-
barred97. Significant delays were noted in relation to some high-level corruption cases, some 
of them pending for over a decade and remaining in pre-trial stage. In 2024, for the first time, 
the  authorities  had  recourse  to  a  procedure  against  delaying  manoeuvres,  which  allowed  to 
proceed in a more expedite manner with these cases98. The EPPO investigated 8 corruption 
cases, which account for 5% of the total number of EPPO cases in Portugal99.  

88   Country visit Portugal, Criminal Police, Office of the Prosecutor General. 
89   Country visit Portugal, DCIAP.  
90   This relates also to the resources to fight foreign bribery. Implementing OECD (202x), p. 5. 
91   These  will  integrate  the  IGF  and  the  Inspectorate-General  for  Agriculture,  Sea,  Environment  and  Spatial 

Planning.  

92   Country visit Portugal, Criminal Police, IGF. 
93   See also Pillar I – Quality. 
94   Country visit Portugal, Office of the Prosecutor General and the Criminal Police. 
95   While there have so far been no convictions or sanctions imposed for foreign bribery, the authorities inform 
on seven ongoing cases and indictment of eight natural persons and one company in two complex ongoing 
cases. OECD (2024). 

96   In  2024,  504  reports  on  corruption  were  submitted  (41%  from  anonymous  complaints,  22%  from 
whistleblowing  submissions).  Also  in  2024,  corruption  charges  were  brought  in  81  cases,  16  convictions 
were taken and 2 acquittals. In 2024, the average time for proceedings leading to a judgment was 6.8 years. 
MENAC  (2025),  pp.  62,  70,  77.  In  2023,  charges  were  brought  against  74  natural  persons  and  3  legal 
persons  (in  comparison  to  117  natural  persons  in  2022).  Also  in  2023,  47  convictions  against  natural 
persons  were  taken  (in  comparison  to  87  natural  persons  in  2022).  In  terms  of  sanctions  imposed  for 
corruption  offences  in  2023,  there  were  49  sanctions  (in  comparison  to  87  in  2022).  Portuguese 
Government  (2025),  written  input.  Country  visit  Portugal,  Secretariat  General  of  the  Presidency  of  the 
Council of Ministers. 

97   2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 13. 
98   Art. 670, Code of Civil Procedure.  
99   EPPO (2025), p. 49. 

10 

 
 
 
There was significant progress in ensuring effective monitoring and verification of asset 
declarations by the Transparency Entity100. In 2024, the reform entrusting monitoring and 
verification of asset declarations of political  and senior public officials  to  the Transparency 
Entity101  entered  into  force,  and  the  Electronic  Platform,  which  enabled  political  office 
holders  to  fulfil  their  reporting  obligations,  started  operating102.  Since  then,  2 626  single 
declarations were submitted via the Electronic Platform103, and 789 of them were completed. 
In  parallel,  158  notifications  on  possible  non-compliance  were  issued.  Whereas  the 
Anticorruption Agenda envisaged an evaluation of the functioning of the Entity to assess the 
need of amendments to its legislative framework104, this could not be finalised before the end 
of  the  legislature.  While  the  declarations  remain  publicly  accessible  upon  request,  civil 
society considers that the interpretation of the law regarding public access to the declarations 
is  too  narrow105.  Despite  some  remaining  concerns106,  the  ongoing  first  task  of  ensuring 
effective  monitoring  and  verification  of  asset  declarations  by  the  Transparency  Entity  has 
been progressing well so far107. In view of the above, significant progress has been made to 
ensure  the  effective  monitoring  and  verification  of  asset  declarations  by  the  Transparency 
Entity.  

Shortcomings  in  the  integrity  framework  remain  to  be  addressed  under  the  new 
legislature. The existing shortcomings and lack of efficiency of the existing rules on integrity 
have  been  widely  criticised108.  The  code  of  conduct  adopted  in  2024,  in  line  with  GRECO 
recommendations, addressed the main issues. It however did not include a clear enforcement 
mechanism  for  non-compliance  with  the  code.  Moreover,  concerns  have  been  raised 
regarding  the  lack  of  publication  of  the  registry  of  interests  of  the  members  of  the 
Government109.  While  reporting  channels  for  whistleblowing  within  the  Government  have 
been established, the risk prevention plan, which had been announced in the Anti-corruption 

100   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Portugal  to:  ‘[e]nsure  the  effective  monitoring  and 

verification of asset declarations by the Transparency Entity’. 

101   Article 5 of Organic Law No. 4/2019.  
102   Members of the Assembly of the Republic, members of the Government and heads of cabinet of members 
of  the  Government  who  have  ceased  or  commenced  office  following  the  parliamentary  elections  of  10 
March 2024, as well as Members of the European Parliament who ceased or commenced office following 
the elections to the European Parliament of 9 June 2024. Currently, the staff was raised to 10 persons and 
procedures are ongoing for 3 other posts. Portuguese Government, written input, pp. 13-14. Country visit 
Portugal, Entity for Transparency. 

103   In addition, 298 requests for consultation of the information contained in the declarations were submitted 
(269 were accepted and 4 were rejected) as well as 21 requests from the officeholder to object access to the 
information  contained  in  the  declaration  (4  were  granted,  2  partially  granted,  8  rejected  and  6  were 
concluded on other grounds for terminating the procedure). Portuguese Government (2025), written input, 
p. 14. 

104   Portuguese Government, written input, p. 14. 
105   The Entity reports that requests for access to declarations have increased by 41%. Country visit Portugal, 

Transparency Entity. Observador (2024). Expresso (2024).  

106   In particular, in relation to the dependence on the Constitutional Court, its  geographical distance from the 
Constitutional Court, the current lack of the interoperability of the platform, in particular with the Bank of 
Portugal, and the potentially burdensome manual checks of the information inserted in the platform. 2024 
Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 21-22. 

107   It is expected that following the parliamentary elections on 18 May 2025 and the submission of the relevant 
declarations by the new Members of Parliament and members of the Government within 60 days from the 
date they enter office, the Transparency Entity will monitor and verify them.  

108   2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 20.  
109   The latest available publication refers to the Government that ceased functions in March 2024; Parliament 

(2024). 

11 

 
 
 
Agenda,  is  only  now  starting  to  be  implemented110.  On  22  May  2025,  MENAC  issued  a 
recommendation to the new Government to adopt the tools for the prevention of corruptions 
risks within 60 days of taking up office111. Stakeholders also consider that the remaining gaps 
should be addressed through tailor-made rules under the new legislature112. 

Initial  efforts  were  made  under  the  previous legislature  to  address  lobbying,  which  so 
far  remains  unregulated.  Despite  political  consensus  in  line  with  the  Anti-Corruption 
Agenda113,  initial  efforts  to  introduce  a  lobbying  bill114  were  cut  short  by  the  early 
termination  of  the  legislature115.  As  a  consequence,  lobbying  remains  unregulated,  despite 
long  standing  GRECO  recommendations116  and  criticism  from  civil  society117.  Particular 
concerns  have  been  raised  in  relation  to  areas  considered  as  high-risk  for  corruption, 
including  urban  planning,  also  in  the  context  of  the  discussion  of  legislative  proposals,  for 
example  those  on  the  legal  framework  for  territorial  management  instruments118.  The 
importance  of  introducing  rules  on  lobbying  is  underlined  also  by  recent  high-level 
corruption  investigations  involving  holders  of  public  office,  at  national,  local  and  regional 
level119.  The  system  of  preventive  audit  over  the  EU-funded  projects  was  amended. 
Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption in the EU show that 20% of companies in Portugal 
(EU average 25%) think that corruption has prevented them from winning a public tender or 
a  public  procurement  contract  in  practice  in  the  last  three  years120.  68%  of  companies 
perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  public  procurement  review  body  (Administrative 
and  Tax  Courts)  as  very  or  fairly  good121.  The  Single  Market  and  Competitiveness 
Scoreboard on access to public procurement in Portugal reports 21% of single bids for 2023 
(29% EU average). In December 2024, with the aim to speed the execution of the EU-funded 
projects122, new rules came into force which amend the Court of Auditors’ preventive control 
over  contracts  financed  or  co-financed  by  European  funds,  with  no  time  or  value  limit123. 

110   Country  visit  Portugal,  Secretariate-General  of  the  Presidency  of  the  Council  of  Ministers.  The  risk 

prevention plan was published on 5 June 2025 (Portuguese Government (2025b)). 

111   The  rules  are  to  be  subject  to  an  annual  assessment.  They  are  to  be  applicable  to  the  members  of  the 
government, members of their cabinets, senior managers of the direct administration of the State, heads of 
public institutes and public managers.  

112   Country  visit  Portugal, Observatory  of  Economy  and  Fraud  Management,  Transparency  International  – 

Portugal. 

113   Portuguese  Government  (2024),  which  includes  a  Code  of  Conduct  for  lobbying,  as  well  as  a  register  of 

interest representatives and meetings that took place with public officials. 

114   The legislative procedures relating to the  proposals already presented in this legislature in Parliament are 
underway, namely bills no. 179/XVI/1a (PAN), 190/XVI/1a (IL), 346/XVI/1a (PSD) and 366/XVI/1a (CH). 

115   Country visit Portugal, Services of the Assembly of the Republic. 
116   GRECO (2024), para. 70. 
117   Country  visit  Portugal,  Observatory  of  Economy  and  Fraud  Management,  Transparency  International  – 

Portugal. 

118   Country  visit  Portugal,  Services  of  the  Assembly  of  the  Republic.  While  the  President  of  the  Republic 
promulgated  the  Decree-Law,  it  was  highlighted  that  the  corruption  prevention  aspects  still  need  to  be 
further developed (President of the Republic (2025)).  

119   2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 20. 
120   Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2025).  This  is  5 

percentage points below the EU average. 
121   Figure 59, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
122   The  implementation  of  the  RRP  suffered  delays,  which,  given  the  short  deadlines  for  using  the  funds, 

generated strong pressure and incentives to speed up its execution. Portuguese Government (2024a).  

123   Law  20/XVI/l  amending  Law  30/2021  which  approves  special  public  procurement  measures.  While  the 
Court  of  Auditors  was  consulted  during  the  legislative  process,  this  was  only  in  the  initial  phase  and 
subsequent changes included broadening to include all EU funded projects, without a new consultation of 
the Court. 

12 

 
 
 
While such contracts  remain subject  to  the preventive control of the Court of Auditors, the 
suspending effect of a control of projects was limited to exceptional instances. Stakeholders 
pointed out that the new rules may lead to an increase in corruption risks124.  

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM  

The  Media  Regulatory  Authority  continues  to  carry  out  its  tasks  and  has  reinforced 
financial resources. Examples of recent activity by the Media Regulatory Authority (ERC) 
are  its  ongoing  collaborations  with  the  Ministry  of  Justice  on  the  preparatory  work  for  the 
transposition of the EU anti-SLAPPs Directive and projects with the OSCE Representative on 
Freedom  of  the  Media,  such  as  the  Safety  of  Journalists  Toolbox125.  Regarding  resources, 
ERC  is  to  receive  an  overdue  amount  from  two  preceding  years  of  around  EUR  3  million. 
This  amount  stems  from  the  net  profits  of  the  share  participation  in  the  fees  for  use  of  the 
radio  spectrum  paid  to  ICP-ANACOM  (the  national  regulatory  authority  for  postal 
communications and electronic communications) as remuneration for use of a public asset. Its 
recoup,  in  addition  to  the  increase  of  state  budget  funding  proportionate  to  the  increased 
number of taxpayers, is noted positively by the regulator, in contrast with previously reported 
shortcomings126. A legislative amendment envisaged by the transition Government allowing 
the  direct  transfer  from  ANACOM  instead  of  via  the  State  Treasury  is  also  perceived  as  a 
needed  improvement  contributing  to  stabilising  the  regulator’s  funding  model,  ensuring 
greater  predictability  and  responding  to  operational  needs  more  quickly  and  efficiently127. 
Regarding  the  resources  allocated  to  the  media  regulator,  the  MPM  2025  for  Portugal 
considers that adequate budgetary conditions to strengthen ERC’s activity are still lacking128. 

A comprehensive Media Action Plan was presented by the Government. A Media Action 
Plan including 30 measures was presented by the Government in October 2024129. Among the 
planned measures are the codification of national media laws, an action plan for journalists’ 
safety and commitments to support regional and local media130. There is a consensus among 
stakeholders  that  this  plan  is  a  positive  step  forward,  although  it  may  not  be  sufficient  to 
address all existing challenges131. 

A new concession contract with the public service media provider has been signed and 
its  resources  strengthened  and  streamlined.  Following  a  public  consultation,  a  new 

124   Country  visit  Portugal,  Observatory  of  Economy  and  Fraud  Management,  Transparency  International  – 
Portugal. The estimated value of EU-funded projects affected by the new rules is considerable, in particular 
only 31% of projects received the visa in 2024. IMPIC (2024). Between 20 June 2021 and 30 June 2024, 
the  Court  received  information  on  the  conclusion  of  1582  contracts  involving  a  total  amount  of  238.8 
million euros, in addition to 50 contracts subject to preventive inspection, for a total amount of 89 million. 
Court of Auditors (2024a). 
125   Country visit Portugal, ERC. 
126   Country visit Portugal, ERC. 
127   Country visit Portugal, PT Media Lab and ERC. 
128   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 7. 
129   Country visit Portugal, PT Media. 
130   Portuguese government (2024b), p. 37. 
131   Country  visit  Portugal,  Union  of  Journalists,  the  Journalists  Professional  License  Commission,  ICNOVA 
and Private media association. The measures proposed in the plan are regarded as insufficient, for example, 
to  address  competition  by  digital  platforms  or  to  address  local  asymmetries  in  terms  of  media  presence, 
notably radios; some are also considered risky due to their execution by local authorities, which may create 
undue dependencies. The absence of an accompanying study to support the proposals included in the plan 
was also noted. 

13 

 
 
 
concession contract with Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) was signed in March 2025, 10 
years  after  its  last  revision132.  The  state  budget  foresees  a  financing  increase  for  RTP  that 
corresponds to the amount of cumulated loss of income of around EUR 80 million resulting 
from the inflation update of the annual audiovisual tax that had not been done since 2017133, 
in addition to the continuous increase in the number of people from whom the audiovisual tax 
is  collected.  In  contrast,  a  proposal  to  cut  commercial  advertising  by  two  minutes  per  hour 
that was included in the Government’s Media Action Plan134 was rejected during the voting 
of  the  budget  in  Parliament.  Moreover,  as  foreseen  in  the  Media  Action  Plan  and  made 
possible by the state budget for 2025,135 RTP has started a staff restructuring in March 2025, 
whereby around 250 employees are to leave the public service media on the basis of amicable 
termination  of  contracts,  with  80  employees  already  doing  so  as  of  December  2025136. 
According  to  RTP,  both  the  new  concession  contract  and  the  ongoing  staff  restructuring 
reflect the need to modernise the offer of the public service media provider, particularly with 
regard  to  non-linear  services  and  in  view  of  new  consumption  habits,  including  those  of 
younger audiences, which requires a more skilled workforce137. 

The  LUSA  News  Agency  is  now  nearly  fully  owned  by  the  state.  The  Government  has 
increased its stake in the news agency to 95.86% while envisaging to acquire the remainder 
of  the  shares138.  A  new  governance  model  including  a  multi-sectorial  Supervisory  Board  is 
foreseen by the Government’s Media Action Plan with the objective of guaranteeing LUSA’s 
editorial  independence139. Although  the new governance model is  yet  to  be further defined, 
the state budget funding allocated to LUSA has increased to EUR 21.5 million in 2025 from 
EUR 18.1 million in 2024140. These developments are regarded as positive, especially in light 
of the market role played by the news agency,  even if their impact on matters like staffing, 
salaries, transparency, independence and pluralism is still to be assessed141.  

Following the unprecedented suspension of voting and property rights within one media 
group, the national regulator submitted to Parliament and the Government proposals to 
amend the legislative framework. ERC is responsible for the monitoring of transparency of 
media ownership142. In July 2024, the regulator presented the Parliament and the Government 
with proposals to amend the Media Transparency Law, notably regarding the mechanism for 
the suspension of voting and property rights in cases of lack of transparency of ownership143. 
This provision was used for the first time in the Global Media Group case144. According to 

132   Portuguese Government (2025), written input, p. 25; Country visit Portugal, PT Media Lab and RTP. 
133   Law No. 45-A/2024 of December 31. 2024 Rule of Law Report, p. 26.  
134   Portuguese Government (2024b), p. 10. 
135   Portuguese Government (2024b), p. 11. 
136   Country visit Portugal, RTP. 
137   Country visit Portugal, RTP. 
138   Portuguese Government (2024b), p. 13. Country visit Portugal, PT Media Lab. 
139   Portuguese Government (2024b), p. 13. 
140   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 6. 
141   Country  visit  Portugal,  Union  of  Journalists,  the  Journalists  Professional  License  Commission,  ICNOVA 

and Private media association. 

142   Law No. 78/2015, which regulates the promotion of transparency of ownership, management, and financing 
of  entities  that  carry  out  media  activities.  ERC  collects  and  verifies  the  information  reported  by  entities 
under the legal provisions of transparency and displays it in the Transparency Portal. 

143   Country visit Portugal, PT Media Lab and ERC. 
144   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), pp. 8-9. 2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 27. Country visit Portugal, 

PT Media Lab and ERC. 

14 

 
 
 
ERC, this decision, although seen as coming late145, was prioritised and took nearly one year 
to  adopt  due  to  the  complexity  of  the  case146.  Overall,  this  outcome  is  regarded  by 
stakeholders  as  a  positive  result  of  the  existing  legal  framework.  The  amendments  are  also 
seen as needed to facilitate future decisions147. The MPM 2025 for Portugal has adjusted its 
score  from  high  risk  to  very  high  risk  when  it  comes  to  media  plurality  since  the  media 
landscape in Portugal remains highly concentrated148. 

Some steps have been taken to address concerns about the precarity of journalists’ posts 
and  deteriorating  working  conditions.  The  outcome  of  the  Global  Media  Group  case, 
namely the conclusion of the restructuring process whereby several of Global Media Group’s 
outlets were acquired by Portuguese investors149, is positively evaluated by stakeholders since 
it  avoided  layoffs150.  Nevertheless,  issues  are  still  reported  regarding  low  salaries  and  the 
enforcement of the collective labour agreement for the press151. Moreover, the Media Action 
Plan commits to  new incentive mechanisms  aimed at  the hiring of more journalists and the 
creation of more jobs with permanent contracts for all media152. While generally the Media 
Action  Plan  was  positively  received  by  journalists’  associations,  some  points  of  criticism 
relate, for instance, to  the allocated budget  and to the limitation of the type of entities  who 
may apply  to  the  financial  incentives foreseen153. In addition,  the announced subsidising of 
digital subscriptions and free digital subscriptions for high school students, intended to boost 
the media sector’s competitiveness,  are  regarded as  insufficient  in  themselves to ensure  the 
sustainability of news media154. 

The  number  of  incidents  affecting  journalists  has  decreased,  while  some  concerns 
regarding  restrictions  hindering  journalistic  reporting  have  emerged.  The  Council  of 
Europe  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists  has 
registered one alert since the adoption of the 2024 Rule of Law Report, relating to physical 
attacks  and  harassment  of  journalists155.  The  Media  Freedom  Rapid  Response  monitor  for 
Portugal  reported  ten  alerts  since  July  2024,  relating,  respectively,  to  intimidation, 
threatening or physical injury, and access to information156. No SLAPP cases were reported 
since the publication of the 2024 Rule of Law Report157. Overall, stakeholders deem that the 
number of alerts is not alarming158. As regards access to information, the Journalists’ Union 

145   2024 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 27. 
146   Which  implied  the  need  to  consult  all  interested  parties  and  gather  all  relevant  information  in  order  to 
susbtantiate  with  certainty  a  strong  limitation  of  shareholders  rights  that  are  protected  by  the  Portuguese 
Constitution (Country visit Portugal, ERC). 

147   Country  visit  Portugal,  Union  of  Journalists,  the  Journalists  Professional  License  Commission,  ICNOVA 

and Private media association. 

148   Media Pluralism Monitor (2025), p. 21. 
149   Diário de Notícias (2024). 
150   Estimated between 150 and 200.  Country visit Portugal, Union of Journalists, the Journalists Professional 

License Commission, ICNOVA and Private media association. 

151   Country visit Portugal, Union of Journalists. 
152   Portuguese Government (2024b), pp. 20, 21. 
153   Country visit Portugal, Union of Journalists. 
154   Country  visit  Portugal,  Union  of  Journalists,  the  Journalists  Professional  License  Commission,  academia 

and a private media association. 

155   Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (2025). In both 

instances, the Portuguese authorities have replied. 

156   Media Freedom Rapid Response monitor (2025). For example, on 17 August 2024, authorities in Madeira 

reportedly obstructed the work of journalists covering the forest fires on the island. 

157   Country visit Portugal, Union of Journalists. 
158   Country visit Portugal, Union of Journalists and the Journalists Professional License Commission. 

15 

 
 
 
expressed specific concerns about the restrictive interpretation of the law allowing access to 
politicians’  asset  declarations  by  the  Transparency  Entity,  arguing  that  it  poses  a  threat  to 
press  freedom159.  Moreover,  there  have  been  reports  of  difficulties  in  the  recognition  of 
professional  credentials,  hindering  access  to  and  coverage  of  events  at  venues  like  football 
stadiums and Parliament160. 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

With the early end of the legislature, no progress was made in finalising the reforms to 
improve  the  transparency  of  law-making161.  Due  to  the  dissolution  of  Parliament  on  20 
March  2025,  it  was  not  possible  to  proceed  with  the  implementation  of  ex  ante  impact 
assessment tools, as envisaged in the Parliament’s Rules of Procedure162, and the process for 
reviewing  and  updating  the  Parliament’s  legal  drafting  technical  guide  could  not  be 
completed. The Parliament’s new tool for citizens’ participation in the legislative procedure 
was launched in March 2025, but it has not yet been implemented, and its functioning will be 
assessed under the new legislature163. Whereas the Anti-Corruption Agenda adopted in June 
2024 included measures expected to improve the transparency of the legislative processes led 
by  the  Government,  including  the  finalisation  of  the  ‘legislative  footprint’  system164,  these 
could not be implemented before the end of the legislature165. No further steps could be taken 
to  increase  ex  post  impact  assessment,  which  remained  limited  to  selected  acts166.  Overall, 
due to the dissolution of the Parliament and limited duration of the legislature, there has been 
no progress in finalising the reforms to improve the transparency of law-making, particularly 
on the implementation of impact assessment tools. 

Less  than  half  of  the  companies  surveyed  in  Portugal  express  confidence  in  the 
effectiveness of investment protection. 44% of companies are very or fairly confident that 
investments are protected by law and courts167. The main reason among companies for their 
lack of confidence is the difficulty to obtain a fair compensation or to protect property when 
something goes wrong (31%)168. As regards authorities relevant for economic operators, 70% 
of  companies  perceive  the  level  of  independence  of  the  national  competition  authority 
(Portuguese  Competition  Authority)  as  very  or  fairly  good169.  A  number  of  judicial 
mechanisms  are  in  place  at  the  level  of  the  Supreme  Administrative  Court  to  ensure  the 
implementation  of  administrative  court  judgments,  including  fines  for  responsible  officials 

159   Under the provisions of Law No. 52/2019, any citizen seeking access to these declarations must now submit 

a “reasoned request”. Expresso (2024a).  

160   Country visit Portugal, Journalists' Professional License Committee.  
161   The  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Portugal  to:  “[f]inalise  the  reforms  to  improve  the 

transparency of law-making, particularly on the implementation of impact assessment tools”. 

162   Country  visit  Portugal,  Services  of  the  Assembly  of  the  Republic.  See  also  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report, 

Portugal, p. 29. 

163   Country visit Portugal, Services of the Assembly of the Republic. 
164   Establishing the mandatory recording of any intervention of external entities in the legislative process (2024 

Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 29-30).  

165   Country visit Portugal, Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers. 
166   Ex  ante  impact  assessment  of  Government  legislative  drafts  continued  to  be  ensured.  Portuguese 

Government (2025), written input, pp. 27-28. 

167   Figure 54, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. See also 2025 European Semester, Portugal, pp. 10-11. 
168   Figure 55, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 20% and 23% of the surveyed investors respectively perceive the 
frequent  changes  in  legislation  or  concerns  about  the  quality  of  the  law-making  process  and  the  quality, 
efficiency or independence of justice as a reason for the lack of confidence in investment protection. 

169   Figure 60, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

16 

 
 
 
for non-compliance, the possibility to substitute the annulled administrative act, and to award 
direct damages and compensation170. 

On  1  January  2025,  Portugal  had  19  leading  judgments  of  the  European  Court  of 
Human  Rights  pending  implementation,  an  increase  of  3  compared  to  the  previous 
year171.  At  that  time,  Portugal’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had 
been  implemented  was  48%  (compared  to  56%  in  2024;  52%  remained  pending),  and  the 
average time that the judgments had been pending implementation was 5 years and 6 months 
(compared  to  5  years  and  9  months  in  2024)172.  The  oldest  leading  judgment,  pending 
implementation  for  over  13  years,  concerns  the  fairness  of  criminal  proceedings173.  As 
regards the respect of payment deadlines, on 31 December 2024 there were 8 cases in total 
awaiting  confirmation  of  payments  (compared  to  16  in  2023)174.  On  16  June  2025,  the 
number  of  leading  judgments  pending  implementation  had  decreased  to  18175.  Following 
discussions with the Department of Execution of Judgments of the European Court of Human 
Rights  regarding  the  high  number  of  cases  concerning  freedom  of  expression176,  the 
Government has proposed to the Centre for Judicial Studies (CJS) to include specific training 
on the right to freedom of expression and the European Court of Human Rights’ related case-
law  in  the  training  plan  for  judges  and  prosecutors.  The  translation  of  selected  European 
Court of Human Rights rulings concerning Portugal and Article 10 ECHR is being prepared, 
and this compendium will be added to the CJS syllabus177. 

The  Office  of  the  Ombudsperson  continues  to  deal  with  a  high  number  of  complaints 
regarding administrative delays.  The Ombudsperson was re-accredited with ‘A’ status by 
the UN Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI) in May 2024178. In 
2024,  the  Ombudsperson  continued  to  receive  a  high  number  of  complaints  submitted  by 
foreign  nationals,  particularly  regarding  long  processing  times  of  residence  permits  by  the 
administration179.  The  institution  has  raised  concerns  that  the  number  of  urgent  judicial 
proceedings to compel the administration to decide in such cases may lead to further pressure 
on the justice system180. Following citizens’ complaints, the Office of the Ombudsperson has 
launched an investigation on alleged violations of the principles of the rule of law and human 
dignity,  in  the  context  of  a  large-scale  police  raid  occurred  in  December  2024.  The 
investigation is ongoing181. Despite the high number of complaints, the institution reports that 

170   Figure 49, 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. The data presented reflects exclusively the mechanisms in place at 
the level of the highest administrative jurisdictions; the same or other mechanisms may be in place at lower 
instance administrative courts. 

171   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe.   
172   All figures calculated by the European Implementation Network (EIN) and based on the number of cases 
that are considered pending at the annual cut-off date of 1 January 2025. EIN (2025), written input, p. 7.  

173   Judgment of the ECtHR, 19808/08, Moreira Ferreira v. Portugal, pending implementation since 2011. 
174   Council of Europe (2025), p. 157. 
175   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 
176   Council of Europe, written input, p. 2. 
177   Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. 
178   Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (GANHRI),  Sub-Committee  on  Accreditation 

(SCA) (2024). 

179   ENNRHI (2025), p. 367. 
180   ENNRHI (2025), p. 366. While the Ombudsperson’s mandate does not cover the functioning of the justice 
system,  the  Office  reports  that  it  received  a  high  number  of  complaints  concerning  delays  in  judicial 
proceedings  (Country  visit  Portugal,  Office  of  the  Ombudsperson).  See  also  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report, 
Portugal, p. 31. 

181   Country visit Portugal, Office of the Ombudsperson. Público (2025).  

17 

 
 
 
it  can  effectively  fulfil  its  mandate.  The  Ombudsperson  reports  good  cooperation  with  the 
authorities and continues to play an active role in legislation and policy making182. 

Civil society organisations continue to operate without constraints, and new measures to 
improve access to financing have been introduced. The civil society space continues to be 
considered  as  open183.  However,  isolated  cases  of  harassment  of  members  of  civil  society 
organisations  (CSOs)  active  in  the  support  of  minorities  continue  to  raise  particular 
concerns184.  The  rights  of  human  rights  defenders  are  well  protected  under  general  laws185. 
CSOs  continue  to  be  able  to  participate  in  decision  making  processes,  and  are  actively 
involved  in  consultative  and  participatory  bodies,  and  in  the  discussion  of  sector-specific 
national  strategies  and  actions  plans186.  Stakeholders  report  that  the  number  of  funding 
opportunities launched by the Government have further increased, and CSOs have welcomed 
the  increase  in  the  amount  of  annual  tax  payments  that  taxpayers  can  allocate  to  CSOs187. 
Targeted  funding  aimed  at  supporting  CSOs’  technical  and  financial  capacities  is  also 
available188. 

182   ENNRHI (2025), p. 363. 
183   Rating by CIVICUS; ratings are on a five-category scale defined as: open, narrowed, obstructed, repressed  

and closed. 

184   Country  visit  Portugal,  Platform  NGOD.  2024  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Portugal,  pp.  31-32.  Civil  Society 

Europe (2025), written input, p. 11. 

185   FRANET (2025), p. 14. 
186   ENNHRI (2025), p. 364; FRANET (2025), p. 6. 
187   Country visit Portugal, Platform NGOD. 
188   FRANET (2025), p. 9. 

18 

 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2025 Rule of Law report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2025-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en. 

found 

be 

at 

Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (2025), Monitoring Media Pluralism in Europe in the 
year 2024, Country report Portugal. 

Civicus (2025), Monitor tracking civic space – Portugal, https://monitor.civicus.org/country/portugal. 

Civil  Society  Europe  (2025),  Contribution  from  the Civil  Society  Europe  for the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

Constitutional Court, judgment of 19 December 2023, 892/2023. 

Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) (2025), Contribution from the Council of Bars 
and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2022),  H46-20  Vicente  Cardoso  group  v.  Portugal 
(Application No. 30130/10)  – Supervision of the execution of the European Court’s judgments DH-
DD(2022)1119. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2010),  Recommendation  CM/Rec(2010)12  of  the 
Committee of Ministers to member states on judges: independence, efficiency and responsibilities. 

Council  of  Europe:  Committee  of  Ministers  (2025),  Supervision  of  the  execution  of  judgments  and 
decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, 18th Annual Report of the Committee of Ministers, 
https://rm.coe.int/gbr-2001-18e-rapport-annuel-2024/1680b4d77d. 

Council of Europe: Consultative Council of European Judges (CCJE) (2021), Opinion No. 24 (2021) 
on the evolution of the Councils for the Judiciary and their role in independent and impartial judicial 
systems. 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2022), Bulgaria - Urgent Interim Opinion on the draft new 
Constitution (CDL-AD(2020)035-e). 

Court of Auditors (2024), Monitoring Report on Public Procurement covered by the Special Measures 
provided  for  in  Law  no.  30/2021  (Acompanhamento  da  Contratação  Pública  abrangida  pelas 
Medidas  Especiais  previstas  na  Lei  n.º  30/2021  –  3.º  Relatório),  https://www.tcontas.pt/pt-
pt/ProdutosTC/Relatorios/relatorios-oac/Documents/2024/rel-oac001-2024-all.pdf. 

Court  of  Auditors  (2024a),  Newsletter  of  December  2024  (Boletim  mensal  de  fiscalização  prévia  - 
dezembro 
https://www.tcontas.pt/pt-
pt/Documents/Boletins%20Mensais%202024/BMFP_2024_dez.pdf. 

2024), 

de 

Diário  de  Notícias  (2024),  Global  Media  and  Páginas  Civilizadas  sell  their  shares  in  Lusa  (Global 
Media  e  Páginas  Civilizadas  vendem  participação  na  LUSA),  https://www.dn.pt/sociedade/global-
media-e-paginas-civilizadas-vendem-participacao-na-lusa. 

Directorate-General for the Administration of Justice (2024), Staff map (Mapa de Pessoal Oficiais de 
Justiça), 
https://dgaj.justica.gov.pt/Tribunais/Funcionarios-deJustica/Mapas-de-pessoal-oficiais-de-
justica. 

19 

 
 
Draft Law No 179/XVI/1.A (PAN) regulating lobbying and establishing a transparency register and a 
legislative footprint mechanism.  

Draft  Law  No  190/XVI/1.A  (IL)  regulating  lobbying  in  Portugal  and  establishing  the  transparency 
system for public authorities.  

European  Association  of  Judges  (EAJ)  (2025),  Contribution  from  EAJ  for  the  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (2025),  Mapping Media Freedom, Portugal country 
profile.  

European Commission (2025), 2025 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2025a), 2025 European Semester Country Report for Portugal. 

European  Commission  (2025b),  Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards 
corruption in the EU.  

European Commission (2024), 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Portugal. 

European Commission (2024), 2024 European Semester Country Report for Portugal. 

European Commission (2024), Special Eurobarometer 561 on Corruption.  

European Court of Human Rights, judgment of 5 July 2011, Moreira Ferreira v. Portugal, 19808/08. 

European Implementation Network (2025), Contribution from the European Implementation Network 
(EIN) for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of Councils for the Judiciary (2025), Contribution from the European Network of 
Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) for the 2025 Rule of Law Report.  

European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (2025),  Contribution  from  the  European 
Network of National Human Rights Institutions for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) (2025), Contribution from EPPO for the 2025 Rule of 
Law Report. 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) (2025), Annual report. 

Expresso  (2024),  New  law  limits  access  to  politicians'  asset  declarations  (Nova  lei limita  acesso  às 
declarações  de  patromónio  dos  políticos),  https://expresso.pt/politica/2024-08-14-nova-lei-limita-
acesso-as-declaracoes-de-patrimonio-dos-politicos-50e26a84. 

Expresso  (2024a),  Journalists'  Union  considers  new  law  limiting  access  to  politicians'  wealth 
declarations  “serious”  (Sindicato  dos  Jornalistas  considera  grave  nova  lei  que  limita  acesso  às 
declarações  de  património  dos  políticos),  https://expresso.pt/politica/2024-08-15-sindicato-dos-
jornalistas-considera-grave-nova-lei-que-limita-acesso-as-declaracoes-de-patrimonio-dos-politicos-
1056a808. 

Franet, Centre for Social Studies (2025), Civic space in the EU: Mapping of national approaches to 
civic space monitoring, participation and protection – Portugal, EU Agency for Fundamental Rights. 

20 

 
 
Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions (GANHRI), Sub-Committee on Accreditation 
(SCA)  (2024),  Report  and  Recommendations  of the Session  of  the  Sub-Committee  on  Accreditation 
(SCA), Online, 26-28 March 2024 Geneva, 29 April-3 May 2024. 

GRECO  (2024),  Fifth  Evaluation  Round,  Evaluation  Report  on  Portugal  on  Preventing  corruption 
and  promoting  integrity  in  central  governments  (top  executive  functions)  and  law  enforcement 
agencies. 

GRECO  (2024a),  Fourth  Evaluation  Round  –  Third  Interim  compliance  report  on  Portugal  on 
preventing corruption in respect of members of parliament, judges and prosecutors. 

High Council for the Judiciary (2025), Megaprocedures and criminal procedure: charter for efficiency 
and  better  justice  –  Working  group  presents  conclusions  to  the  CSM  plenary(“Megaprocessos  e 
processo penal: carta para a celeridade e melhor justiça” – Grupo de trabalho apresenta conclusões 
ao  Plenário  do  CSM),  https://csm.org.pt/megaprocessos-e-processo-penal-carta-para-a-celeridade-e-
melhor-justica-grupo-de-trabalho-apresenta-conclusoes-ao-plenario-do-csm/. 

IMPIC  (2024),  2023  Annual  Report  on  Public  Procurement  in  Portugal  (Relatório  Annual  de 
Contratação  Pública  em  Portugal),  https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/noticias/2024/relatorio-anual-
de-contratacao-publica-em-portugal-2023/. 

Jornal de Negócios (2024), Big procedures pending in Tax Courts amount to over 12 thousand million 
(Grandes  processos  parados  nos 
fiscais  somam  mais  de  12  mil  milhões), 
https://www.jornaldenegocios.pt/economia/justica/detalhe/grandes-processos-parados-nos-tribunais-
fiscais-somam-mais-de-12-mil-milhoes. 

tribunais 

Magistrats  Européens  pour  la  Démocracie  et  les  Libertés  (MEDEL)  (2025),  Contribution  from 
Magistrats Européens pour la Démocracie et les Libertés (MEDEL) – Portugal for the 2025 Rule of 
Law Report. 

MENAC (2025), Annual Report 2024 (Relatório Annual 2024). 

Ministry  of  Justice  (2025),  Government  reviews  payment  table  for  state-appointed  (Governo  revê 
Tabela de honorários dos advogados oficiosos), https://justica.gov.pt/Noticias/Governo-reve-Tabela-
de-honorarios-dos-advogados-oficiosos. 

Observador  (2024),  Transparency  entity  makes  access  to  politicians'  statements  more  difficult 
(Entidade  da  Transparência 
tona  acesso  às  declarações  dos  pólíticos  mais  difícil), 
https://observador.pt/especiais/entidade-da-transparencia-torna-acesso-as-declaracoes-dos-politicos-
mais-dificil/. 

OECD (2024), Working Group on Bribery, Phase 4 evaluation of Portugal. 

Parliament (2024), Registry of interests of the members of the Government (Registo de interesses de 
https://www.parlamento.pt/RegistoInteresses/Paginas/Arquivo-
Membros 
RegistoInteressesMG.aspx 

Governo) 

do 

Portuguese  Government (2022),  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  2020-2024 (Estratégia  Nacional 
Anticorrupção 2020-2024), https://justica.gov.pt/Estrategia-Nacional-Anticorrupcao-2020-2024. 

Portuguese Government (2024), Anti-corruption Agenda (Agenda Anti-corrupção). 

Portuguese  Government  (2024a),  Government  to  take  decisions  to  speed  up  implementation  of 
European  funds  (Governo  vai  tomar  decisões  para  acelerar  execução  de  fundos  europeus), 

21 

 
 
https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc24/comunicacao/noticia?i=governo-vai-tomar-decisoes-para-
acelerar-execucao-de-fundos-europeus.  

Portuguese  Government  (2024b),  Media  Action  Plan (Plano  de  Ação  para  a  Comunicação  Social), 
https://www.portugal.gov.pt/pt/gc24/comunicacao/documento?i=plano-de-acao-para-a-comunicacao-
social.  

Portuguese Government (2025), Input from Portugal for the 2025 Rule of Law Report. 

Portuguese  Government  (2025a),  New  rules  for  case  allocation:  maximum  Transparency  and 
efficiency in Justice – Questions and Answers (Novas regras na distribuição de processos judiciais: 
transparência 
Respostas), 
https://www.portugal.gov.pt/download-
ficheiros/ficheiro.aspx?v=%3D%3DBQAAAB%2BLCAAAAAAABAAzNDExNQAAi7agggUAAA
A%3D. 

Perguntas  & 

celeridade 

máxima 

Justiça 

na 

e 

Portuguese Government (2025b), Resolution of the Council of Ministers 102/2025, of 5 June 2025.  

Público (2025), Complaint to the Ombudsperson about PSP operation in Martim Moniz gathers over 
700 signatures (Queixa à Provedora de Justiça sobre operação da PSP no Martim Moniz reúne mais 
de  700  assinaturas),  https://www.publico.pt/2025/01/05/politica/noticia/queixa-provedora-justica-
operacao-psp-martim-moniz-reune-600-assinaturas-2117645. 

Renascença  (2024),  Operation  Marquês.  Ten  years  of  statute  of  limitations,  appeals  and  no  trial  of 
Sócrates (Operação Marquês. Dez anos de crimes prescritos, recursos e sem julgamento de Sócrates), 
https://rr.sapo.pt/noticia/pais/2024/11/21/operacao-marques-dez-anos-de-crimes-prescritos-recursos-
e-sem-julgamento-de-socrates/402424/. 

Transparency International (2025), Corruption Perceptions Index 2024.  

Union 
letter 
content/uploads/2025/06/Carta-Aberta-Versao-Final.pdf . 

(2025),  Open 

Prosecutors 

of 

(Carta 

Aberta), 

https://smmp.pt/wp-

22 

 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Portugal 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in April 2025 with: 

ICNOVA – Nova University of Lisbon 
Inspectorate-General of Finance 

•  Association of Private Media  
•  Bar Association 
•  Central Department of criminal action and investigation (DCIAP) 
•  Constitutional Court 
•  Court of Auditors 
•  High Council for the Administrative and Tax Courts 
•  High Council for Public Prosecution 
•  High Council for the Judiciary 
• 
• 
•  Journalists’ Professional License Committee  
•  Journalists’ Union  
•  Judiciary Police (Polícia Judiciária) 
•  Judges Union (ASJP) 
•  Media Authority – Regulatory Entity for Social Communication 
•  MENAC (Anti-corruption Mechanism) 
•  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
•  Ministry of Justice 
•  Observatory of Economy and Fraud Management  
•  Office of the Prosecutor General 
•  Office of the Ombudsperson 
•  Platform of NGOD 
•  Political Accounts and Financing Entity 
•  Portugal MediaLab 
•  Prosecutors Union (SMMP) 
•  RTP – Radio and Television of Portugal 
•  Secretariat General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers 
•  Services of the Assembly of the Republic 
•  Supreme Administrative Court 
•  Supreme Court of Justice 
•  Transparency Entity 
•  Transparency International – Portugal  
•  Union of ‘Funcionários Judiciais’ 
•  Union of ‘Oficiais de Justiça’ 

* The Commission also met the following organisations in a number of horizontal meetings:  

•  Amnesty International  
•  Araminta  
•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe   
•  Civil Society Europe   

23 

 
 
 
•  European Civic Forum   
•  European Partnership for Democracy  
•  European Youth Forum,  
• 
• 
•  JEF Europe  
•  Philea – Philanthropy Europe Association.  
•  Transparency International 

International Commission of Jurists   
International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH)  

24