COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 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 2026 Rule of Law Report The rule of law situation in the European Union
Date: 2026-07-17
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  Brussels, 17.7.2026  SWD(2026) 922 final  COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 2026 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 2026 Rule of Law Report                               The rule of law situation in the European Union {COM(2026) 900 final} - {SWD(2026) 901 final} - {SWD(2026) 902 final} - {SWD(2026) 903 final} - {SWD(2026) 904 final} - {SWD(2026) 905 final} - {SWD(2026) 906 final} - {SWD(2026) 907 final} - {SWD(2026) 908 final} - {SWD(2026) 909 final} - {SWD(2026) 910 final} - {SWD(2026) 911 final} - {SWD(2026) 912 final} - {SWD(2026) 913 final} - {SWD(2026) 914 final} - {SWD(2026) 915 final} - {SWD(2026) 916 final} - {SWD(2026) 917 final} - {SWD(2026) 918 final} - {SWD(2026) 919 final} - {SWD(2026) 920 final} - {SWD(2026) 921 final} - {SWD(2026) 923 final} - {SWD(2026) 924 final} - {SWD(2026) 925 final} - {SWD(2026) 926 final} - {SWD(2026) 927 final} - {SWD(2026) 928 final} - {SWD(2026) 929 final} - {SWD(2026) 930 final} - {SWD(2026) 931 final}  
 
 
ABSTRACT 

In  Portugal,  the  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  has  adopted  a  Code  of  Conduct  for  its 
members,  aiming  at  safeguarding  its  impartiality  and  independence,  while  no  legislative 
changes have been adopted. Parliament proceeded with the appointment of new judges to the 
Constitutional  Court,  following  delays  which  had  had  an  impact  on  the  court’s  regular 
functioning. Targeted changes to make the case allocation system more operational have been 
implemented. While recruitments for judicial and prosecutorial posts are underway, concerns 
remain regarding the shortage of judicial clerks and the deteriorating conditions and security 
in court and prosecution premises. Steps are being taken to address the limited online access 
to judgments, while there are concerns regarding the case management system used in courts. 
While  new  measures  to  improve  efficiency  in  complex  criminal  procedures  are  under 
discussion  in  Parliament,  the  efficiency  of  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts  has  further 
deteriorated, with increasing disposition time and backlogs, which continues to raise concerns 
among businesses. 

Work on a new National Anti-Corruption Strategy is ongoing, while the 2020-2024 Strategy 
remains to be evaluated. Following the changes to its structure and functioning and increase 
in  staffing,  the  Anti-corruption  Mechanism  is  now  expected  to  extend  its  activities. 
Corruption  cases  remain  a  priority,  while  challenges  persist  in  ensuring  their  timely 
investigation,  prosecution  and  adjudication,  in  particular  for  high-level  cases.  Although  the 
Transparency  Entity  is  fully  operational  and  has  been  reinforced,  it  is  facing  a  backlog  in 
verifying  asset  declarations  following  a  surge  of  submissions  after  recent  elections. 
Shortcomings related to human and financial resources negatively affect the performance of 
the Entity for Accounts and Political Financing. While a new law on lobbying was adopted, a 
lobbying  registry  still  needs  to  be  set  up.  The  Government  is  strengthening  its  integrity 
framework, including through amendment of its Code of Conduct. The scope of the identified 
high-risk areas for corruption was broadened in 2025, while a proposed reform of the Court 
of Auditors  is  subject  to  debate as  regards  its  impact on preventing irregularities, including 
those related to corruption.  

Although  the  concern  related  to  the  immediate  availability  of  financial  resources  for  the 
Media  Regulatory  Authority  has  been  resolved,  difficulties  are  reported  with  regard  to  the 
uncertainty  and  continued  decrease  of  the  yearly  amount  provided.  A  few  measures  of  the 
Government’s Media Action Plan have started being implemented, notably those relating to 
combatting  “news  deserts”.  There  are  challenges  regarding  the  funding  of  public  service 
media  while  the  restructuring  of  its  staff  continues.  The  LUSA  News  Agency  is  now  fully 
owned by the state and its capital increased, but the revision of its statutes has been widely 
criticised. A public consultation regarding the Media Transparency Law has been launched. 
At  the  same  time,  the  timeline  for  its  amendment  is  unclear.  Work  based  on  the  National 
Action  Plan  for  the  Safety  of  Journalists  is  ongoing,  while  some  concerns  about  attacks 
against journalists and online harassment have emerged. 

Steps are being taken to improve the transparency of law-making, as new measures are being 
implemented  by  Parliament  and  the  Government’s  work  on  a  ‘legislative  footprint’  system 
continues.  A  new  Ombudsperson  was  appointed  in  July  2026,  following  delays  in  the 
appointment procedure in the Parliament. The civic space remains open, while stakeholders 
report  increasing  cases  of  physical  and  verbal  attacks  against  members  of  civil  society 
organisations. 

1 

 
 
RECOMMENDATIONS 

Overall, based on the recommendations in  the 2025 Rule of Law Report, 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 country-specific 
recommendations  under  the  European  Semester  on  the  efficiency  of  administrative  and  tax 
courts, the Commission concludes the following:  

•  There  has  been  no  further  progress  to  improve  the  efficiency  of  the  justice  system,  in 
particular of Administrative and Tax Courts, as the efficiency of these courts has further 
deteriorated.  Therefore,  also  in  view  of  concerns  that  the  deteriorating  conditions  and 
security  in  court  and  prosecution  premises  are  affecting  the  functioning  of  courts,  it  is 
recommended to Portugal to step up efforts to improve the efficiency of the justice system, 
including  by  ensuring  adequate  infrastructure  and  equipment  in  court  and  prosecution 
buildings. 

•  As  challenges  persist  in  ensuring  a  comprehensive  level  of  digitalisation,  it  is 
recommended  to  Portugal  to  take  further  steps  to  improve  the  digitalisation  of  justice, 
including by improving the online publication and digital accessibility of judgments and 
addressing the problems affecting the case management system. 

•  Some progress has been made on the regulation  of lobbying, as a law on lobbying was 
adopted. As further implementation  steps are needed and a lobbying register remains  to 
be  set  up,  it  is  recommended  to  Portugal  to  ensure  the  creation  and  swift 
operationalisation  of  the  public  lobbying  registry,  including  by  providing  the  necessary 
resources for its effective functioning. 

•  Some progress has been made towards finalising the reforms to improve the transparency 
of  law-making,  particularly  on  the  implementation  of  impact  assessment  tools,  as  new 
measures  are  being  implemented  by  Parliament,  while  steps  are  still  pending  for  the 
implementation  of  the  ‘legislative  footprint’  system,  and  stakeholder  engagement  in 
Government  legislative  initiatives  and  ex  post  impact  assessments  remains  limited. 
Therefore, it is recommended to Portugal to  improve the transparency of law-making at 
Government level, particularly on the implementation of impact assessment tools. 

As regards the other 2025 recommendations, the Commission concludes that: 

•  Significant progress has been made in taking forward measures to ensure the adequacy of 
the  general  criminal  procedure  legislation  to  efficiently  deal  with  complex  criminal 
proceedings, as new measures to improve efficiency in complex criminal procedures are 
under  discussion  in  Parliament.  Monitoring  of  further  developments  in  this  area  will 
continue in the Rule of Law Report.  

2 

 
 
 
 
 
 
I. 

JUSTICE SYSTEM1  

Independence  

The level of perceived judicial independence in Portugal continues to be average among 
the general public and is now average also among companies. Overall, 45% of the general 
population and 51% of companies perceive the level of independence of courts and judges to 
be  ‘fairly  or  very  good’  in  20262.  The  perceived  judicial  independence  among  the  general 
public has significantly decreased in comparison with 2025 (58%) and has slightly decreased 
in comparison with 2022 (47%). The perceived judicial independence among companies has 
significantly increased in comparison  with  2025 (32%) as well as in  comparison  with  2022 
(39%).  

In light of ongoing discussions on strengthening its legal framework, the High Council 
for  the  Judiciary  has  adopted  a  Code  of  Conduct  for  its  members,  aiming  at 
safeguarding its impartiality and independence. Earlier calls by the Council for changes to 
the legislative framework governing its organisation and functioning, in particular regarding 
its administrative and financial autonomy, have not been followed up yet3. While the Council 
continued to raise concerns with regard to the risks of possible political influence in internal 
decisions due to its composition, as well as stressing the need to ensure stability of political 
appointees,  no  legislative  measures  have  been  announced  to  address  such  concerns4.  In  the 
absence of legislative changes, the Supreme Court of Justice and the Council have maintained 
institutional  contacts  to  raise  the  appointing  authorities’  awareness  of  the  importance  of 
ensuring  a  majority  of  judges  in  the  composition  of  the  Council5.  Moreover,  the  Council 
adopted a Code of Conduct for its members, with a set of standards specifically designed to 
safeguard the independence and credibility of the Council6. 

Parliament  appointed  new  judges  to  the  Constitutional  Court,  following  delays  which 
had an impact on the court’s regular functioning. The term of office of three judges of the 
Constitutional  Court  expired  in  September  2025,  and  on  12  May  2026  the  President  of  the 
Constitutional Court announced his resignation7, though he announced his intention to remain 
in  function  until  the  appointment  of  his  replacement.  After  several  postponements,  in  June 
2026  the  parliamentary  groups  came  to  an  agreement  to  launch  the  procedure  for  the 

1   An overview of the institutional framework for all four pillars can be found here. 
2   Figures 48 and 50, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard and Figures  51 and 53, 2024 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   Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary; ENCJ (2026), written input, pp. 50 and 68. See also 
2025 Rule of Law  Report,  Portugal, p. 3. In July 2025, the Council of Europe’s Group of States Against 
Corruption (GRECO) recalled its recommendation to Portugal that not less than half of the members of the 
Councils  should  be  judges  chosen  by  their  peers  (GRECO  (2025),  paras.  53-56).  See  also  Committee  of 
Ministers of the Council of Europe (2010), para. 27 

4   Country  visit  Portugal,  High Council  for  the  Judiciary;  ENCJ  (2026),  written  input,  p.  51.  See  also  2025 

Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 3. 

5   The  High Council for the Judiciary is currently  de facto composed by a majority of judges,  while only a 
minority has been appointed by their peers. Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary, Supreme 
Court of Justice. 

6   High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  (2026).  The  Code  establishes  principles  of  independence,  impartiality, 
transparency, competence and responsibility, and co-operation and loyalty (ENCJ, written input, p. 21). 
7   The  Constitutional  Court  is  composed  of  10  judges  selected  and  appointed  by  Parliament,  and  3  judges 
co-opted  by  the  judges  appointed  by  Parliament  (Art.  12(1),  of  the  Organic  Law  of  the  Constitutional 
Court). See also 2023 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 6; Figure 66, 2024 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

3 

 
 
appointment  of  new  judges  in  the  Parliament,  and  new  judges  were  appointed  on  12  June 
20268. In October 2025, two of the judges whose terms had expired renounced to their post9, 
while another one remained in function ad interim. Consequently, the full composition of the 
Constitutional Court was not ensured for a prolonged period, which constrained the Court’s 
work, due to the increased workload of judges, and limitations in the distribution of cases10. 
While  there  was  no  legal  deadline  to  initiate  the  appointment  procedure,  proceeding  with 
ensuring the full composition of the Court was an important step11.  

Targeted  changes  to  make  the  case  allocation  system  more  operational  have  been 
implemented. Legislative amendments to the system of allocation of cases were introduced 
in July 2025 and came into force in October 202512. The amendments aim at simplifying the 
process, in particular by lowering the administrative burden attributed to courts. Stakeholders 
were  involved  in  the  preparation  of  these  changes13,  and  consider  that  they  address  the 
concerns they had previously voiced14. The changes do not alter the electronic case allocation 
system, which continues to be applied15. 

Quality  

New recruitments for judicial and prosecutorial posts are underway, whereas concerns 
remain regarding the high number of vacant judicial clerks’ posts and the workload of 
judges and prosecutors. In 2025, 55 new judges for ordinary courts and 53 new prosecutors 
were  recruited16.  Following  changes  to  the  rules  on  access  to  the  judiciary,  new  training 
courses for judges and prosecutors were initiated in December 202517, and in January 2026, 
the  Government  launched  a  new  procedure  for  the  initial  training  of  magistrates18.  A  new 
centralised pool for legal and technical advisors was also created19. While these recruitment 
efforts  are  broadly  welcomed,  stakeholders  continue  to  call  for  further  reinforcements20. 
Particular concerns remain regarding the workload attributed to judges – especially in second 
instance Administrative and Tax Courts21 – and prosecutors22. In July 2025, new rules came 

8   A  two-third  majority  is  required  for  the  election  (Art.  16(4),  of  the  Organic  Law  of  the  Constitutional 

Court). 

9   Constitutional Court (2025). 
10   In  previous  cases  of  protracted  appointments,  the  full  composition  had  remained  ensured.  Country  visit 

Portugal, Constitutional Court. See also 2023 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 6. 

11   The  Venice  Commission  has  highlighted  that  the  procedure  for  the  appointment  of  Constitutional  Court 
judges  directly  impacts  the  preservation  of  a  credible  system  of  constitutional  rule  of  law  (Venice 
Commission (2025)). 

12   Law No. 56/2025 and Order No. 350-A/2025/1. Portuguese Government, written input, pp. 8 and 9. 
13   The  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  proposals  were  taken  into  consideration  by  the  Government  and 

Parliament (Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary). ENCJ, written input, p. 68. 

14   Country  visit  Portugal,  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary,  Union  of  “Funcionários  Judiciais”,  Prosecutors’ 

Union. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 3 and 4. 

15   The possible intervention and control by a judge are ensured (Portuguese Government, written input, p. 9). 
16   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 10. 
17   Also,  in  December  2025,  the  period  of  training  for  new  magistrates  was  reduced,  which  is  expected  to 
expedite  their  recruitment  (Portuguese  Government,  written  input,  p.  10).  See  also  2025  Rule  of  Law 
Report, Portugal, pp. 4-5, regarding the new rules on access to the judiciary. 

18   The initial training is expected to begin in September 2026 (Portuguese Government (2026a)). 
19   ENCJ, written input, p. 20. 
20   In January 2026, the High Council for Public Prosecution requested to the Minister of Justice a minimum of 
120 vacancies for prosecutors per training course, as well as an additional course for 100 new prosecutors. 
21   In 2024, there were 70 judges serving in the second instance administrative and tax courts, with an average 
caseload of 254 cases (compared to 96 cases in ordinary courts). Country visit Portugal, High Council for 
the Administrative and Tax Courts. 

4 

 
 
into force regarding the system of appointments to the Supreme Court of Justice, broadening 
the pool of eligible candidates and promoting specialisation, which were positively assessed 
by stakeholders23. Regarding judicial clerks, despite changes to their Statute, concerns remain 
regarding the lack of attractiveness of the career, which also leads to judicial clerks leaving 
the system following their recruitment24. Moreover, despite 550 recruitments in July 202525, 
stakeholders  highlight  serious  concerns  regarding  shortage  of  clerks,  which  is  having  an 
impact on the efficiency of the justice system26. 

While  the  expenditure  in  the  justice  system  has  been  increasing,  concerns  regarding 
deteriorating  conditions  and  security  in  court  and  prosecution  premises  continue 
affecting  the  functioning  of  courts.  The  High  Councils  for  the  Judiciary  and  for  Public 
Prosecution  have  mapped  the  infrastructure  and  equipment  in  court  and  prosecution 
buildings, which identified systemic issues27. Stakeholders report that the situation has further 
worsened  in  2026,  with  concrete  risks  to  the  integrity  of  court  staff  and  other  users28.  The 
situation is leading to adjournments of hearings29. Personal security of staff – including due 
to lack of designated areas for detainees and defendants, as well as of security staff and metal 
detectors  –  remains  a  concern30,  and  lawyers  continue  to  raise  attention  to  the  lack  of 
conditions  to  guarantee  professional  secrecy31.  While  the  expenditure  in  the  justice  system 
has  been  increasing,  it  remains  one  of  the  lowest  in  the  EU32.  According  to  European 
standards,  States  should  allocate  adequate  resources,  facilities  and  equipment  to  courts  to 
enable them to work efficiently33. 

Steps  are  being  taken  to  improve  online  access  to  judgments,  which  remains  limited, 
and concerns are emerging regarding the new case management system used in courts. 
The  use  of  digital  technologies  by  courts  and  prosecution  remains  generally  widespread, 
while the digital solutions in criminal cases remain comparably more limited34. Since October 
2025, all procedural  acts  in  courts and prosecution must be performed electronically,  and a 

22   Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary; High Council for Public Prosecution; High Council 

for Administrative and Tax Courts; Prosecutors’ Union; Judges’ Union. 

23   Portuguese Government,  written input, p. 8. Country visit Portugal, Supreme Court of Justice; MEDEL  – 

Portugal, written input, p. 9. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 5. 

24   2025 Rule of Law  Report,  Portugal, pp. 4-5. Despite the new  remuneration tables and career progression 
being  regulated  in  Decree-Law  No.  85-A/2025,  a  reform  promoted  under  the  Portuguese  Recovery  and 
Resilience Plan, stakeholders flag that not all aspects covered are fully rolled out (Country visit Portugal, 
Union of “Oficiais de Justiça” and Union of “Funcionários Judiciais”). ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 21. 

25   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 10. 
26   A  deficit  of  1669  clerks  at  the  level  of  first  instance  courts  is  reported  (Country  visit  Portugal,  Union  of 

“Funcionários Judiciais”). In some courts, vacant posts amount to 20%. ENCJ, written input, p. 21. 

27   Including  lack  of  basic  security  and  health  conditions;  insufficient  number  and  size  of  hearing  rooms; 
absence  of  proper  rooms  for  witnesses;  failure  to  ensure  accessibility  for  persons  with  reduced  mobility; 
and structural problems (ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 36). Both Councils have presented proposals to the 
Ministry of Justice, which have not been addressed so far. 

28   Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary, High Council for Public Prosecution, Judges’ Union, 
Prosecutors’ Union, Union of “Funcionários Judiciais”, Union of “Oficiais de Justiça”, Bar Association. 
29   ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 36; MEDEL – Portugal (2026), written input, p. 12. Country visit Portugal, 

High Council for the Judiciary. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 5. 

30   Incidents  in  EPPO  premises  have  also  been  reported  (EPPO  (2026),  written  input,  p.  54).  Country  visit 

Portugal, Judges’ Union, Prosecutors’ Union. 

31   Country visit Portugal, Bar Association. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 5. 
32   Figure 33, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard.  However, the expenditure on law courts as a  percentage of GDP 

has slightly decreased (Figure 34, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard). 
33   Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (2010), para. 33. 
34   Figures 42, 43 and 45, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 

5 

 
 
new “Digital Strategy for Justice” has been adopted35. The High Council for the Judiciary is 
working  on  the  anonymisation  of  judicial  decisions  and  updating  of  its  online  database36, 
which is seen as an essential step to ensure broader online access to judicial decisions, which 
however remains  among  the lowest  in  the EU37. The creation of  a  single case management 
system  for  all  courts  is  facing  logistical  problems,  creating  significant  constraints  for  users 
and is having an impact on efficiency38. Stakeholders raise concerns that the management of 
the electronic platforms used in the justice system remain under the control of the executive 
branch39. 

Efficiency 

There has been no further progress on the recommendation to improve the efficiency of 
Administrative  and  Tax  Courts,  as  the  disposition  time  and  backlog  at  first  instance 
have  further  deteriorated,  and  the  creation  of  an  additional  second  instance  court 
remains  pending40.  The  efficiency  of  the  first  instance  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts  has 
significantly deteriorated, with the disposition time reaching 861 days, and the clearance rate 
dropping to 48% in 202441. These data are in part linked to the very high number of urgent 
cases to compel the administration to decide in asylum and migration cases. The new rules on 
the  admissibility  of  these  cases,  introduced  in  October  2025,  contributed  to  lowering  the 
number of new incoming cases42. However, the case backlog remains very high43. To address 
these issues, the High Council for Administrative and Tax Courts seconded 28 judges to deal 
with  the  backlog,  in  addition  to  the  cases  already  assigned  to  them,  and  created  a  special 
chamber  for this  type of cases44. In second instance, an average of 1 045 days  is  needed to 
resolve  a  case,  the  highest  disposition  time  in  the  EU,  despite  the  decrease  compared  to 
previous  years45.  The  measures  aimed  at  increasing  the  efficiency  of  these  courts  that  had 
been  proposed  by  the  High  Council  for  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts  to  the  Ministry  of 
Justice have not been followed up yet46. While the creation of a new second instance court is 
provided for by law and taken into account in the State budget for 2026, its implementation 

35   Order No. 350-A/2025. Portuguese Government, written input, pp. 10-11. 
36   ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 37. Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. 
37   Figure  46,  2026  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  See  also  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report,  Portugal,  p.  6.  A  GRECO 

recommendation in this regard remains only partially implemented. 

38   In October 2025, the system previously used in Tax and Administrative Courts (SITAF) was merged with 
the system used in ordinary courts (CITIUS) (Portuguese Government, written input, p. 5).  Constraints in 
the system migration led to postponement of procedural acts, and impossibility to comply with the rules on 
digital procedures (ENCJ, written input, p. 37). It is also flagged that the new system is not fully adapted to 
the specificities of Administrative and Tax cases (Country visit Portugal, High Council for Administrative 
and Tax Courts). 

39   ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 21. 
40   The 2025 Rule of Law Report recommended Portugal to: “[s]tep up efforts to improve the efficiency of the 
justice  system,  in  particular  of  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts”.  Some  further  progress  was  previously 
assessed on this recommendation in 2025, 2024 and 2023. 

41   Compared to 597 days and 120% in 2023. Figures 7 and11, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
42   Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. 
43   In October 2025, it was estimated that 133 000 of these cases were pending before the Administrative and 
Tax Court of Lisbon. Stakeholders report that the delays on this type of cases also have an impact on the 
recruitment  of  workers  for  key  areas  for  the  Portuguese  economy  (Country  visit  to  Portugal,  European 
Semester). 

44   CSTAF (2026). 22 of the 50 foreseen secondment posts remained vacant. Each judge will be assigned over 
2 000 cases additional cases (Country visit Portugal, High Council for Administrative and Tax Courts). 

45   Compared to 1 200 days in 2023. Figure 8, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
46   Country  visit  Portugal,  High  Council  for  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts.  See  also  2025  Rule  of  Law 

Report, Portugal, p. 7. 

6 

 
 
remains pending47. Efficiency remains higher in civil and commercial cases, with an average 
disposition  time  of  263  days  in  first  instance.  At  the  same  time,  the  clearance  rate  remains 
below  100%  and  the  case  backlog  increased  further48.  Stakeholders  continue  to  flag 
efficiency shortcomings in the justice system, especially in Administrative and Tax Courts, as 
a  long-term  obstacle  to  investment  and  the  business  environment49.  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  jurisdictions50.  Given 
that  the  situation  has  significantly  worsened  in  first  instance  and  serious  concerns  remain 
regarding second instance, there has been no further progress in improving the efficiency of 
Administrative and Tax Courts. 

Significant progress has been achieved on the recommendation to ensure the adequacy 
of  the  general  criminal  procedure  legislation  to  efficiently  deal  with  complex  criminal 
proceedings, as new measures are under discussion in Parliament51. In December 2025, 
the Government approved measures aiming to improve efficiency in criminal procedures, and 
in  particular  the  so-called  ‘mega  procedures’52.  A  legislative  proposal  to  strengthen  the 
efficiency  of  criminal  proceedings  was  approved  on  20  February  202653.  These  measures 
essentially  follow  the  proposals  presented  by  the  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary  in  202554, 
and envisage the introduction of fines for attempted procedural delays, the reinforcement of 
the procedural management powers of judges to allow the refusal of unnecessary or abusive 
acts, and the revision of procedural deadlines in case of exceptionally complex cases, among 
others.  The  legislative  changes  required  to  implement  these  measures  are  pending  in 
Parliament,  having  been  approved  in  first  reading,  but  not  yet  adopted.  The  judiciary  has 
welcomed the proposed measures, while the Bar has raised targeted concerns and presented 
alternative  proposals55.  Furthermore,  the  Government  created  a  working  group  to  proceed 
with  a deeper  revision of the Code of Criminal  Procedure.  Given the steps  taken, there has 
been significant progress on this recommendation. 

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  2025  Corruption 
Perceptions Index by Transparency International, Portugal scores 56/100 and ranks 16th in the 
European Union and 46th globally56. This perception has significantly increased over the past 

47   Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 6-7. 
48   Figures 5, 10 and 13, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
49   In the context of the European Semester, the Commission has proposed that the Council recommend that 
Portugal  “Further  increase  the  efficiency  of  administrative  and  tax  courts,  to  decrease  the  length  of 
proceedings”. European Commission (2026) 222 final, CSR 3. 

50   Committee of Ministers (2025). 
51   The 2025 Rule of Law Report recommended Portugal to: “[t]ake forward measures to ensure the adequacy 
of the general criminal procedure legislation to efficiently deal with complex criminal proceedings”. Some 
progress was previously assessed on this recommendation in 2025. 

52   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 6. Portuguese Government (2025). 
53  Law Proposal no. 54/XVII/1. 
54   2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 7. ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 20. 
55   ENCJ (2026), written input, p. 20; Country visit Portugal, High Council for the Judiciary, High Council for 

Public Prosecution. Country visit Portugal, Bar Association. 

56   The level of perceived corruption is categorized as follows: low (above 79); relatively low (between 79-60), 

relatively high (between 59-50), high (below 50). 

7 

 
 
five years57. The 2026 Special Eurobarometer on Corruption shows that 94% of respondents 
consider corruption widespread in their country (EU average 71%) and 59% of respondents 
feel  personally  affected  by  corruption  in  their  daily  lives  (EU  average  30%).  As  regards 
businesses, 88% of companies consider that corruption is widespread (EU average 65%) and 
44%  consider  that  corruption  is  a  problem  when  doing  business  (EU  average  37%). 
Furthermore, 38% of respondents find that there are enough successful prosecutions to deter 
people  from  corrupt  practices  (EU  average  38%),  while  21%  of  companies  believe  that 
people  and  businesses  caught  for  bribing  a  senior  official  are  appropriately  punished  (EU 
average 31%)58. 

Work  on  a  new  National  Anti-Corruption  Strategy  is  ongoing,  while  the  2020-2024 
Strategy remains to be evaluated. While no formal evaluation was published regarding the 
National Anti-Corruption Strategy (2020–2024)59, the authorities indicated that the degree of 
its implementation was assessed for the purpose of issuing the Anti-Corruption Agenda60. On 
14 April 2026, the Portuguese Government published a public report on the progress of the 
implementation of the Anti-Corruption Agenda. The Government is now expected to adopt a 
new National Anti-Corruption Strategy with a respective Action Plan, as well as a corruption 
risk  prevention  plan  for  executive  positions61.  The  new  strategic  framework,  planned  for 
adoption  by  the  end  of  2026,  is  expected  to  build  on  the  priorities  of  the  Anti-Corruption 
Agenda and translate them into specific actions62. 

Following the changes to its structure and functioning and increase in staffing the Anti-
Corruption  Mechanism  (MENAC)  is  now  expected  to  extend  its  activities.  The 
modification  in  the  functioning  of  MENAC  changed  the  governance  model  from  a  single-
person  leadership  to  a  collegial  three  member-board  of  Directors63.  From  August  2025  to 
February  2026,  the  staff  of  MENAC  grew  from  13  to  25  persons.  Despite  this  increase, 
staffing shortages remain a challenge, in particular with regard to specialists, given the broad 
mandate of MENAC64. In its third year of operation, MENAC issued four recommendations 
and  one  orientation65,  and  MENAC  has  also  received  478  decisions  from  courts  and  the 
prosecution services as regards the handling of corruption cases by such authorities. There are 
currently 6989 entities (1509 public and 5480 private) registered on the electronic platform 
for  the  reception,  automatic  processing  and  storage  of  compliance  instruments  that  became 

57   In 2021 the score was 62, while, in 2025, the score is 56. 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. 

58   Data from Special Eurobarometer 573 (2026) and Flash Eurobarometer 582 (2026). 
59   Art.  215(2),  2024  State  Budget  Law,  mandated  that  a  public  monitoring  report  on  the  National  Anti-

Corruption Strategy be disclosed by 30 November 2024. 

60   Portuguese Government (2026a), written input. The Anti-Corruption Agenda was adopted on 20 June 2024, 
and it includes 32 measures based on four key pillars: effective punishment, procedural speed, public sector 
protection and prevention. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 8. 

61   Art. 233 of the Law approving the 2026 State Budget. 
62   Country visit Portugal, Ministry of Justice. 
63   Decree-Law No. 70/2025. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 8-9. 
64   MENAC is expected to be subject to more flexible recruitment rules, no longer being restricted to staff from 
inspection careers and to workers in general careers under mobility arrangements.  Country visit Portugal, 
MENAC. MENAC’s mandate  is wide, going beyond overseeing compliance with the General Corruption 
Prevention Regime. It extends to creating a culture of integrity and transparency through educational and 
training measures, evidence-based analyses, tailored recommendations for sector-specific risks, compliance 
with the whistleblowers protection legislation, and, inter alia, guidance in view of the legislative reforms.  
 MENAC (2025), Recommendations 2/2025, 3/2025, 4/2025, 5/2025. MENAC, 2025 Annual Report, p. 22. 
2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 9. 

65  

8 

 
 
operational  in  2024.  MENAC  has  opened  32  enquiry  proceedings  and  16  proceedings  for 
administrative  offences,  while  no  fines  have  been  imposed  so  far.  As  regards  the  MENAC 
external whistleblowing channel, a total of 266 complaints were received until 31 December 
2025  (compared  to  157  in  2024)66.  In  November  2025,  MENAC  and  the  High  Judicial 
Council  concluded  a  working  protocol,  aiming  at  strengthening  institutional  cooperation  to 
prevent  and  combat  corruption67.  In  2025,  MENAC  organised  ten  awareness  raising 
initiatives,  held  seven  webinars,  participated  in  numerous  events  and  organised  the 
Anticorruption  Month  202568.  Stakeholders  continue  to  express  concerns  regarding 
MENAC’s effectiveness and limited operational activities69. 

Corruption  cases  remain  a  priority,  while  challenges  persist  in  ensuring  their  timely 
investigation,  prosecution  and  adjudication,  in  particular  for  high-level  cases.  Despite 
significant  improvements  in  relation  to  resources  in  recent  years  and  the  continued  priority 
given  to  tackling  corruption70,  concerns  remain  regarding  the  handling  of  such  cases71,  in 
particular  high-level  ones.  Significant  delays  at  the  investigative  phase  continue  to  be 
reported  and  certain  serious  charges  in  ongoing  high-level  corruption  cases  risk  becoming 
time-barred before proceedings are concluded72. The EPPO investigated 15 corruption cases, 
which account for 15% of the total number of EPPO cases in Portugal73. 

While the Transparency Entity is fully operational and has been reinforced, it is facing 
a  backlog  in  verifying  asset  declarations  following  a  surge  of  submissions  after  recent 
elections. In 2025, additional recruitment brought staffing levels to full capacity according to 
the regulation in force74. and the e-platform for the submission of declarations is functioning 

66   Of  which  119  were  anonymous.  Overall,  13  complaints  were  dealt  with  by  MENAC,  9  complaints  were 
sent to the Attorney General's Office, 67 complaints were forwarded to the competent administrative body, 
and 177 complaints were closed. Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 19. Overall, the statistics 
for  all  external  channels  for  2024  show  171  reports  received  (in  comparison  with  156  in  2023),  7869  of 
received  complaints  (in  comparison  to  1875)  and  1812  cases  initiated  (in  comparison  to  371  in  2023). 
Parliament (2025), Analysis of annual reports on external reporting channels. 

67   The  protocol  provides,  among  others,  sharing  with  MENAC  of  judicial  decisions  related  to  corruption 
offences as well as collaboration in their analysis. Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 12. 
68   MENAC, 2025 Annual Report, p. 22. In December 2025, the National Institute of Administration (INA), in 
partnership  with  MENAC  and  the  Centre  for  Judicial  Studies  (CEJ),  launched  a  training  course  on  the 
General Corruption Prevention Regime, aimed at managers and staff of the Public Administration.  

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

Portugal. 

70   The overall number of inquiries of the Criminal Police has risen (by 12,67% when compared to 2024) and 
specifically  with  regard  to  addressing  corruption  (by  35,54%  in  comparison  to  2024).  Portuguese 
Government, additional written input. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 10. 

71   In 2025, a call for 150 inspectors for the Judiciary Police was launched and new inspectors were recruited 
in  IGF.  In  2024,  the  Judiciary  Police  initiated  393  new  corruption  investigations  (399  finalised;  684 
ongoing). In 2024, 34 persons  were convicted for corruption, while 35 final decisions in corruption cases 
were pronounced. Portuguese Government (2026), written input, pp. 12-13. Country visit Portugal, IGF and 
Judiciary Police. In 2025, the Judiciary Police initiated 467 new corruption investigations, finalised 423 and 
723 are pending (data available in the Statistics Portal). 

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

Portugal. EPPO (2026), written input, p. 52.  

73   EPPO  (2025),  p.  47.  On  11  December  2025,  the  Council  of  Ministers,  approved  rules  regulating  the 
technical, administrative and logistical support to be provided to the EPPO. The EPPO has raised concerns 
that the limited resources allocated to it are not adequate to its workload. EPPO (2026), written input, pp. 
52-55. 

74   Currently,  the  workforce  of  the  Transparency  Entity  is  composed  of  13  persons,  including  3  senior 
technicians  recruited  in  2025.  Ministerial  Implementing  Order  No  213/2024.  Portuguese  Government 
(2026a), written input. 

9 

 
 
efficiently. However, parliamentary and municipal elections resulted in a significant increase 
in  the  number  of  submitted  asset  declarations,  placing  pressure  on  verification  capacity.  In 
2025, out of 8 620 declarations submitted since the start of operations of the Entity, 817 were 
processed (compared to 559 in 2024) and 201 notifications on potential non-compliance were 
issued  during  2025  (compared  to  158  issued  in  2024)75.  While  the  current  rules  do  not 
provide  for  a  formal  prioritisation  of  cases,  the  Transparency  Entity  has  begun  applying 
certain  criteria  based  on  the  political  importance  or  risk  profile  of  the  office  holder76.  In 
parallel, the Entity carried out awareness raising activities among political office holders on 
the obligation to submit single declarations at local level prior to elections77.  

Shortcomings  related  to  human  and  financial  resources  negatively  affect  the 
performance of the Entity for Accounts and Political Financing. The Entity, attached to 
the Constitutional Court and responsible for the inspection of the accounts of political parties 
and  electoral  campaigns,  faces  difficulties  in  carrying  out  its  tasks,  in  particular  due  to 
additional workload generated by snap elections in recent years, which has contributed to an 
increasing  backlog78.  Audits  of  2019  electoral  acts  were  finalised  only  in  202479,  and  the 
current audits are still focusing on the 2024 activities80. The planned increase to the Entity’s 
financing  in  the  2025  State  Budget  was  not  implemented  in  practice  and  no  additional 
resources  were  attributed,  while  the  overall  budget  allocated  to  the  Constitutional  Court 
increased in 202681. In parallel, in 2026, legislative procedures were launched in view of the 
revision of the rules on political party financing82, in particular as regards the non disclosure 
of the identity of private donors83. 

Some  progress  was  achieved  on  the  recommendation  to  regulate  lobbying  with  the 
adoption of a new law, while a lobbying registry remains to be set up84. On 12 December 
2025, the Law on Transparency in Interest Representation85 was adopted by Parliament and 
published on 28 January 2026. It establishes rules applicable to private, national and foreign 
entities  carrying  out  lobbying  activities  with  public  entities.  While  the  law  is  expected  to 
enter  into  force  on  27  July  2026,  preparations  for  its  implementation  are  ongoing.  In 
particular,  the  law  provides  for  the  creation  of  a  Transparency  Registry  for  Interest 
Representation86,  which  is  accompanied  by  a  Code  of  Conduct  applicable  to  relations 

75   Transparency Entity (2026). 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p.11.  
76   As  a  result,  declarations  of  those  with  executive  powers  and  parliamentary  backbenchers  were  processed 

with priority. Country visit Portugal, Transparency Entity. 
 Country visit Portugal, Transparency Entity. 

77  
78   Entity for Accounts and Political Financing (2025), p. 6. 
79   With  12  sanctions  imposed  close  the  limit  of  the  statute  of  limitations.  Entity  for  Accounts  and  Political 

Financing (2025), p. 18. 

80   Country visit Portugal, Entity for Accounts and Political Financing. There are still two legislative elections 
(10 March 2024 and 18 May 2025), regional elections in Azores (4 February 2024) and in Madeira (26 May 
2024 and 23 March 2025), local elections (12 October 2025), and two rounds of presidential elections (18 
January and 8 February 2026), to be audited in chronological order. 

81   In 2026, the Constitutional Court’s allocation increased less than 2%, to EUR 10.47 million. 
82   Público (2026). 
83   The  non-disclosure  of  identity  of  private  donors,  motivated  by  constraints  stemming  from  the  data 
protection rules, has been facing criticism from civil society, in particular as donations from private parties 
are considered to be significant. ECO (2026a). Country visit Portugal, Observatory of Economy and Fraud 
Management, Transparency International – Portugal. Transparency International Portugal (2026). 

84   The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  to  Portugal  to  ‘[a]dopt  rules  on  the  regulation  of  lobbying, 

including the creation of a comprehensive public lobbying registry’. 

85   Law No 5-A/2026. 
86   According  to  Article  1,  the  Public  and  Mandatory  Interest  Representation  Transparency  Registry  will  be 

attached to the Parliament and publicly accessible through its online portal. 

10 

 
 
between interest representatives and public entities87. In this context, according to Article 14 
of the new Law, the Parliament is expected to create the registry and define its management 
and  monitoring  model.  The  future  management  of  the  registry  and  the  application  of 
sanctions  are  expected  to  be  ensured  by  an  oversight  authority  to  be  defined  by  the 
Parliament in separate legislation, which will also set out the rules necessary for the registry’s 
operation  and  monitoring.  In  addition,  the  Parliament  is  expected  to  report  on  the 
implementation  of  the  system  after  three  years  of  its  entry  into  force  and  ensure  the 
implementation  of  the  legislative  footprint  (Articles  16(2)  and  15(2)).  Work  remains  at  an 
early stage88, while the law requires the new interest representation platform to be established 
upon  its  entry  into  force  in  July  202689.  Until  the  lobbying  registry  is  operational,  a 
transitional  regime  will  apply.  The  relevant  public  entities  will  be  required  to  publish  their 
meetings  with  interest  representatives  taking  place  after  July  2026.  Civil  society  has 
welcomed the adoption of the new rules, while underlining that coherence with other integrity 
tools could be strengthened, in particular in relation to the existing registry for declarations of 
assets  and  interests  of  political  officeholders  and  high-ranking  appointed  officials90.  As 
further steps are needed for the establishment of the lobbying registry and the implementation 
of the new legislation, there has been some progress in this recommendation. 

its 

is  strengthening 

integrity  framework, 

including  through 
The  Government 
amendment of its Code of Conduct. In June 2025, an Integrity and Transparency Unit was 
created in the General Secretariat of the Government, with the aim to follow-up and monitor 
the  Government’s  integrity  and  transparency  policies91.  The  unit  is  developing  a 
Comprehensive  Programme  for  Integrity  and  Transparency,  and  is  expected  to  handle  the 
single registry for gifts currently being set up92. In addition, the Code of Conduct approved 
by  the  Government  on  25  July  202593  will  need  to  be  adapted94  to  comply  with  the 
requirements introduced by the new law on lobbying, including with regard to the transitional 
registration and publication of lobbying activities95 for which work is currently ongoing96. 

The scope of the identified high-risk areas for corruption was broadened in 2025, while 
a proposed reform of the Court of Auditors is subject to debate as regards its impact on 
preventing  irregularities,  including  those  related  to  corruption.  Businesses’  attitudes 
towards  corruption  in  the  EU  show  that  21%  of  companies  in  Portugal  (EU  average  30%) 
think  that  corruption  has  prevented  them  from  winning  a  public  tender  or  a  public 

87   Furthermore,  the  Law  establishes  a  three-year  cooling-off  period  for  political  officeholders  and  senior 
public  officeholders  and  a  system  of  penalties,  including  suspension  of  registration  and  exclusion  from 
public consultations. This relates to situation when they wish to engage in interest representation activities 
vis-à-vis the entities where they held office. 

88   The  Working  Group  on  the  Implementation  of  Law  No  5-A/2026  was  set  up  and  started  its  activities  in 

April 2026. 

89   Article  21  set  the  date  of  entry  into  force  for  180 days  after  its  publication.  Country  visit  Portugal, 

Secretariate-General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Parliament. 

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

Portugal. 

91   Order No 6738/2025 of 23 June. 
92   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 17. 
93   Council of Ministers Resolution no. 103/2025, of 25 July. 
94   Those are: public agenda, legislative footprint and lobbying law obligations (Art. 15(2), read with Art. 13 of 

Council of Ministers Resolution 103/2025). 

95   According to the Article 19(1) the relevant public entities are  obliged to publish their meetings after July 

2026. 

96   Country visit Portugal, Secretariate-General of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, Parliament. 

11 

 
 
procurement contract in practice in the last three years97. 40% of businesses perceive the level 
of independence of the public procurement review body (Administrative and Tax Courts) as 
very or fairly good which has significantly decreased in comparison with 2025 (68%)98. The 
Single Market and Competitiveness Scoreboard on access to public procurement in Portugal 
reports  42%  of  single  bids  for  2023  (EU  average  27%).  In  2025,  healthcare  and  public 
procurement  in  the  management  of  EU  funds99  were  added  to  the  high-risk  areas  for 
corruption, in addition to public procurement100, urban planning, territorial management, and 
local and regional authorities101. A draft proposal including changes to the functioning of the 
Court  of  Audit  has  been  submitted  to  Parliament102.  If  adopted  in  the  current  form,  the 
proposal would limit the Court of Auditors’ system of preventive audit for public contracts in 
certain  conditions  to  contracts  with  a  value  of  EUR  10  million  or  above,  including  for  all 
projects  funded  or  co-funded  with  EU  funds,  with  the  aim  to  focus  this  instrument  on 
strategic high value contracts103. According to the Government, preventive audits should not 
replace administrative and political decision-making, hence more weight is given to  ex post 
mechanisms,  while  reinforcing  the  Court  of  Auditor’s  ex  post  control  capabilities  by 
increasing the number of judges and auditors that are allocated to this role. 104. The Court of 
Auditors105  considers  the  existing  internal  ex  post  control  systems  to  be  insufficient,  and 
highlights  limited  evidence  supporting  the  reform106.  On  16  April  2026,  the  Council  of 
Ministers approved in first reading the revision of the code of public procurement, which was 
then  submitted  to  public  consultation  and  is  pending  final  approval  by  the  Council  of 
Ministers.  

III.  MEDIA PLURALISM AND MEDIA FREEDOM 

The  direct  availability  of  financial  resources  for  the  Media  Regulatory  Authority  has 
been resolved, but difficulties linked to the uncertainty and continuing decrease of the 
yearly  amount provided persist. Since 7 January 2026, a Ministerial  Implementing  Order 
provides for the direct transfer to the Regulatory Authority for the Media (ERC)107 of part of 
the  net  profit  of  the  national  regulatory  authority  for  postal  and  electronic  communications 

97   Flash  Eurobarometer  557  on  Businesses’  attitudes  towards  corruption  in  the  EU  (2025).  This  is  11 

percentage point above the EU average. 
98   Figure 59, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
99   Country visit Portugal, Judiciary Police, MENAC. 
100   MENAC, Recommendation No 5/2025. Overall, the  activities of the state audit  and inspection bodies are 
expected to be strengthened and  IGF continues to carry out audits and others controls related to the local 
government. Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 13. 

101   Portuguese Government, written input, p. 12. Country visit Portugal, MENAC. 
102   Exemption from preliminary control is applied under the condition that public authorities must have strong 
internal  control  systems,  certified  according  to  international  standards.  Portuguese  Government  (2026), 
additional written input. 

103   The  ex  ante  control  of  the  Court  of  Auditors  over  projects  funded  or  co-funded  from  the  EU  funds  was 

previously limited by the Law No. 43/2024. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 12-13. 

104   2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 12-13. As a result, the projects are expected to be audited through 

the existing post-hoc mechanisms for public contracts, without any value limit. 

105   The Court of Auditors, being a judicial body, without having been formally consulted on the reform, was of 
the  opinion  that  the  ex  ante  control  should  be  maintained  for  contracts  above  EUR  5  million,  due  to  the 
significant financial impact, as well as for contracts based on specific criteria and those of long duration. It 
considered that, for an efficient auditing, the post-hoc checks would need to be further reinforced. Country 
visit Portugal, Court of Auditors. 

106   In  2025,  around  40%  of  all  contracts  audited  had  irregularities  detected  and  their  value  was  EUR  4,19 
billion.  Some  of  these  irregularities  may  be  related  to  corruption.  Court  of  Auditors  (2026).Transparency 
International – Portugal (2026). Eco (2026b). See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, pp. 12-13. 

107   Governed by the statutes established pursuant to Law No 53/2005. 

12 

 
 
(ICP-ANACOM)108. This  legislative amendment  removes the intermediary  role of the State 
Treasury109  and  was  noted  in  the  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  as  a  necessary  improvement to 
stabilise  the  regulator’s  funding  model,  ensure  greater  predictability  and  respond  to 
operational  needs  more  quickly  and  efficiently110.  Nevertheless,  ERC  notes  that  structural 
constraints impacting the full exercise of its mandate remain, notably with regard to strategic 
planning, due to the yearly fluctuation and uncertainty regarding the exact amount received 
(depending  on  the  annual  results  of  ICP-ANACOM)  and  its  significant  decrease  in  recent 
years111. Due to  this fluctuation, in  2025 ERC had  to  find alternative sources of funding to 
meet  approved  expenditure  targets.  ERC  further  raised  concerns  regarding  the  long-term 
sustainability  of  its  mixed  financing  model,  which  includes  around  40%  to  60%  of  State 
funds.  The  2026  MPM  for  Portugal  considers  that  ERC’s  overall  budget  is  inadequate  to 
enable the regulator to perform its functions, safeguard its independence and protect it from 
coercive budgetary pressures112. 

The  implementation  of  some  measures  of  the  Government’s  Media  Action  Plan  have 
started,  notably  relating  to  combatting  “news  deserts”.  The  implementation  of  some  of 
the 30 measures of the Media Action Plan presented by the Government in October 2024 was 
delayed due to the parliamentary elections of May 2025, while some measures on newspaper 
distribution  in  low  density  areas  are  being  implemented113.  Stakeholders  point  to  the 
insufficiency of measures implemented so far to ensure the sector’s long-term sustainability 
and reverse the “news deserts” trend affecting the country’s interior regions. This is further 
exacerbated by the economic vulnerability of local and regional media114. They also highlight 
the risks and uncertainty arising from having only one newspaper distributor in the country. 
To  address  these  issues,  the  Government  has  launched  an  international  tender  for  the 
distribution  of  newspapers  across  the  national  territory,  in  addition  to  other  complementary 
measures115.  A  proposal  to  update  and  codify  media  legislation  with  a  view  to  aligning  the 
national  framework  with  the  European  Media  Freedom  Act  (EMFA)116  is  expected  to  be 
presented to the Council of Ministers still in 2026, a point of the Action Plan welcomed by 
stakeholders117.  The measures in  the Media Action Plan aimed at  supporting recruitment  of 

108   The net profits of the share participation in the fees for the use of the radio spectrum paid to ICP-ANACOM 

as remuneration for use of a public asset. 

109   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 23. 
110   See 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 13. 
111   Country visit Portugal, ERC. 
112   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), p. 24. 
113   Portuguese  Government,  written  input,  p.  26;  Country  visit  Portugal,  PT  Media  Lab.  The  Media  Action 
Plan presented in October 2024 by the Portuguese Government included financial support for regional and 
local  media,  including  reduced  costs  for  access  to  LUSA’s  services  and  other  structural  incentives.  The 
adoption  of  Law-decree  41/2025  has  increased  from  40%  to  80%  the  coverage  of  postal  costs  for  the 
distribution of local newspapers by media outlets. 

114   Country  visit  Portugal,  Journalists’  Associations  and  Academic  Experts  (ICNOVA  -  Nova  University  of 
Lisbon, Journalists’ Professional License Committee, Journalists’ Union, Private Media Platform); Público 
(2026d)). 

115   Portuguese  Government,  written  input,  p.  26.  Tender  published  in:  https://ted.europa.eu/pt/notice/-
/detail/376291-2026.; Further measures include support to local media, such as election airtime allocation 
for local radio stations, as well as legal requirements mandating the publication of operations financed with 
European funds and the mandatory publication of municipal decisions in local or regional media. 

116   Regulation (EU) 2024/1083 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 April 2024 establishing a 
common  framework  for  media  services  in  the  internal  market  and  amending  Directive  2010/13/EU 
(European Media Freedom Act). 

117   Country  visit  Portugal,  Journalists’  Associations  and  Academic  Experts  (ICNOVA  -  Nova  University  of 
Lisbon, Journalists’ Professional License  Committee, Journalists’ Union, Private  Media Platform) and PT 
Media Lab. 

13 

 
 
more  journalists  by  media  outlets  and  creating  more  jobs  with  permanent  contracts  for  all 
media  have  not  yet  been  implemented.  Stakeholders  also  continue  to  report  low  salaries, 
precarious contracts and staff reductions in regional outlets as specific structural difficulties 
in view of an increasingly competitive and digitalised media market118. 

There  are  challenges  regarding  the  funding  of  public  service  media  while  the 
restructuring  of  its  staff  continues.  The  Board  of  Directors  of  Rádio  e  Televisão  de 
Portugal (RTP) considers that the RTP’s current resources are insufficient to fulfil its public 
service  mission  and  carry  out  technological  and  workforce  renewal119.  In  particular,  it 
reported that the inflation adjustment of the audiovisual tax foreseen in the State budget has 
not been carried out in practice since 2017, in addition to its decreasing amount over the last 
few years, thus hindering the predictability of RTP’s financing model. However, according to 
the Government, the overall revenue from the tax contribution has continued to grow due to 
the increase in the number of electricity supply contracts to which it is linked and additional 
public  funding  measures  and  investment  of  over  EUR  20  million  to  support  RTP’s 
modernisation  and  sustainability120.  The  existing  legal  limitations  on  the  commercial 
practices  of  television  operators,  coupled  with  the  increasing  costs  in  a  highly  competitive 
and  evolving  media  market,  are  noted  by  RTP  as  additional  challenges.  RTP  has  also 
expressed concerns about how the possibility announced by the Government to reallocate part 
of  the  audiovisual  tax  for  purposes  other  than  financing  RTP,  as  well  as  the  investments 
needed  for  the  latter’s  strategic  digital  transition  plan,  may  compromise  the  long-term 
sustainability of the public service media’s financing model. The staff restructuring of RTP 
announced in the Media Action Plan in view of requalifying the workforce skills continues, 
although its next steps are yet to be defined121. 

The LUSA News Agency is now fully owned by the state and its capital increased, while 
the  revision  of  its  statutes  has  been  criticised.  Following  its  acquisition  of  100%  of  the 
share capital of LUSA, the Government has approved a capital increase of EUR 5 million in 
view  of  LUSA’s  modernisation  and  put  in  place  a  new  governance  model  by  reviewing  its 
statutes122. The capital increase has been perceived positively by stakeholders in terms of the 
required  technological  and  human  resources.  Nevertheless,  there  is  some  expectation  by 
stakeholders concerning the pricing policy for the agency’s services, to be provided either for 
free or with a significant discount, since it remains to be clarified by the Government and is 
regarded  as  a  crucial  element  for  the  overall  sustainability  of  the  media  sector,  namely  for 
smaller  media  outlets123.  The  revised  statutes  create  a  new  Advisory  Council  tasked  with 
overseeing the compliance with the public interest service contract  and issuing non-binding 
opinions  and  revises  the  rules  governing  the  appointment  and  dismissal  of  the  Board  of 
Directors’  members.  In  particular,  the  new  framework  introduces  procedural  safeguards, 
including  predefined  eligibility  criteria,  prior  consultation  of  an  advisory  body,  enhanced 
transparency  requirements  and  the  specification  of  objective  grounds  for  dismissal.  In 
addition,  the  government  and  the  Board  of  Directors  are  preparing  a  revision  of  LUSA’s 

118   Country  visit  Portugal,  Journalists’  Associations  and  Academic  Experts  (ICNOVA  -  Nova  University  of 
Lisbon, Journalists’ Professional License Committee, Journalists’ Union); Journalists’ Professional License 
Committee (written input). 
119   RTP (2026), written input.  
120  Portuguese Government, additional written input. 
121   Country visit Portugal, RTP. 
122   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 24. 
123   Country  visit  Portugal,  LUSA  and  Journalists’  Associations  and  Academic  Experts  (ICNOVA  -  Nova 
University  of  Lisbon,  Journalists’  Professional  License  Committee,  Journalists’  Union,  Private  Media 
Platform). 

14 

 
 
public  service  contract  seeking  to  reinforce  its  funding  framework.  LUSA’s  workforce,  the 
Journalists’  Union  and  other  stakeholders  express  concerns  over  the  revision  of  LUSA’s 
statutes and its impact on the agency’s editorial independence124. Concretely, issues raised are 
the increase in the number of executive members of the Board of Directors (appointed by the 
Government as sole shareholder after prior consultation of the Advisory Council) from 1 to 3, 
the fact that several members of the Advisory Council are appointed by the Parliament (and 
only  2  representing  respectively  LUSA’s  editorial  board  and  workers  council)125  and  the 
unprecedented  possibility  for  the  agency’s  editor-in-chief  to  be  regularly  summoned  before 
the  Parliament,  although  such  possibility  was  already  foreseen  in  law  with  regard  to  RTP. 
Although the 2026 MPM for Portugal classifies independence of public service media at very 
low risk, it highlights the risk that the new LUSA statutes poses to its editorial autonomy and 
the  subsequent  need  to  closely  monitors  its  governance  model  given  its  central  role  as  a 
public service126. 

The ERC launched a public consultation regarding the Media Transparency Law. The 
monitoring  of  transparency  of  media  ownership  is  an  area  under  the  responsibility  of  the 
ERC127.  Following  the  presentation  to  the  Government  and  the  Parliament  of  a  set  of 
proposals to amend the Media Transparency Law,128 which governs the transparency of the 
main sources of financing and the annual corporate governance report of media entities, the 
ERC  launched  a  public  consultation  on  the  revision  of  its  implementation  act  in  December 
2025129.  The  revision  aims  to  introduce  the  specific  obligation  to  disclose  the  amounts  of 
State advertising funds and advertising revenue received from public authorities or entities of 
third  countries,  with  a  view  to  aligning  the  national  framework  with  the  European  Media 
Freedom  Act  (EMFA).  This  is  expected  to  be  part  of  the  update  and  codification  of  media 
legislation mentioned above130. 

Work based on the National Action Plan for the Safety of Journalists is ongoing, while 
some concerns about attacks against journalists and online harassment 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 2025 Rule of Law Report relating 
to  the  physical  attack  of  a  reporter131.  The  Media  Freedom  Rapid  Response  monitor  for 
Portugal reported 12 alerts since July 2025 (two more than in the previous reporting period) 
relating  to  physical  attacks,  obstruction  of  access  and  legal  intimidation132.  Based  on  the 
National Plan for the Safety of Journalists adopted by the Government133, the strengthening 
of cooperation between security services and journalists continues, in addition to continuous 

124   Country  visit  Portugal,  LUSA,  Journalists’  Associations  and  Academic  Experts  (ICNOVA  -  Nova 
University  of  Lisbon,  Journalists’  Professional  License  Committee,  Journalists’  Union);  Journalists’ 
Professional License Committee (written input). 

125   3 members appointed by the Parliament, 2 members appointed by the autonomous regions and one member 

appointed by the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities. 

126   Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), pp. 42-43. 
127   Law  No.  78/2015  of  July  29,  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. 

128   Country visit Portugal, ERC. Notably regarding the mechanism for the suspension of voting and property 

rights in cases of lack of transparency of ownership. 

129   Portuguese Government, written input, p. 23. 
130   Country visit Portugal, PT Media Lab. 
131   The  Council  of  Europe  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists  (2025-

2026). 

132   Media Freedom Rapid Response monitor (2025-2026). 
133   Approved by Council of Ministers Resolution No 51/2025 of 17 March. 

15 

 
 
sectoral 

training  of  the  police  with  a  special  focus  on  the  protection  of  fundamental  rights,  such  as 
freedom of expression134. In this context, a National Committee for the Safety of Journalists 
has been established by the Government and has started operating, bringing together relevant 
institutional  and 
support  coordination,  monitoring  and 
to 
implementation of the plan. While no SLAPP cases were reported since the publication of the 
2025  Rule  of  Law  Report,  the  Journalists’  Union  expressed  concerns  about  cases  of  online 
harassment  and  increasing  violence  against  journalists  covering  sports  events,  as  well  as 
negative narratives against mainstream media during electoral periods135. The Government is 
preparing a draft law to transpose the anti-SLAPP directive, which will then be submitted to 
Parliament. 

stakeholders 

IV.  OTHER INSTITUTIONAL ISSUES RELATED TO CHECKS AND BALANCES 

Some progress was made on the recommendation to finalise the reforms to improve the 
transparency of law-making, as new measures are being implemented by Parliament136. 
The  Parliament’s  tool  for  citizens’  participation  in  the  legislative  procedure,  launched  in 
March  2025137,  has  been  in  use  since  the  beginning  of  the  new  legislature  in  June  2025, 
registering  a  high  level  of  use.  The  tool  allows  all  legislative  proposals  to  be  submitted  to 
online public consultation and contains information on all steps of the legislative procedure, 
including the votes and the approved documents, allowing also access to all the contributions, 
even  after  the  public  consultation  period  is  closed138.  The  Parliament  is  also  planning  the 
digitalisation  of  the  legislative  procedure,  and  the  results  of  this  project  will  feed  into  the 
work  on  the  Parliament’s  legal  drafting  technical  guide,  which  remains  outstanding139.  As 
regards the legislative processes led by the Government, a new division was created within 
the Secretariat-General of the Government to oversee the implementation of the future system 
of  ‘legislative  footprint’140.  Once  active,  the  system  is  expected  to  ensure  the  creation  of  a 
registry  documenting  all  interactions  with  internal  and  external  entities,  as  well  as  the 
consultations  carried  out,  ensuring  the  traceability  of  contributions  to  the  Government’s 
legislative process, but there is currently no clear timeline for its roll-out141. Ex-post impact 
assessments  remain  limited  to  selected  acts142.  According  to  the  OECD,  stakeholder 
engagement in Government legislative initiatives still tends to only take place at later-stages 
of  the  policymaking  process,  and  the  level  of  stakeholder  engagement  in  the  legislative 
process remains below the EU average143. While CSOs continue to be able to participate in 
legislative  and  policy-making  processes  and  are  actively  involved  in  consultative  and 

134   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 25; Country visit Portugal, PT Media Lab. 
135   Union of Journalists (2026), written input; Journalists’ Professional License Committee (written input). 
136   The  2025  Rule  of  Law  Report  recommended  Portugal  to:  ‘[f]inalise  the  reforms  to  improve  the 
transparency of law-making, particularly on the implementation of impact assessment tools’. No progress 
was  previously  assessed  on  this  recommendation  in  2025,  while  some  further  progress  and  significant 
progress had been assessed in 2024 and 2023, respectively. 

137   2025 Country Report Portugal, p. 16. 
138   A feature allowing for contributions to be sent to parliamentarians in the beginning of the discussion and 
voting process has not yet been implemented. Country visit Portugal, Technical services of the Assembly of 
the Republic. 

139   Country visit Portugal, Technical services of the Assembly of the Republic. See also 2025 Country Report 

Portugal, p. 16. 

140   Portuguese Government (2026), written input, p. 7. See also 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 16. 
141   Country visit Portugal, Secretariat-General of the Government. 
142   In  line  with  the  Rules  of  Procedure  of  the  Government  and  Order  No  1887/2025,  the  Centre  for  Public 
Policy Assessment and Planning draws up information on the legislative impact of government legislative 
acts and develops methodological support activities for assessing the impacts of legislative proposals and 
other public policy measures (Portuguese Government, written input, p. 7). 

143   OECD (2025), pp. 172-173.  

16 

 
 
participatory  bodies,  there  are  some  concerns144.  According  to  European  standards,  the 
legislative  process  needs  to  be  efficient,  transparent,  inclusive  and  democratic145.  Overall, 
given that new measures are being implemented by Parliament while steps are still pending 
for  the  implementation  of  the  ‘legislative  footprint’  system,  and  stakeholder  engagement  in 
Government  legislative  initiatives  and  ex  post  impact  assessments  remain  limited,  some 
progress has been made to improve the transparency of law-making. 

Less than half of companies surveyed in Portugal express confidence in the effectiveness 
of investment protection. 45% of companies are very or fairly confident that investments are 
protected by law and courts, a figure which has slightly increased in comparison with 2025 
(44%)146.  The  main  reason  among  companies  for  their  lack  of  confidence  is  the 
unpredictable,  non-transparent  administrative  conduct  (30%)147.  As  regards  authorities 
relevant for economic operators, 46% of companies perceive the level of independence of the 
national competition authority (Portuguese Competition Authority) as very or fairly good, a 
figure  which  has  significantly  decreased  in  comparison  with  2025  (70%)148.  The  Supreme 
Administrative  Court  has  jurisdiction  in  several  business-related  cases,  including  in  cases 
related to public procurement, public concessions, public contracts and economic regulation. 
A  number  of  judicial  mechanisms  to  improve  efficiency  are  available  in  these  cases, 
including  the  possibility  to  apply  interim  measures  and  the  consolidation  of  multiple 
appeals149. 

On  1  January  2026,  Portugal  had  18  leading  judgments  of  the  European  Court  of 
Human  Rights  pending  implementation,  a  decrease  of  one  compared  to  the  previous 
year150.  At  that  time,  Portugal’s  rate  of  leading  judgments  from  the  past  10  years  that  had 
been implemented was at 55% (compared to 48% in 2025; 45% remained pending), and the 
average  time  that  the  judgments  had  been  pending  implementation  was  5  years  and  10 
months (compared to 5 years and 6 months in 2025)151. The oldest leading judgment, pending 
implementation  for  over  14  years,  concerns  the  fairness  of  criminal  proceedings152.  As 
regards the respect of payment deadlines, on 31 December 2025 there were 10 cases in total 
awaiting confirmation of payments (compared to 8 in 2024)153. By 17 June 2026, the number 
of leading judgments pending implementation had remained at 18154. 

A new Ombudsperson was appointed in July 2026, following delays in the appointment 
procedure. Following the resignation of the former Ombudsperson in June 2025, the post of 

144   Mostly  regarding  the  short  timeframes  and  follow-up  to  public  consultations.  Country  visit  Portugal, 

Platform of NGOD. 

145   Venice Commission, Updated Rule of Law Checklist (December 2025), para. 34. 
146   Figure 52, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
147   Figure  53,  2026  EU  Justice  Scoreboard.  26%  and  22%  of  the  surveyed  investors  respectively  perceive 
concerns  about  quality,  efficiency  or  independence  of  justice  and  frequent  changes  in  legislation  or 
concerns about the quality of the law-making process as a reason for the lack of confidence in investment 
protection. 

148   Figure 60, 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard. 
149   Figures 66 and 67, 2026 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. 

150   For an explanation of the supervision process, see the website of the Council of Europe. 
151   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 2026. EIN (2026), written input, p. 7. 
152   Judgment of the ECtHR, 19808/08, Moreira Ferreira v. Portugal, pending implementation since 2011.  
153   Council of Europe (2026), p. 157. 
154   Data according to the online database of the Council of Europe (HUDOC). 

17 

 
 
Ombudsperson, which is a single-member body and is the national human rights institution, 
accredited with ‘A’ status155, remained vacant until July 2026. While the law sets out that a 
new  appointment  shall  be  done  within  30  days  by  the  Parliament156,  parliamentary  groups 
could not reach an agreement. The appointment followed two previous parliamentary votes, 
in  April  and  June  2026,  where  the  proposed  candidates  could  not  gather  the  necessary 
votes157.  Despite  these  delays  and  a  high  number  of  citizens’  complaints,  the  institution 
reports that it was possible to continue to exercise the majority of its functions, such as the 
assessment  of  citizens’  complaints  and  participation  to  parliamentary  hearings,  and  that  the 
rate of follow-up to recommendations has not been affected158. At the same time, important 
competences  which  are  personally  entrusted  to  the  Ombudsperson  could  not  be  exercised 
during  the  period  when  the  post  remained  vacant159.  While  the  number  of  complaints 
regarding long processing times of residence permits has declined160, complaints from foreign 
nationals related to the impact of the lack of residence permit on access to social rights are 
increasing161. In the context of an Ombudsperson’s investigation on alleged violations of the 
principles of the rule of law and human dignity, it was recommended to improve practices in 
the  planning  of  police  operations,  in  order  to  ensure  their  predictability,  rationality,  and 
proportionality162. 

The civic space remains open, while stakeholders  report increasing cases of attacks  to 
members  of  civil  society  organisations.  Civil  society  organisations  (CSOs)  continue  to 
operate  without  constraints,  and  the  civil  society  space  continues  to  be  rated  as  ‘open’  by 
Civicus163. At the same time, stakeholders report increasing instances of verbal and physical 
violence  against  activists  and  civil  society  volunteers164,  as  well  as  an  increase  in  negative 
rhetoric  targeting  civil  society,  including  by  elected  officials165.  While  the  rights  of  human 
rights  defenders  continue  to  be  well  protected  under  general  laws,  they  call  for  targeted 
mechanisms to protect civil society166. 

155   Global  Alliance  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (GANHRI),  Sub-Committee  on  Accreditation 

(SCA) (2024). 

156   Art. 15(3), Law on the Statute of the Ombudsperson. 
157   The Ombudsperson is elected by a two-third majority (Art. 5(1), Law on the Statute of the Ombudsperson). 
158   Country visit Portugal, Office of the Ombudsperson. 
159   Such as the exercise of the right to request the constitutional review of laws before the Constitutional Court, 
as  well  as  the  issuance  of  formal  recommendations  to  Parliament,  Government,  or  other  public  bodies 
(ENNHRI (2026)). 

160   2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 17. 
161   Country visit Portugal, Office of the Ombudsperson. 
162   The  investigation  was  triggered  by  complaints  in  the  context  of  a  large-scale  police  raid  occurred  in 

December 2024. 2025 Rule of Law Report, Portugal, p. 17. Provedoria de Justiça (2025).  

163   Portugal’s  score  is  81/100.Ratings  by  CIVICUS  are  on  a  five-category  scale  defined  as:  open,  narrowed, 

obstructed, repressed and closed.  

164   In particular targeting CSOs working on topics related to racism and xenophobia (ECRI, para. 49).  
165   Civicus (2025).  
166   Civicus (2025). 

18 

 
 
 
 
Annex I: List of sources in alphabetical order* 

* The list of contributions received in the context of the consultation for the 2026 Rule of Law Report 
can 
https://commission.europa.eu/publications/2026-rule-law-report-targeted-
stakeholder-consultation_en. 

found 

be 

at 

Assembly of the Republic (2025), Analysis of annual reports on external reporting channels. 

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

Constitutional  Court  (2025),  Press  release  of  1  October  2025,  TC  >  Arquivo  >  Arquivo  de 
Atualidades.Council  of  Bars  and  Law  Societies  of  Europe  (CCBE)  (2026),  Contribution  from  the 
Council of Bars and Law Societies of Europe (CCBE) for the 2026 Rule of Law Report.  

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  :  European  Commission  Against  Racism  and  Intolerance  (ECRI)  (2025),  ECRI 
Report on Portugal (sixth monitoring cycle). 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2025), Updated compilation of Venice Commission opinions 
and reports relating to qualified majorities and anti-deadlock mechanisms in relation to the election 
by parliament of constitutional and supreme court judges/presidents, prosecutors general, members of 
judicial and prosecutorial councils, independent/non-political bodies and ombudspersons. 

Council of Europe: Venice Commission (2025a), Updated Rule of Law Checklist. 

Council  of  Europe  (2026x),  Supervision  of  the  execution  of  judgments  decisions  of  the  European 
Court  of  Human  Rights  –  19th  Annual  Report  of  the  Committee  of  Ministers  –  2025, 
https://rm.coe.int/2025-annual-report/48802b1633.  

Court of Auditors (2026), December 2025 monthly bulletin. 

Eco (2026a), Quer saber quem financia os candidatos à Presidência? Não pode. Entidade das Contas 
oculta 
identidade  dos  doadores,  https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/01/14/quer-saber-quem-financia-os-
candidatos-a-presidencia-nao-pode-entidade-das-contas-oculta-identidade-dos-doadores/.  

Eco  (2026b),  Reforma  do  Governo  para  TdC  faz  disparar  alertas  de  organizações  internacionais, 
https://eco.sapo.pt/2026/05/22/reforma-do-governo-para-tdc-faz-disparar-alertas-de-organizacoes-
internacionais/ 

for  Accounts  and  Political  Financing 

Entity 
(2025),  Relatório  de  Atividades  2024, 
https://www.tribunalconstitucional.pt/tc/file/Relat%F3rio%20de%20atividades%202024%20ECFP.pd
f?src=1&mid=8648&bid=7300 

European  Centre  for  Press  and  Media  Freedom,  Media  Freedom  Rapid  Response  Mechanism  – 
Portugal (2025), Press Freedom Violations Monitoring. 

European Commission (2025), 2025 Rule of Law Report, Country Chapter on the rule of law situation 
in Portugal. 

European Commission (2026), 2026 EU Justice Scoreboard.  

European Commission (2026), Flash Eurobarometer 582 on Businesses’ attitudes towards corruption 
in the EU.  

European Commission (2026), Special Eurobarometer 573 on Corruption. 

European  Commission  (2026),  Recommendation  for  a  COUNCIL  RECOMMENDATION  on  the 
economic, social, employment, structural and budgetary policies of Portugal {SWD(2026) 222 final}. 

19 

 
European Implementation Network (2026), Input from the European Implementation Network for the 
2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European  Network  of  Councils  for  the  Judiciary  (2026),  Input  from  the  European  Network  of 
Councils for the Judiciary (ENCJ) for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

European Network of National Human Rights Institutions (ENNHRI) (2026), Contribution from the 
European  Network  of  National  Human  Rights  Institutions  (ENNHRI)  for  the  2026  Rule  of  Law 
Report. 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (2026), Annual Report 2025. 

European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) (2026), Contribution from EPPO for the 2026 Rule of 
Law Report. 

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. 

High  Council  for  the  Administrative  and  Tax  Courts  (CSTAF)  (2026),  28  judges  appointed  to 
reinforce AIMA cases, https://cstaf.pt/nomeados-28-juizes-para-reforco-dos-processos-aima/. 

High Council for the Judiciary (2026), Deliberation approving the Code of Conduct applicable to the 
members  of  the  High  Council  for  the  Judiciary,  diariodarepublica.pt/dr/detalhe/deliberacao-
extrato/3-2026-993315663 . 

Journalists’ Professional License Committee (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Judiciary  Police  (2026),  Press  release  –  “Operation  brotherhood”:  criminal  association  that 
practiced  hate  crimes  has  been  dismantled,  https://www.policiajudiciaria.pt/operacao-irmandade-
desmantelada-associacao-criminosa-que-praticava-crimes-de-odio/. 

Magistrats  Européens  pour  la  Démocracie  et  les  Libertés  (MEDEL)  (2026),  Contribution  from 
Magistrats Européens pour la Démocracie et les Libertés (MEDEL) – Portugal for the 2026 Rule of 
Law Report. 

Media Pluralism Monitor (2026), Portugal country report. 

MENAC  (National  Anti-corruption  Mechanism)  (2026),  Annual  Anticorruption  Report  2025, 
https://mec-anticorrupcao.pt/relatorio-anual-anticorrupcao-2025-2/ . 

Portuguese  Government  (2025),  Press  release  –  Celerity  measures  in  judicial  procedures  and  to 
combat 
adopted, 
https://portugal.gov.pt/gc25/comunicacao/noticias/aprovadas-medidas-de-celeridade-nos-processos-
judiciais-e-combate-a-violencia-domestica.  

domestic 

violence 

have 

been 

Portuguese Government (2026), Input from Portugal for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Portuguese  Government  (2026a),  Press release  – 215  new  vacancies  for  the training  of magistrates, 
https://portugal.gov.pt/gc25/comunicacao/noticias/criadas-215-novas-vagas-para-formacao-de-
magistrados. 

Provedoria  de  Justiça  (Office  of  the  Ombudsperson)  (2025),  Press  release  –  Office  of  the 
Ombudsperson  suggests 
the  planning  of  police  operations, 
improvements 
https://www.provedor-jus.pt/provedoria-de-justica-sugere-a-psp-melhorias-no-planeamento-de-
operacoes-policiais/. 

to  PSP 

in 

Público (2026), Oposição quer nova lei para saber quem financia partidos; PSD ainda sem posição 
formal, 
https://www.publico.pt/2026/04/28/politica/noticia/oposicao-quer-nova-lei-saber-financia-
partidos-psd-posicao-formal-2172442 

20 

 
 
Público (2026c), Uprising in the news-deprived interior: ‘The people who live here are also first-class 
Portuguese’,  https://www.publico.pt/2025/12/06/economia/noticia/regulador-autarcas-preocupados-
ameaca-reducao-distribuicao-jornais-2157268  

(2025),  Better 

OECD 
practices 
https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2025/09/better-regulation-practices-
across-the-european-union-2025_a3dfd5e6/6f007516-en.pdf#page=174&zoom=100,83,57. 

the  European  Union 

regulation 

across 

2025, 

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) (2026), Input for the 2026 Rule of Law Report. 

Transparency 
https://www.tribunalconstitucional.pt/tc/ept/relatoriosdeatividade-y2024-9270.html. 

Activity 

(2024), 

Annual 

Entity 

Report 

2024, 

Transparency 
https://www.tribunalconstitucional.pt/tc/ept/relatoriosdeatividade.html. 

(2026), 

Annual 

Entity 

Activity 

Report 

2025, 

Transparency International (2026), Corruption Perceptions Index 2025. 

Transparency International – Portugal, Comunicado sobre a anunciada revisão da Lei do Tribunal de 
https://transparencia.pt/comunicado-sobre-a-anunciada-revisao-da-lei-do-tribunal-de-
Contas, 
contas/ 

Council  of  Europe,  Platform  to  promote  the  protection  of  journalism  and  safety  of  journalists  – 
Portugal, Alerts | Safety of journalists platform. 

Regulation  (EU)  2024/1083  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11  April  2024 
establishing a common framework for media services in the internal market and amending Directive 
2010/13/EU (European Media Freedom Act).  

21 

 
 
 
Annex II: Country visit to Portugal 

The Commission services held virtual meetings in February 2026 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)  
•  LUSA Agency 
•  Media Authority – Regulatory Entity for Social Communication  
•  MENAC (National 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 Government 
•  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:  

•  Civil Liberties Union for Europe 
•  Civil Society Europe 
•  End FGM EU 
•  European Civic Forum 

22 

 
 
•  European Partnership for Democracy 
•  Human Rights Watch 
• 
ILGA-Europe 
• 
International Federation for Human Rights 
•  Philea - Philanthropy Europe Association 
•  Transparency International EU 

23