16 December 2022

Positive preliminary assessment of the satisfactory fulfilment of milestones and targets
related to the second payment request submitted by Portugal on 30 September 2022,
transmitted to the Economic and Financial Committee by the European Commission
Executive summary
In accordance with Article 24(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/241, on 30 September 2022, Portugal
submitted requests for payment for the second instalment of the non-repayable support and the
second instalment of the loan support. The payment requests were accompanied by the required
management declarations and the summary of audits.
To support its payment request, Portugal provided due justification of the satisfactory fulfilment of
the 18 milestones and targets of the second instalment of the non-repayable support and the two
milestones of the second instalment of the loan support, as set out in Section 2(1)(1.2) and Section
2(2)(2.2) of the Council Implementing Decision of 13 July 2021 on the approval of the assessment of
the recovery and resilience plan for Portugal1.
In its payment request, Portugal has confirmed that measures related to previously satisfactorily
fulfilled milestones and targets have not been reversed. The Commission does not have evidence of
the contrary. Upon receipt of the payment request, the Commission has assessed on a preliminary
basis the satisfactory fulfilment of the relevant milestones and targets. Based on the information
provided by Portugal, the Commission has made a positive preliminary assessment of the satisfactory
fulfilment of all 20 milestones and targets.
The milestones and targets positively assessed as part of this payment request demonstrate significant
steps in the implementation of Portugal’s Recovery and Resilience Plan. They notably highlight the
continuation of the reform momentum in key policy areas. This includes, among others, the digital
transition in the private and public sectors, including training and upskilling. Milestones and targets
also confirm progress towards the completion of reforms and investment projects related to health
and social policies, green transition and climate adaptation such as bioeconomy, sustainable transport
and forest management and support of companies through the use of financial instruments.
By the transmission of this positive preliminary assessment and in accordance with Article 24(4) of
Regulation (EU) 2021/241, the Commission asks for the opinion of the Economic and Financial
Committee on the satisfactory fulfilment of the relevant milestones and targets.

1

ST 10149/21; ST 10149/21 ADD 1 REV 1, not yet published.

1

Contents
Non-repayable support ...................................................................................................................... 3
Related Measure: C01-r03: Completion of the reform of the governance model of public hospitals 3
Related Measure: C01-i01: Primary health care services with more answers.................................. 6
Related Measure: C01-i02: National Network of Integrated Continued Care and National Network
of Palliative Care .......................................................................................................................... 9
Related Measure: C03-i01: New generation of equipment and social responses .......................... 12
Related Measure: C03-i06: Integrated operations in disadvantaged communities in the
Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto ..................................................................................... 16
Related Measure: C04-i01: Cultural Networks and Digital Transition ........................................... 21
Related Measure: C05-i05-RAA: Economic Recovery of Azorean Agriculture ................................ 23
Related Measure: C08-i02: Rural property registry and Land Cover Monitoring System ................ 26
Related Measure: C08-i03: Fuel management breaks — primary network ................................... 29
Related Measure: C08-i05: More Forest Programme ................................................................... 33
Related Measure: C08-i05: More Forest Programme ................................................................... 37
Related Measure: C09-i02: Hydraulic multi-purpose enterprise of Crato ...................................... 41
Related Measure: C12-i01: Bioeconomy...................................................................................... 49
Related Measure: C15-i04: Bus Rapid Transit Boavista – Império ................................................. 53
Related Measure: C16-r31: Digital transition of the business environment .................................. 55
Related Measure: C16-i01: Digital Empowerment of Enterprises ................................................. 61
Related Measure: C17-i02: Modernisation of the information systems of the Tax and Customs
Authority for rural property taxation .......................................................................................... 67
Related Measure: C19-i04: Efficient, secure and shared digital critical infrastructures .................. 70
Loan support ..................................................................................................................................... 72
Related Measure: C05-i06: Capitalisation of companies and financial resilience/Banco Português
de Fomento ............................................................................................................................... 72
Related Measure: C05-i06: Capitalisation of companies and financial resilience/Banco Português
de Fomento ............................................................................................................................... 74

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Non-repayable support
Related Measure: C01-r03: Completion of the reform of the governance model
of public hospitals
Name of the Milestone: Entry into force of the new management contract template
Qualitative Indicator: Entry into force of the new management contract
Time: Q2-2022
template
Context:
The over-arching objective of this reform is to increase efficiency in the hospitals of the National
Healthcare System, by, amongst others, reforming the organisation and internal management of the
hospitals; by improving articulation with other units of the National Health System; and by focussing
responses on the citizens’ needs.
This milestone requires the entry into force of a performance-based management contract template,
approved by the Ministries of Finance and Health, for public managers in state-owned enterprises in
the national health system. This is the first step of the implementation of the reform and it will be
followed by the following milestones and targets: the entry into force of a new management
accounting plan of the National Healthcare System (milestone 1.7 to be completed by Q1 2024); the
establishment of new integrated responsibility centres in the hospitals of the National Healthcare
System (target 1.8 to be completed by Q4 2022 and target 1.9 to be completed by Q4 2025); the
strengthening of home hospitalisation responses in the hospitals of the National Healthcare System
(target 1.10 to be completed by Q4 2024); the entry into force of the action plan to strengthen
centralised purchasing mechanisms for medicines (milestone 1.11 to be completed by Q2 2024); and
the entry into force of the new exclusivity work regime in the National Healthcare System (milestone
1.12 to be implemented by Q1 2023).
Number: 1.6

Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document justifying how the milestone is satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Government Order (‘Portaria’) No 167-B/2022 of 30 June (published in Portugal’s Official
Journal ‘Diário da República’, No 125/2022, first supplement, first series of 30 June 2022,
pages 10-24), which establishes the new management contract template to be adopted by
public managers of state-owned enterprises in the national health system;
3. The management contract template as an annex to Government Order No 167-B/2022 of
30 June including indication of the entry into force through joint approval of the Ministries
of Health and Finance;
4. Implementation Report of 30 June 2022 by the Central Administration of the Health
System (‘Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde’) demonstrating how the provisions in
the new management contract template will support the performance of public managers
and strengthen their accountability.
Analysis:
The new management contract template to be adhered to by all future management contracts to be
signed by public managers of state-owned enterprises in the national health system, was approved
jointly by the Ministries of Health and Finance and entered into force on 1 July 2022, as established
in Article 9 of Government Order No 167-B/2022 of 30 June.

3

Government Order No 167-B/2022, of 30 June, also establishes the disclosure of (i) the management
contracts, (ii) the objectives achieved, and (iii) the bonus granted on the website of the Technical Unit
for Monitoring and Control of the Public Business Sector (UTAM - ‘Unidade Técnica de
Acompanhamento e Monitorização do Setor Público Empresarial’), a technical unit of the Ministry of
Finance with administrative autonomy (Article 8). This increase in transparency contributes to an
increase in accountability.
In line with the requirements of the CID, the new management contract template:
i)

Applies to all public managers, with executive functions, of state-owned enterprises in the
National Health Service (NHS) (Article 2).
a. Under the Portuguese legal system, ‘public managers’ are the members of the Board
of Directors of a state-owned enterprise (Article 1 of Decree-Law No 71/2007 of 7
March, published in Portugal’s Official Journal ‘Diário da República’, No 61/2007, first
series of 7 March 2007, pages 1742-1748). Under the Portuguese Statute of the NHS,
all public managers (that sit on the Board of Directors) of state-owned enterprises in
the NHS have executive functions (Article 68 of Decree-Law No 52/2002 of 4 August,
published in Portugal’s Official Journal ‘Diário da República’, No 150/2022, first series
of 4 August 2022, pages 5-52). Therefore, it is not possible to nominate public
managers with no executive functions in the state-owned enterprises of the NHS.
Therefore, the new management contract template applies to all public managers of
state-owned enterprises in the NHS.
b. The implementation of the new management contract template is gradual since the
new template is used for nominations of new public managers.
c. The implementation of the new management contract template was envisaged to be
gradual and prioritised according to the level of efficiency, size and geographical
distribution of public hospitals. Going further from the requirement of the milestone,
Portugal concluded they had the means to apply the new management contract
template to public managers with executive functions of all state-owned enterprises in
NHS, with no need to prioritise among them.
ii) Is adopted by public managers with executive functions that either had not yet signed a
management contract by the time Government Order No 167-B/2022 of 30 June entered into
force on 1 July 2022, or which have been appointed after its entry into force. The new
management contract shall be signed within three months of the public manager’s
appointment (Article 2)
iii) Strengthens accountability and encourages performance-based management practices in the
following way:
a. Provides objective metrics to assess the achievement of financial targets, on which
the manager’s performance is evaluated. The financial targets have to be in line with
the annual and multiannual Activity and Budget Plans (Article 3(4)(b) and 3(6)(b)),
and they relate to the operating result of the hospital for the financial year, e.g.
operational expenditure per standard patient, expenditure on medicines,
expenditure on staff (Article 3(9)(a)). These are included in clause 4(2) of the contract
template and paragraphs 1 (a) and paragraph 2 (l) - (m) of the Annex to the contract
template.
b. Provides objective metrics to assess the achievement of the quality of the service
targets. These regard the level of satisfaction of the patients (Article 3(9)(b)) and the
response time (Article 3(9)(c)). These metrics and targets are established in clause
4(2) of the contract template and paragraphs 1(b) and paragraph 2 (a) to (d) to 7 of
the Annex to the contract template.

4

c. Makes the bonus calculation depend on the level of achievement of the preestablished targets (Article 5 (1)). The calculation terms also discourage situations of
over investment and/or over employment (Article 5(7)(a) and (b)).
d. Lists a set of specific situations under which the bonus shall not be awarded. These
situations refer to a poor financial situation of the hospital (Article 6).
e. Discourages the focus on the short term by introducing a bonus component that shall
only be awarded at the end of the management contract (Article 4 (1) and (3)).
f. Introduces the possibility to establish additional targets specific to the manager
(which must be compatible with the Activities Plan and Budget of the hospital and
must be approved by both Ministries) (Article 3(6)(c)). This enables the alignment of
the manger’s incentives with the objectives of the Hospital and State).
iv) Strengthens the monitoring roles of the Ministries of Health and Finance in the following
manner:
- Both Ministries approve the objectives to be established in each management contract
(Article 3(13) and clause 4 of the management contract template).
- Both Ministries also approve the effective amount of the bonus to be granted, taking into
account the evaluation of the manager and the proposal of the Technical Unit for Monitoring
and Control of the Public Business Sector (UTAM), a technical unit of the Ministry of Finance,
which has administrative autonomy and supports the decision-making process, (Article 5(3)
and clause 5(5) of the management contract template).
These two approval powers are also additional tools to ensure an integrated and coherent
approach in assessing the performance of hospital (via the performance of their managers)
and in correcting deviations from the approved budgets (via the award or not of bonuses) in
good time (since the bonuses are awarded every year).
As shown above, the new management contract template increases predictability in the management
of hospital resources, ensures consistency with the government's health policy and combines
autonomy of the manager with enhanced monitoring and accountability. In this way, this milestone
contributes to the achievement of the first aim of this reform which is the reform of the organisation
and internal management of public hospitals. It also contributes to the over-arching objective of the
reform, since by having a performance-based management contract, with both financial and service
quality targets, public managers have an incentive to work more efficiently and therefore increase
efficiency in the hospitals of the National Health Service.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

5

Number: 1.13

Related Measure: C01-i01: Primary health care services with more answers
Name of the Milestone: Entry into force of the terms for referencing emergency episodes
screened in white, blue or green in hospital emergency services for other types of health care
services, including primary health care services
Qualitative Indicator: Entry into force of terms for referencing emergency
Time: Q1-2022
episodes
Context:
The objective of this investment is to expand primary health care services and reinforce their core
role in responding to the health care needs of the population within the National Health Service
framework.
The referral mechanism established in this milestone is an initial step in the implementation of this
investment, contributing to the completion of the integrated information system that shall facilitate
the referral of patients between levels of heath care and to the reduction of the inadequate or
preventable use of emergency health care service. The next steps of this investment are: building of
new health units (target 1.14 to be implemented by Q4 2023 and target 1.15 to be implemented by
Q2 2026); completion of the national coverage of screening and early diagnosis programmes in
primary health care (milestone 1.16 to be implemented by Q1 2026); increase in the response
capacity of primary health centres and expansion of their areas of intervention (milestone 1.17 to be
implemented by Q2 2026); refurbishment of health facilities and equipment to ensure accessibility,
quality and safety conditions in primary health centres (milestone 1.18 to be implemented by Q2
2026); and strengthening of community-based care, home and community interventions (milestone
1.19 to be implemented by Q2 2026).
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive elements)
was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Evidence of publication on the website of the Central Administration of the Health System
(‘Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde’) and reference to the relevant provisions
indicating the entry into force of Administrative Norm (‘Circular Normativa’) No
11/2022/ACSS (published on 29 July 2022);
3. Screenshot taken on 11 October 2022 of the back-office of the website of the Central
Administration of Health System (‘Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde’), with the
publication of Administrative Norm no 11/2022/ACSS.
4. Amendment of Administrative Norm (‘Circular Normativa’) No 11/2022/ACSS on 11
November 2022.
5. Screenshot taken on 14 November 2022 of the back-office of the website of the Central
Administration of Health System (‘Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde’), showing
the publication of the amended Administrative Norm no 11/2022/ACSS.
Analysis:
Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS establishes the terms to refer the less urgent (green), the
non-urgent (blue) emergency episodes, as well as the inadequately referred episodes (white) from
hospital emergency services to other types of health care services, including primary health care
services. It was published on the website of the Central Administration of the Health System
6

(‘Administração Central do Sistema de Saúde’ - ACSS) on 29 July 2022 (as shown in the screenshot of
ACSS’s back office) and it entered into force on 30 July 2022 (as established in its last paragraph on
page 6, it entered into force one day after publication). On 11 November 2020, Administrative Norm
No 11/2022/ACSS was amended to include a deadline to adopt the Protocols referred in its points 1
and 2 (this amendment was added as point 12). On 14 November 2020, the Amended Administrative
Norm 11/2022/ACSS was published on ACSS’s website (as shown in the screenshot of ACSS’s back
office) and it entered into force on 15 November 2022 (as established in its last paragraph on page 6,
it entered into force one day after publication). In line with the requirements of the CID, the
Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS establishes a national framework of administrative rules and
procedures for the referral process across the National Health System. In particular:
i)
The obligation to refer the white (cases inadequately referred to the emergency services),
blue (non-urgent cases) and green (less urgent cases) emergency episodes in hospital
emergency services (point 1).
ii)
The obligation to refer these cases to two other types of health care services (point 1): (i)
primary health care services (family health units and personalised health care units); and (ii)
the so-called ‘planned hospital responses’ (e.g., outpatient medical appointments in NHS
hospitals).
iii)
The obligation to inform the patients (of white, blue or green cases) about the benefits of the
referral for him or herself and for the other patients (point 3).
iv)
The obligation to inform the patient who accepts the referral about the location, date and
contact details of the referred service (point 4).
v)
The obligation for hospitals and local/regional Groups of Health Centres (where the primary
health care units are included) to define protocols detailing the means to make the referral
including the directly scheduling of appointments (point 2). According to the Amended
Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS, these Protocols have to be adopted by 31 December
2022 (point 12). These protocols, provide the necessary flexibility to accommodate the
response capacity and services offer of both hospitals and primary care units across the
country. Whereas the Amended Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS establishes the main
steps of the process and the essential elements of the protocols across the national health
system, the single steps and tasks that each individual hospital and primary care unit has to
take to make the referral will be defined in the protocols. The details will depend on the
capacity and services offered by each hospital and primary care unit and the means at their
disposal and will continuously be updated to incorporate the additional capacities of the new
care units and the refurbished care units.
vi)
The administrative proceedings regarding the moment when the hospital shall proceed with
the referral (point 5), the encoding of each referral (paragraph 7) and the exceptional cases
which shall not be referred (this is a closed list which shall be applied by all hospitals (point
6).

As explained in the preamble of Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS (including in the amended
version), one of the reasons to implement this referral mechanism is to reduce inappropriate or
avoidable use of emergency services in NHS hospitals and to increase the use of other types of health
care services, including primary health care services. Since the Amended Administrative Norm No
11/2022/ACSS redirects inadequately considered urgent, non-urgent and less urgent cases to the
primary health care services where citizens/users are already registered (family and personalised
health care units), it contributes to reduce the number of this inadequate and/or preventable use of
emergency services and reinforces the role of the primary health care services in responding to the
health care needs of the population. By redirecting cases to planned hospital responses, the Amended
Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS ensures that the patients get the most adequate response to
7

their needs by referring the patients to the required medical specialty appointment. Finally, by
including three different types of health care (hospital emergency services, primary health care
services, and planned hospital responses), the Amended Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS also
contributes to the completion of the integrated information system that facilitates the referral of
patients between levels of health care.
To ensure the application of Amended Administrative Norm No 11/2022/ACSS, it is established that
its implementation is monitored by the Regional Health Administration bodies (point 11).

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

8

Related Measure: C01-i02: National Network of Integrated Continued Care and
National Network of Palliative Care
Name of the Milestone: Entry into force of the regulation on the allocation of financial support by
the Regional Health Authorities
Qualitative Indicator: Entry into force of the regulation on the allocation of
Time: Q1-2022
financial support
Context:
The objective of this investment is to upscale the national networks of palliative and integrated
continued care and home-based care. This investment contributes to the country’s
deinstitutionalisation strategy, and to address the adverse demographic trends the country is facing.
To this end, this measure establishes a structured and phased in programme to provide financial
support to promoters from the public, social or private sectors.
Number: 1.20

This milestone represents the initial step of the investment and consists of the entry into force of the
regulation on the allocation of financial support by the Regional Health Authorities. As such, this
milestone provides the legal basis for the implementation of the above-mentioned financial support
programme, aiming at strengthening the response capacity of the national networks of integrated
continued care and palliative care services in inpatient and outpatient care, as enshrined in target
1.21 (Q4 2025); and home care, as enshrined in target 1.22 (Q4 2023).
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Government Order (‘Portaria’) No 134-A/2022 of 30 March (published in the Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 63/2022, first supplement, first series of 30 March 2022,
pages 2-15), approving the Regulation on the allocation of financial support for the
implementation of the investments in the National Network of Integrated Continued Care
and the National Network of Palliative Care, foreseen in the Recovery and Resilience Plan
Analysis:
Portugal adopted a regulation on the allocation of financial support with Government Order No 134A/2022 of 30 March. Article 135 of the Code of Administrative Procedure of Portugal defines
‘administrative regulations’ as general and abstract legal norms that, in the exercise of legaladministrative powers, shall produce external legal effects. Thus, as per administrative law, a
Government Order (‘Portaria’) is a regulation. Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March
includes as annex (Annex I) the Regulation on the allocation of financial support. According to its
Article 1, the regulation was approved as an integral part of Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30
March, and, according to its Article 2, Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March entered into
force on 31 March 2022, i.e. the day following its publication.
In line with the requirements of the CID, Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March provides the
legal framework to grant financial support by the Regional Health Authorities (‘Administrações
Regionais de Saúde’) (as per Article 4 of Annex I) to promoters from the public, social or private
sectors (as per Article 6 of Annex I). In doing so, Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March
implements a structured and phased in programme, for the implementation of investments in the
National Network of Integrated Continued Care (‘Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados
9

Integrados’) and the National Palliative Care Network (‘Rede Nacional de Cuidados Paliativos’) (as per
Article 1 of Annex I) aiming at the continuation of actions and measures in the fields of health
promotion, disease prevention and treatment, rehabilitation, harm reduction, reintegration and
palliative care, meeting the needs of the development and consolidation of Rede Nacional de
Cuidados Continuados Integrados and Rede Nacional de Cuidados Paliativos (as per Article 2 of Annex
I). Therefore, the programme is intended to finance projects aiming to upscale and expand the
national networks of palliative and integrated continued care (as per point a) of Article 8 and Article
24(3) of Annex I), as well as home-based care (as per point c) of Article 8 and Article 36(2) of Annex
I), and extend integrated mental health care responses (as per point b) of Article 8 and Article 32(2)
of Annex I). By supporting the strengthening of integrated continued care, the Regulation contributes
to addressing the adverse demographic trends of Portugal, characterised by accelerated aging and
subsequent long-term care needs. As the regulation encompasses out-patient treatment, it also
underpins the overall deinstitutionalisation strategy of the country.
Annex I of Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March is structured as follows:
i)
Chapter I lays down the general provisions;
ii)
Chapter II lays down the provisions relating to the construction, enlargement and/or
refurbishment of infrastructure for new responses in the Rede Nacional de Cuidados
Continuados Integrados and the Rede Nacional de Cuidados Paliativos units;
iii)
Chapter III lays down the provisions relating to home-based support teams in integrated
continued care for mental health of Rede Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados; and
iv)
Chapter IV lays down the provisions relating to integrated continued care teams of Rede
Nacional de Cuidados Continuados Integrados.
In line with the requirements of the CID, Annex I of Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March
also defines the governance model of the financing programme as follows:
i)
Article 5 specifies that the financial support shall be awarded via a competitive process
entailing the conclusion of contracts by the funding authorities;
ii)
Article 16 establishes the composition of the assessment committee and the assessment
procedures, including a provision specifying that the final decision shall be made by the
governing board of the relevant Regional Health Administration (point 7);
iii)
Article 18 lays down the provisions governing the contracts in the framework of the
programme, including paragraphs specifying that the grant of financial support shall be
formalised be means of a contract between the competent Regional Health Administration
and each of the bodies responsible for the projects selected (Article 18, point 1), and that
such contract must include the rights and obligations of both parties (Article 18, point 2);
iv)
Article 20 lays down the provisions for the monitoring and evaluation of the projects, under
the responsibility of the Regional Health Administration, in order to prevent or detect
irregularities and to confirm that the aid is intended for the purposes and objectives for which
it was granted (Article 20, point 1);
v)
Articles 21 and 22 complement the preceding article, laying down the provisions for the
suspension of funding (Article 21) and the termination of contracts (Article 22);
vi)
Article 30 establishes a technical evaluation committee for construction projects and its
composition. This committee (i) shall be composed of members of the competent Regional
Health Administration and the Institute of Social Security (‘Instituto da Segurança Social’), (ii)
shall accompany the execution of the projects relating to construction works provided for in
Article 8(a), and (iii) shall draw up opinions and evaluation reports as requested (Article 30,
point 1).

10

The provisions listed above cover different aspects of the financing programme, including the set-up
of contracts between the entities providing and receiving such support, and the establishment of the
control mechanism, thereby defining the governance model of the programme.
In line with the requirements of the CID, Annex I of Government Order No 134-A/2022 of 30 March
defines the requirements that shall be met by applicants:
i)
Article 6: the eligibility criteria to be applied to candidates (such as candidates shall be legal
persons governed by private law, whether profit-making or not);
ii)
Article 7: the requirements that applicants for financial support shall comply with (such as
applicants shall not be convicted by a court of maladministration of subsidies or other public
funding, as per line d));
iii)
Article 8: the types of projects that are eligible for financial support;
iv)
Article 9: the notices of initiation of procedures provided for in Article 13 shall lay down the
specific requirements for the projects to be financed (Article 13(3), line f));
v)
Article 15: enumerates the elements constituting grounds for exclusion from the application
procedures (such as the applicant making false declarations, as per line e));
vi)
Article 17: the notices of initiation of procedures provided for in Article 13 shall lay down the
criteria for the assessment and selection of applications by type of project (Article 13, line
o));
vii)
Article 19: the obligations of the entities receiving the financial support (e.g. entities receiving
financial support shall be obliged to comply with the requirements and conditions governing
the award of financial support, as per point 1, line a));
viii)
Articles 24, 32 and 36 provide the requirements for projects specifically regulated in Chapter
II, III and IV respectively;
ix)
Article 28: criteria for assessing applications for projects specifically regulated in Chapter II.
The provisions listed above cover aspects relating to the application and assessment procedures of
the financing programme, including the eligibility criteria for applicants, the eligibility and assessment
criteria for projects, and the obligations of entities receiving the financial support, thereby defining
the requirements for applicants.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

11

Number: 3.3

Related Measure: C03-i01: New generation of equipment and social responses
Name of the Milestone: Award of contracts of support to promoting bodies for the creation and
expansion of the network of social facilities/social responses
Qualitative Indicator: Award of contracts of support to the promoting bodies
Time: Q2-2022
for the network of social facilities/responses
Context:
This investment consists of five sub-measures that aim to improve the social services network in
continental Portugal. Three of those sub-measures aim to upgrade and expand the infrastructure of
the social care services in different social care typologies such as crèches, residential care homes for
the elderly, centres for activities and empowerment for inclusion, Autonomous Residences and Home
Support Services, and in new typologies such as co-housing. Two other sub-measures of the
investment concern the purchase of technical and digital equipment including electric vehicles. and
the launch of an innovative model of integrated social support in municipalities.
Milestone 3.3. relates to the first three sub-measures and aims to award contracts of support to the
creation or renovation of places (vacancies) in the typologies abovementioned. The next and final
target 3.4 is associated with milestone 3.3 (due in Q1 2026) and covers the creation of new or
renovation of 28 000 places, benefitting children, elderly, people with disabilities, among others. Two
other targets will monitor the sub-measures of the investment concerning the purchase of technical
and digital equipment including electric vehicles (targets 3.1 and 3.5 due in Q1 2026) and the launch
of an innovative model of integrated social support in municipalities (target 3.2 due in Q4 2024).

Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Implementation report of 9 November 2022 issued and signed by the intermediate recipient,
‘Social Security Institute’. It concerns the award of contracts (financing agreements) between
the intermediate recipient and the promoting bodies that have applied for the tenders for
the creation and expansion of the network of social facilities/social responses;
3. List of signed contracts and the contractual counterparts respectively;
4. Examples of signed contracts with the promoting bodies:
a) Signed contract of 29 August 2022 with the promoting body Centro Paroquial de
Fraternidade Cristã e de Solidariedade de São Lázaro, covering the typology ‘crèche’
(contract number PRR-RE-C03-i01-02-000009);
b) Signed contract of 29 August 2022 with the promoting body Centro Social e Paroquial de
Covide, covering the typology ‘residential care home for the elderly’ (contract number
PRR-RE-C03-i01-02-000006);
c) Signed contract of 30 August 2022 with the promoting body ABA - Associação
Beneficente de Ajuda, covering the typology ‘day care centre’ (contract number PRR-REC03-i01-02-000198);
d) Signed contract of 29 August 2022 with the promoting body Ave - Cooperativa de
Intervenção Psico-Social CRL, covering the typology ‘centre for activities and
empowerment for inclusion’ (contract number PRR-RE-C03-i01-02-000121);

12

e) Signed contract of 30 August 2022 with the promoting body Santa Casa da Misericórdia
de Lisboa, covering the typology ‘Autonomous Residence’ (contract number PRR-RE-C03i01-02-000251);
f) Signed contract of 8 July 2022 with the promoting body, Cruz Vermelha Portuguesa,
covering the typology ‘Home Support Services’ (contract number PRR-RE-C03-i01-02000109)
g) Signed contract of 9 November 2022 with the promoting body, CACFF – Centro
Assistencial Cultural e Formativo do Fundão, covering the typology ‘co-housing’ (contract
number PRR-RE-C03-i01-03-000013)
h) Signed contract of 9 November 2022 with the promoting body, Município do Barreiro,
covering the typology ‘communities of inclusion’ (contract number PRR-RE-C03-i01-03000047);
5. Tender notices related to the competitions:
i)
Tender No 02/C03-i01/2021, published on 23 February 2022 on the platform Balcão
dos Fundos (EU funds platform);
ii)
Tender No 03/C03-i01/2022, published on 29 July 2022 on the platform Balcão dos
Fundos (EU funds platform).
Analysis:
The authorities launched two tenders to create and expand the network of social facilities/social
responses. The published tenders No 02/C03-i01/2021 and No 03/C03-i01/2022, envisage the
creation and renovation of places in the care facilities that operate in the social sector such as nonprofit organisations, public entities, or municipalities (as per section 2 of the tenders).
In line with the requirements of the CID:
i)
Section 1 of tender No 02/C03-i01/2021 indicates that the aim is to reinforce, adapt and
requalify places in social facilities/social responses covering children, elderly, people with
disabilities or families. Section 1 of tender No 03/C03-i01/2022 specifies that the aim is also
to expand and improve the social facilities/social responses network. As a result, the creation
of places shall provide for an increased number of users benefitting from social care services.
ii)
Tender No 02/C03-i01/2021, section 4 ‘eligible social responses, typologies of projects to be
supported and implementation rules’ covers existing care typologies, typologies that already
operate in the social sector. The eligible typologies for application are defined as follows (a
brief description of each is also included in the implementation report, section 2):
a) Crèches: educational social facility/social response that provides pedagogical
support, and care for children aged up to three years old.
b) Residential care homes for the elderly: collective social facility/social response for
permanent or temporary accommodation, intended to provide support to the elderly
or other citizens at risk and with loss of independence and/or autonomy.
c) Day care centres: social facility/social response that provides services to the elderly
to meet basic needs and to promote interpersonal relationships within and outside
their age group, thus contributing to the maintenance of their socio-family
environment.
d) Centres for activities and empowerment for inclusion: social facility/social response
intended for the development of occupational activities for people with disabilities,
and which supports their training for inclusion according to their respective needs
and capacities.
e) Autonomous Residences: social facility/social response for temporary or permanent
accommodation in apartments or houses located in residential areas of the
13

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

community. It is intended to provide support to people with disabilities who can live
independently, and aims, through individual support, to provide conditions for an
autonomous and inclusive life.
f) Home Support Services: social facility/social response that consists of providing
individualised and personalised care at home, to individuals and families that, due to
illness, disability, or other impediment, cannot temporarily or permanently ensure
the satisfaction of their basic needs and/or activities of daily life.
Additionally, the expansion of the social network further includes innovative social responses,
through innovative typologies (see tender No 03/C03-i01/2022, section 4 and the
implementation report, section 2). These innovative typologies are:
a) Co-housing: social response of temporary or permanent residential nature, which is
based on a model of collaborative and community housing with areas of access to
shared services, promoting social interaction and social inclusion. It is designed for
individuals and families living in a situation of social vulnerability.
b) Communities of inclusion: social response aimed at excluded and marginalised groups
such as homeless people, single-parent families, ex-prisoners, and where a set of
integrated actions is developed, through adequate technical support, enabling
greater access to the community, its resources, and activities, including temporary or
permanent housing.
The creation and/or renovation of places in the abovementioned typologies serves the
benefit of a wide range of people, as mentioned above, covering as per the CID milestone
description, children, the elderly, people with disabilities, among other citizens in a position
of social exclusion or social vulnerability.
The implementation report of 9 November 2022 confirms that Portugal awarded contracts of
support, after a selection process, to promoting bodies that have applied for tenders No
02/C03-i01/2021 and No 03/C03-i01/2022 for the creation and expansion of the network of
social facilities/social responses. The awarded contracts of support relate to financing
agreements between the intermediate recipient Social Security Institute and the promoting
bodies that have applied for the tenders. The full list of signed contracts with the promoting
bodies is found in annex I of the implementation report of 9 November 2022. The authorities
provided eight examples of contracts (one per typology) and have confirmed (on page 6 of
the summary document) that the 237 signed contracts for the existing and new typologies
are identical to the examples (to the extent that the general clauses included in them are the
same).
The Social Security Institute awarded the contracts to the applications that have been found
to be in accordance with the defined regulation and within the available envelope as follows:
- Clause 1 of the contracts a)-h) specify that the goal is to grant financial support to the
applications submitted under the tenders No 02/C03-i01/2021 and No 03/C03-i01/2022.
Tender No 02/C03-i01/2021 defines in section 2 point h) of the eligibility criteria, that
applicants were required to submit a project in line with articles 3 and 6 of Ordinance
No. 701-H/2008, of 29 July, published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da República’,
No 145, first series of 29 July 2008, pages 5106-(37) to 5106-(80), which defines the
procedures and standards to be adopted in the preparation and planning of public
works, and in accordance with the regulations governing the installation and operating
conditions of each type of social facility/social response. Tender No 03/C03-i01/2022
defines in section 1, that the typology communities of inclusion is governed by Ordinance
No 324/2021, of 29 December, published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’, No 251, first series of 29 December 2021, pages 62 to 73, while the typology
co-housing follows the provisions of annex I of the tender in what concerns the nature
of the typology, and in what concerns the edification of buildings it should follow
the legal regime of the urbanization and building edification defined in Decree-law
14

vii)

viii)

555/99 of 16 December, published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da República’,
No 291, first series A of 16 December 1999, pages 8912 to 8942, and the rules for
accessibility of buildings for citizens with disabilities foreseen in the national legislation.
- The Social Security Institute awarded the contracts in accordance with the available
envelope defined in the financial allocation conditions of points 6 (conditions for
granting funding) and 12 (fund allocation) of both tenders.
- The applications were also found to be in accordance with the criteria established in the
tenders, this is, points 2 (eligibility criteria), 4 (eligible social responses, typologies of
projects to be supported and implementation rules) and 5 (eligible and non-eligible
expenses), in what concerns tender No 02/C03-i01/2021, and according to points 1
(scope/objectives), 2 (eligibility criteria), 4 (eligible social responses, typologies of
projects to be supported and implementation rules), 5 (eligible and non-eligible
expenses) and annexes I (co-housing) and II (eligible municipalities for the typology
communities of inclusion), in what concerns tender No 03/C03-i01/2022.
These include, for the applicable sections, the relevant regulation that had to be
followed.
As required in the CID investment description, in case of new construction of buildings, the
tenders ensured that the new buildings shall have a primary energy demand at least 20%
below the requirements of nearly zero energy buildings (points 4.5. and 4.6 of tender No
02/C03-i01/2021 and point 4.5 of tender No 03/C03-i01/2022). Such requirement is also
reflected in the signed contracts in clause number 7, point 1, item t).
The implementation report of 9 November 2022, section 3, details the process of the
awarding of contracts and includes a breakdown by typology, location, and type of
intervention. The evidence is in line with the requirements of the CID investment description,
which demand the upgrade and expansion of the social care services’ network, since it
increases the number of places via the typologies mentioned above. This shall be translated
in the improvement of the quality of the care provided to the users. The authorities have also
sought to obtain wider national territorial coverage, foreseen in the tender for existing
typologies as part of the eligibility criteria: ‘location in areas with reduced cooperation
coverage’ (section 7).

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

15

Related Measure: C03-i06: Integrated operations in disadvantaged communities
in the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto
Name of the Milestone: Signature of agreements between the Lisbon/Porto municipalities and
the Local Technical Units defining the scope of measures to be supported
Qualitative Indicator: Signature of agreements on the plans regarding the 12
Time: Q1-2022
intervention areas
Context:
This investment aims at combating poverty and social exclusion in the most disadvantaged
municipalities of the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto through a set of measures linked to the
specific needs of these municipalities. The measures are related to different areas of intervention
such as health, education, rehabilitation of public spaces, culture, entrepreneurship, civic
participation.
Number: 3.24

Milestone 3.24 concerns the signature of agreements between the Metropolitan Areas and the 12
Local Technical units that are responsible for the planning, management, and coordination of the
implementation in their respective areas. The agreements define the scope of measures to be
supported, their timeline, budget, and performance indicators. The Local Technical Units were
defined under milestone 3.23, which was satisfactory fulfilled as part of the first payment request.
Milestone 3.23 covered the approval of the Action Plans for disadvantaged communities in the
Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto. The next milestone related to this investment is milestone
3.25, expected to be fulfilled by Q2 2024, on the publication of a monitoring report by the
Metropolitan Areas of Porto and Lisbon regarding the measures undertaken in each of the 12
intervention areas. The final target, target 3.26, is expected to be fulfilled by Q4 2025 on full
completion of at least 90% of the supported measures.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. 12 signed agreements:
i)
Six agreements between the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon and the Local Technical
Units:
a) Grande Lisboa Área Central, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed
on 28 July 2022;
b) Arco Ribeirinho Sul – Poente, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda
signed on 1 August 2022;
c) Arco Ribeirinho Sul – Nascente, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda
signed on 1 August 2022;
d) Grande Lisboa Norte e Nascente, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda
signed on 28 July 2022;
e) Grande Lisboa Poente, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed on
28 July 2022;
f) Península de Setúbal Sul, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed
on 28 July 2022;
ii)

Six agreements between the Metropolitan Area of Porto and the Local Technical
Units:
16

g) Interior Norte, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed on 9 August
2022;
h) Centro Oriental, signed on 30 March 2022, and addenda signed on 3 August
2022;
i) Centro Sul, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed on 28 July 2022;
j) Litoral Norte, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed on 2 August
2022;
k) Oriental, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed on 3 August 2022;
l) Sul, signed on 31 March 2022, and addenda signed on 3 August 2022;
3. Document listing and describing the measures supported, issued by the Metropolitan Area
of Lisbon, and received on 26 September 2022;
4. Document listing and describing the measures supported, issued by the Metropolitan Area
of Porto, and received on 26 September 2022;
5. Terms of reference for the upcoming calls for projects compliant with the ‘Do no significant
harm’ eligibility criteria:
i)
AVISO_02C03-i06.022022_AML_V2, covering the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon,
published on 18 July 2022 on the website of Recuperar Portugal;
ii)
AVISO_02C03-i06.032022_AMP, covering the Metropolitan Area of Porto, published
on 9 June 2022 on the website of Recuperar Portugal.
The authorities also provided:
1. Terms of reference of the tender notices of the first phase of the project:
i)
Aviso 01C03-i06.022022_1Fase_AML, covering the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon,
published on 1 February 2022 on the website of Recuperar Portugal;
ii)
Aviso_01 C03-i06.032022_1Fase_AMP, covering the Metropolitan Area of Porto,
published on 18 February 2022 on the website of Recuperar Portugal.
Analysis:
The Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto signed agreements with their 12 Local Technical Units,
six for each metropolitan area, defining the scope of the measures to be implemented in these areas
including their timeline, budgetary support, and the chosen performance indicators.
Before reaching these agreements, the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto published tender
notices, targeted at their Local Technical Units:
- On 1 February 2022, the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon published tender notice Aviso
01C03-i06.022022_1Fase_AML inviting its six Local Technical Units to present their
proposals, which were later incorporated into the measures presented in the
agreements. Furthermore, the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon selected, for each Local
Technical Unit, smaller territorial interventions, composed of two to three parishes
within each municipality, denominated as Local Integrated Operations, which can be
found in the annex to the agreements a) – f) as listed in the section Evidence provided
above.
- On 4 February 2022, the Metropolitan Area of Porto published notice Aviso_01 C03i06.032022_1Fase_AMP inviting its six Local Technical Units to submit their proposals
for their plan of action, which was then approved by the Metropolitan Area of Porto
and reflected in the signed agreements with the Local Technical Units.
In line with the requirements of the CID, the agreements signed between the Metropolitan Areas of
Lisbon and Porto with their 12 Local Technical Units a) to l) as listed in the section Evidence provided
above defined the following elements:
17

i)

The scope of the measures to be supported
a) The CID identifies 16 categories of intervention: 1) promotion of health and quality
of life of communities; 2) physical upgrading of public space or the strengthening of
social, health, housing or sports infrastructure; 3) economic regeneration of socially
disadvantaged areas; 4) entrepreneurship of small, local businesses; 5) access to
health, developing community health and combating dependencies; 6) active and
healthy ageing programmes; 7) projects to combat school failure and drop-out; 8)
qualification of adults and certification of skills; 9) diagnosis of population needs and
the development of adult literacy, Portuguese language learning and digital inclusion
programmes; 10) vocational training and policies; 11) access to culture and creativity;
12) community participation in the management of the programme; 13) empowering
local actors in partnership networks; 14) solutions to combat poverty and social
exclusion; 15) promotion of sport; and 16) citizenship and access to rights and civic
participation.
b) The Metropolitan Area of Lisbon defined the scope of the measures to be supported
in the annex of agreements a) –f) and in section 2 of the addenda to agreements a) –
f).
c) Furthermore, the Document listing and describing the measures supported, issued
by the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, includes a description of the measures and of
their alignment with the 16 categories required by the description of the milestone
3.24 in the CID and mentioned in point a) above. Section 1.1 of the Document shows
the correspondence between each measure and the 16 categories listed in the
description of milestone 3.24 in the CID. The provided evidence on the
correspondence shows that all the measures are linked to at least one CID category
and that all categories mentioned in the CID are covered.
d) The Metropolitan Area of Porto defined the scope of the measures to be supported
in annex I of the agreements g) – l), and provided in addition a pre-selection of the
upcoming projects in annex II of the agreements g) – l).
e) The Document listing and describing the measures supported, issued by the
Metropolitan Area of Porto, includes a description of the measures and their
alignment with the 16 categories required by the description of the milestone 3.24
in the CID. The alignment can be found in section 1.1 and section 2 of the Document.
Moreover, section 3 provides a list of pre-selected projects, all of which are aligned
with the categories specified in the CID. The evidence shows that the measures and
the respective pre-selection of projects are linked to at least one category defined in
the CID and all categories mentioned in the description of this milestone in the CID
are covered.

ii)

Timeline for the execution of the measures
a) The timeline of the measures of the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon can be found in
clause 2 of agreements a) –f) and in section 2 of the addenda to the same
agreements. The implementation of the measures is planned to be concluded by 31
December 2025, which is in line with the target date for conclusion of
implementation for this investment defined in the description of the corresponding
investment in the CID.
b) The Metropolitan Area of Porto provided the timeline of the measures in clause 4 of
agreements g) – l) and annex II of the same agreements. Similarly, the
implementation is planned to be concluded by 31 December 2025, in line with the
requirements of the description of the corresponding investment in the CID.

iii)

The budgetary support
18

a) The CID requires that the metropolitan areas allocate EUR 225 000 000 to the 12
Local Technical Units for the investment. The budgetary support for each Local
Technical Unit is defined in clauses 3 of the agreements a) – l) of both metropolitan
areas. The overall amount allocated to the six Local Technical Units of the
Metropolitan Area of Lisbon is EUR 118,861,383.22, and the overall amount allocated
to the six Local Technical Units in the Metropolitan Area of Porto is EUR
119 022 000.00. This sums up to EUR 237 883 383.22, in line with the requirement
specified in the description of milestone 3.24 in the CID.
iv)

The performance indicators
a) Regarding the Metropolitan Area of Lisbon, the performance indicators can be found
in points 1.2 of the addenda to the agreements a) – f) and in point 1.2 of the
Document listing and describing the measures supported, issued by the Metropolitan
Area of Lisbon. The performance indicators are sub-divided into two types: output
and outcome indicators. The output indicators shall measure the number of actions
or initiatives created, such as number of square meters rehabilitated in the urban
public space, or number of finalised programs promoting culture and art for youth.
The outcome indicators relate to who will benefit from the achievement of the
actions, for example, number of vulnerable population to benefit from the
rehabilitated urban public space or number of vulnerable population to benefit from
programs promoting culture and art.
b) The Metropolitan Area of Porto defined its performance indicators and also subdivided them by output and outcome indicators. The indicators can be found in annex
IV of the addenda to the agreements g) – l), and in section 1.2 of the Document listing
and describing the measures supported, issued by the Metropolitan Area of Porto.
Examples of output performance indicators include number of projects to combat
school dropout, or number of actions to promote literacy and digital skills; while the
outcome indicators include number of population in school who benefited from
projects to combat school dropout or number of individuals trained in digital skills
(ages 18 – 64, ages 65+).
c) The twelve agreements provided, and their selected measures show that they are in
line with the goal of the investment that it is to combat poverty and social exclusion
in the most disadvantaged municipalities of the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and
Porto, through a set of actions linked to the needs of the municipalities. This is also
ensured as the agreements are aligned with the Action Plans for disadvantaged
communities in the Metropolitan Areas of Lisbon and Porto that were part of
milestone 3.23 of the first payment request, as it is referenced in pages 1 of the
Document listing and describing the measures supported issued by the Metropolitan
Area of Lisbon and page 3 of the Document listing and describing the measures
supported, issued by the Metropolitan Area of Porto. Given the above reasons and
the type of actions, these are expected to promote the empowerment of the
communities, the development of new and innovative approaches for social cohesion
and interventions in public space, social and sports infrastructures and dwellings,
which is in line with the CID.

v)

‘Do no significant harm’ compliance
a) Both metropolitan areas published tender notices shall be used to define and select
more concretely the projects to be implemented in each Local Technical Unit
(AVISO_02C03-i06.022022_AML_V2 and AVISO_02C03-i06.032022_AMP). In order
to ensure that the upcoming projects comply with the ‘Do no significant harm’
Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01), and with the relevant EU and national
19

environmental legislation, the tender notices include the required eligibility criteria
and correctly apply the exclusion list. This is included for the Metropolitan Area of
Lisbon in annexes I and IV, and in points 4.8 to 4.10; and for the Metropolitan Area
of Porto in annexes VI and VII and in section 6.3.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

20

Number: 4.1

Related Measure: C04-i01: Cultural Networks and Digital Transition
Name of the Milestone: Technological specifications for the network of cultural facilities
Qualitative Indicator: Report on the technological specifications for the
network of cultural facilities

Time: Q2-2022

Context:
The objective of the investment is to upgrade the technological infrastructure of public cultural
installations, also fostering their digital transitions. The investment consists of three interventions:
the modernisation of the technological infrastructure of cultural facilities; the digitalisation and
virtualisation of public collections (such as the Directorate General of Books, Archives and Libraries,
the Portuguese National Library, the Évora Public Library, and the Cinematheque) and of the
collections under the management of the Directorate General of Cultural Heritage and the Regional
Directorates of Culture; and the internationalisation, modernisation and digital transition of books.
This milestone constitutes the initial phase of the investment and a preparatory step for the
implementation of the modernisation of the technological infrastructure of cultural facilities, and it
facilitates indirectly the achievement of the digitalisation and virtualisation of public collections.
Specifically, this milestone entails the identification of the technological specifications required for
the modernisation of the network of cultural facilities and of the equipment to be procured. Such
technological specifications allow the delivery of modernised technological infrastructure for the
cultural facilities network, as enshrined in milestone 4.4 (Q4 2024), which, in turn, eases the
digitalisation and virtualisation of public collections, as enshrined in milestone 4.3 (Q4 2025). The
internationalisation, modernisation and digital transition of books is covered by two targets, entailing
the provision of financial support to the digital transition of bookshops, as enshrined in target 4.2 (Q4
2025) and for the translation and edition of literary works, as enshrined in target 4.5 (Q4 2025).

Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Report on the technological specifications for the network of cultural facilities (dated 30
June 2022 and issued by the Bureau for Cultural Strategy, Planning and Assessment
(Gabinete de Estratégia, Planeamento e Avaliação Culturais or GEPAC)).
Analysis:
In line with the requirements of the CID, a Report on the technological specifications for the network
of cultural facilities was prepared by GEPAC. The report identifies the technological specifications
(equipment and technical requirements) for the upgrade of the technological infrastructure of public
cultural installations. The report covers all six sub-measures of the intervention concerning the
modernisation of the technological infrastructure of cultural facilities:
i)

purchase of IT equipment, creation of online mobile libraries, information systems and
integrated catalogues for 239 public libraries – introduction (pages 8-9), identification of final
21

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

recipients (page 9), technological specifications of the equipment, including the expected
lifetime of the equipment and waste-management plan (pages 9-12) and expected impact
(pages 12-13);
installation of Wi-Fi coverage in 50 museums, palaces and monuments – introduction (pages
15-16), identification of final recipients (pages 16-17), technological specifications of the
equipment, (pages 18-19), and expected impact, including the expected lifetime of the
equipment and waste-management plan (pages 19-20);
purchase of digital and video projection equipment for 155 cine-theatres and public
contemporary art centres – introduction (pages 22-23), identification of final recipients
(pages 23-28), technological specifications of the equipment, including the expected lifetime
of the equipment and waste-management plan (pages 28-30) and expected impact (pages
30-31);
technological modernisation and up keeping of public laboratories – introduction (page 33),
identification of final recipients (pages 33-34), technological specifications of the equipment,
including the expected lifetime of the equipment and waste-management plan (pages 34-44)
and expected impact (page 44);
technological modernisation of the National Archive of Moving Images (ANIM) - introduction
(page 46), identification of final recipients (page 46), technological specifications of the
equipment, including the expected lifetime of the equipment and waste-management plan
(pages 46-49) and expected impact (page 49);
installation of the National Archive of Sound – introduction (page 51), identification of final
recipients (pages 51-52), technological specifications of the equipment, including the
expected lifetime of the equipment and waste-management plan (pages 52-54) and
expected impact (pages 54-55).

The accomplishment of this milestone as described above contributes to the achievement of the
overall objectives of the investment, such as (i) improving the cultural experience, (ii) reaching new
audiences, and (iii) future preservation of works of art and of the cultural heritage.

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

22

Number: 5.18

Related Measure: C05-i05-RAA: Economic Recovery of Azorean Agriculture
Name of the Milestone: Publication of the Azores Agriculture Innovation and Digitalisation
Programme
Qualitative Indicator: Publication of the Azores Agriculture Innovation and
Time: Q2-2022
Digitalisation Programme
Context:
The objective of this investment is to boost agriculture in the Azores, which has a high economic,
social and territorial importance for regional cohesion. It aims to contribute to the resilience and
sustainable growth of the regional productive potential as well as to mitigate the economic and social
impact of the crisis and contribute to the twin climate and digital transition in the agricultural and
agri-food sector.
This milestone is the first for this investment and concerns the publication of an Innovation and
Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores, including a plan for the development of a
monitoring network and agricultural notices (alerts to be sent to farmers on the likelihood of
occurrence of certain pests or diseases impacting the crops) and a plan for the transition to digital
and precision farming.
Then four additional targets constitute gradual steps towards the strengthening of agriculture in the
Azores, namely the setup of new or requalified structures responsible for animal slaughter, and
certification of milk quality and food safety (target 5.19, Q2 2024); specialised technical support
provided to farms under the Farmers’ Empowerment Programme (target 5.22, Q4 2025); and projects
supported under support schemes for innovation in products and processes of production and
organisation, green transition and digital transition, aimed at restructuring enterprises in the
agricultural processing and marketing sector (target 5.20, Q4 2025) and at restructuring farms (target
5.21, Q4 2025).
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled.
2. Revised version of the Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the
Azores, of September 2022 (version 1.1 - first review), and screenshot from 28 October
2022 of the website of the Government of the Azores with the publication of the Innovation
and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores:
https://portal.azores.gov.pt/documents/2314151/0/PIDAA_VF_1.1_rev.pdf/2084b581fb2c-6632-d4b8-dbaf425240b0?t=1665413088125.
Analysis:
In line with the requirements of the CID:
i) the Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores of September
2022 was published on the website of the Government of the Azores
(https://portal.azores.gov.pt/documents/2314151/0/PIDAA_VF_1.1_rev.pdf/2084b581fb2c-6632-d4b8-dbaf425240b0?t=1665413088125), as demonstrated by the screenshot of
the website of 28 October 2022 submitted by the Portuguese authorities as evidence.

23

ii) the Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores of September 2022
includes a plan for the development of a monitoring network and agricultural notices at island
level (pages 3-119). This plan contains, amongst others: (i) the objectives of the monitoring
network (page 16); (ii) the steps and guidelines for its operationalisation (section 6.1.); and
(iii) the timeline for its implementation in each of the islands of the Azores (page 51). In the
implementation of the network, for each island it shall be considered which are the most
significant crops (table 2 of section 6.4. on page 46), their specific soil and climatic
circumstances (paragraph 3 on page 33) and the most significant harmful agents to be
monitored (table 3 of section 6.4. on page 47).
iii) the Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores of September 2022
includes a plan for the transition to digital reality and precision farming (pages 193-247). The
plan contains, amongst others: (i) the summary of its objectives (page 208); (ii) the
description of the range of technologies that can be funded to support digital transition and
precision farming (point 7 of section 7.3. on pages 234-235); (iii) the description of the
support/assistance services and farm entrepreneur support that can be funded, contributing
to the digital transition (point 8 of section 7.3. on pages 235-236); and (iv) a reference that
software/management platforms, which promote the digitalisation of business processes,
can also be funded (line ii) in paragraph 2 on page 236).
The Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores also includes a
plan to develop an integrated Land Monitoring System (pages 120-192). The objective of this
plan is to manage the sustainable use of soils in the Azores, empowering farmers and policy
makers with information relevant to their activities and social, economic and environmental
implications at soil level (paragraph 3 on page 140). Even though the implementation of a
Land Monitoring System is not specifically requested by the RRP, it is part of the Innovation
and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores and it contributes to the
achievement of the objectives of the measure in the CID.
iv) the Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores of September 2022
contributes to:
a) the resilience and sustainable growth of regional productive potential, through:
(i) the development of a monitoring network and agricultural notices at island level,
which shall reduce of use of plant protection products and contribute to its sustainable
use by the agricultural producer (paragraph 1 on page 26) and the ‘development of
precision agriculture to allow for a real time assessment of the needs of crops, reducing
farm costs, and increasing productivity...’ (point 3 on page 16). Therefore, these
measures promote the resilience of farms against elements that can damage the crops
and the sustainable growth of their productive potential;
(ii) the actual ‘implementation of the Land Monitoring System (…) based on soil analyses,
as these shall contribute to the adoption of agricultural practices that contribute to the
improvement of the environment and the conservation of resources (water, soil, air) in
conjunction with sustainable and competitive agricultural production’ (paragraph 2 on
page 143);
(iii) the plan for the transition to digital reality and precision farming, which mentions
that the digital and sustainable transition of farms requires, in most cases, investments
in tangible or intangible assets, including on the valorisation and diversification of
agricultural production with high standards of quality and sustainability (paragraph 1 of
point 7.3. on page 229).
All the measures described above contribute to increasing the resilience of agriculture
in the Azores through the reinforcement of the regional productive potential achieved
via a strong focus on sustainable and competitive agricultural production.

24

b)

c)

d)

e)

mitigating the economic and social impact of the crisis on the agricultural sector in the
Azores, since as mentioned in the Innovation and Digitalisation Programme for
Agriculture in the Azores (in point 6.2. on pages 40-41 and in point 7.5. on page 151):
(i) ‘emphasis is placed on empowering farmers, not only to enhance infrastructure,
precision farming equipment, but, in particular, to enable them to interpret the results
for better production and lower financial, social and environmental impact’; and
(ii) farmers shall, normally, have free access to the services provided by the monitoring
network and agricultural notices system and the Land Monitoring System.
the twin climate and digital transition in the agricultural sector in the Azores, through:
(i) the monitoring network and agricultural notices system, since by joining this system
‘the farmer will have a tool to mitigate the environmental impacts of his farming
activity…’ (paragraph 4 of point 6. on page 29);
(ii) the ‘implementation of a Land Monitoring System that will be based on soil analyses,
as these are intended to contribute to the adoption of agricultural practices that
contribute to the improvement of the environment and the conservation of resources
(water, soil, air)…’ (paragraph 2 on page 143); and
(iii) the definition of the terms under which the ‘the plan for transition to digital reality
and precision farming’ is to be implemented, which foresees the financing of a set of
agriculture assessment studies and technologies supporting the digital transition of
farms and precision farming (pages 231-236).
In an outermost region, with nine islands with different characteristics such as the
Azores, digital connection is essential for the strategy of empowering farmers,
regardless of where they live, contributing to territorial cohesion (paragraph 2 of pages
29 and 140).
public investment (point 2. on pages 11, 128 and 201) in innovation, since the Innovation
and Digitalisation Programme for Agriculture in the Azores is the base for the
implementation of three plans that shall contribute to the innovation in agriculture at
crop health level (Agricultural monitoring network and agricultural notices), to
sustainable land use (Land Monitoring System) and to the green and digital transition of
the agricultural sector in the Azores.
the initiatives included in the three plans and described above, contribute to boost
agriculture in the Azores, with a strong focus on sustainability as well as the promotion
of local production (as described in points a) and b) above). The implementation of the
plans is planned to be concluded by 31 December 2025 (pages 51, 158 and 229).
In the definition of the plans the fragmentation of the regional territory (which is
characterised by islands with specific features) was considered (paragraph 1 of page 15,
paragraph 3 of page 33 and paragraph 1 on 132).

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

25

Related Measure: C08-i02: Rural property registry and Land Cover Monitoring
System
Name of the Milestone: Moving towards a BUPi 2.0 Platform
Qualitative Indicator: Entry into production of the BUPi 2.0 Platform
Time: Q1-2022
Context:
The objective of this measure is to provide the Portuguese State with a broad knowledge base of the
territory, in particular as regards the type and boundaries of rural properties, making it possible to
identify landowners. This is essential for planning, managing and supporting decisions on the
territory’s occupation and use.
Number: 8.4

This is the first milestone for this investment and relates to the entry into production of the BUPi 2.0
(Digital Land Registry) platform. This entry into production entails the provision of a BUPi 2.0 platform
that is cloud-based, with upgraded and expanded functionalities compared with the pilot BUPi
project, that ensures coverage at national level, interoperability with the different systems currently
managed by different authorities, including the Tax and Customs Authorities, and allows for the
gradual implementation of unique property identification numbers.
The future milestones for this investment, which are complementary to 8.4 and shall accomplish the
full operationalisation of the BUPi platform, are milestone 8.5, to be implemented by Q4 2023 and
that relates to the provision of training on BUPi and milestone 8.6, to be implemented by Q1 2025,
on the production and publication of land cover and use maps 2023.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all constitutive elements)
was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Certificate of works completion signed on 5 August 2022 by Accenture – Consultores de
Gestão S.A (as the contractor) and Estrutura de missão para a Expansão do Sistema de
Informação Cadastral Simplificado (as the competent authority) on the provision of
infrastructure implementation services and consulting services for the BUPi Platform, with
the objective of migrating the BUPi platform to a cloud environment;
3. Certificate of works completion signed on 15 July 2022 by MEO – Serviços de Comunicações
e Multimédia,S.A. e ALTRANPORTUGAL, S.A (as the contractor) and Estrutura de missão para
a Expansão do Sistema de Informação Cadastral Simplificado (as the competent authority) on
the creation, programming and development and integration of the BUPi application, as the
platform for registry of the simplified land registry and integration of existing land registries;
4. Implementation report from 26 October 2022 prepared by Estrutura de missão para a
Expansão do Sistema de Informação Cadastral Simplificado on the assessment of the BUPi
2.0 platform;
5. Link to the BUPi 2.0 platform, including a description of the steps for accessing it:
https://cidadao.bupi.gov.pt/AutenticacaoAMA/Index?ReturnUrl=%2FCidadao%2FIndex
Analysis:
In line with the requirements of the CID:

26

i)

The BUPi platform was developed to its BUPi 2.0 version (implementation report of 26
October 2022, section 2, pages 3-4) from a pilot project that started in 2017, which consisted
of a physical data centre and included limited geographical information of Portuguese
municipalities.
ii) BUPi 2.0 is a cloud-based platform, developed with Microsoft Azure (implementation report
of 26 October 2022, section 3.4, page 15).
iii) The BUPi 2.0 platform expands and upgrades already existing functionalities in the pilot BUPi
project. In the pilot BUPi project (implementation report of 26 October 2022, section 2, pages
3-4), there were no interoperability mechanisms with the different systems currently
managed by different authorities and the users of BUPi could only consult information from
the Tax and Customs Authority and the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs. BUPi 2.0
entered into production (implementation report of 26 October 2022, section 3.1, pages 610’) introducing, as compared with its pilot project, functionalities to produce draft
Georeferenced Graphical Representations (‘Representação Gráfica Georeferenciada’ or
RGGs), to integrate geographical information or to introduce business intelligence and data
analytics, among other functionalities. The two certificates of works completion demonstrate
that the set of functionalities for the project to be completed and operational were
implemented (summary document, section 1.2, page 12). The two certificates of works
completion of 5 August 2022 and 15 July 2022 are signed by the contractor and the
competent authority, the latter being the manager of the public contract as assigned by the
Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (summary document, section 1.2, page 12).
iv) The BUPi 2.0 platform ensures coverage at national level (implementation report of 26
October 2022, section 3.2, pages 10). BUPi 2.0 includes all the technological functionalities
needed to ensure BUPi’s 2.0 potential application in any municipality of the Portuguese
territory. These technological functionalities importantly include (implementation report of
26 October 2022, section 3.2, pages 10-14): (i) a cartographical database for the totality of
the Portuguese territory, (ii) interoperability mechanisms with databases at national level, as
the ones from the General Directorate for Territory, the Tax and Customs Authority and the
Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs, (iii) integration via webservices, or other
mechanisms, of sectorial or thematic based geographic information of any area in Portugal
and sourced from both public and private entities, (iv) a cloud-based platform that allows,
among others, for the scalability (on demand) of the data’s accommodation structure,
providing the platform with flexibility to add technological resources as computational data
processing power to support the platform’s increased usage, and (v) a web application with
a 3-Tier architecture.
v) The BUPi 2.0 platform includes mechanisms, such as web services and technical interfaces,
that ensure its interoperability with all the different information systems in place related to
cadastral geometry, the land registry, and tax matrices currently managed by the Tributary
and Customs Authority, the Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs, the General
Directorate for Territory, the Order of Solicitors and Enforcement Agents (OSAE), the System
of Collection and Management of Cadastral Information (SIRGIC) and with the iAP, the
Portuguese Public Administration’s interoperability platform (implementation report of 26
October 2022, section 3.3, pages 14-15 and diagram in section 3.3, page 15 of the
implementation report).
vi) BUPi 2.0 allows for the gradual implementation of the unique identification property
numbers (NIPs), making it possible to identify landowners (implementation report of 26
October 2022, section 3.5, pages 15-17). The implementation of the NIP requires the
harmonisation between the property registry and tax matrices information, - within the
databases of the Tax and Customs Authority and the Institute of Registration and Notary
Affairs -, the information obtained with an RGG process and the data and documentation
facilitated by the developer or owner of the property. Figure 2, 3 and 4 in the implementation
27

report of 26 October 2022 (section 3.5, pages 15-17) evidence the processes to achieve the
harmonization of information across these data sources. Once a RGG process is completed
by the user in BUPi 2.0, and the information on the property is considered harmonised,
citizens, businesses and all public authorities shall be able to obtain a unique identification
property number (NIP) for their properties, including information on their boundaries and
characteristics. This unique identifier shall be then communicated by BUPi 2.0, exploiting its
interoperability mechanisms, to the relevant public authorities.
vii) The BUPi 2.0 platform provides the Portuguese State with a broad knowledge base of the
territory, in particular as regards the type and boundaries of rural properties. This is provided
by the set of functionalities included in BUPi 2.0 (implementation report of 26 October 2022,
section 3.1, pages 6-10) that allow it to obtain, aggregate, process and present data from
different sources and entities.
viii) The full operationalisation of the BUPi platform is to be achieved by the implementation of
complementary measures in investment RE-C08-i02 (summary document, section 4.1.3,
pages 7-8), as the production of reference mapping for the Land Cover Monitoring System
(SMOS), including the digital 3-D representation of land through Light Detection and Ranging
(LiDAR) coverage, vegetation maps, biomass and timber volume maps, land cover and use
maps and Satellite Image Coverage. The production of reference mapping for the SMOS
contributes to the full operationalisation of the BUPi platform since it shall expand the
geographic information system included in the platform, by providing it with, among others,
image cartography or updated land use and occupation cartography.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

28

Number: 8.7

Related Measure: C08-i03: Fuel management breaks — primary network
Name of the Milestone: Publication of the Primary Fuel Management Breaks Structuring Network
(RPFGC) contract
Qualitative Indicator: Publication of the Primary Fuel Management Breaks
Time: Q1-2022
Structuring Network (RPFGC) contract in BASE.gov
Context:
The investment aims at creating horizontal discontinuities in the forest landscape (i.e. fuel
management breaks) through a primary network of fuel management breaks. Fuel management
breaks help isolate fire outbreaks, protect communication routes, social infrastructures and
equipment, reduce the average area destroyed by fires by compartmentalising the landscape,
facilitate fire-fighting actions and ensure the safety of firefighters by creating escape routes.
This is the first milestone of this investment and requires the award and publication of the contract
for the implementation of the Primary Fuel Management Breaks Structuring Network (RPFGC). It
paves the way for two additional targets contributing to create horizontal discontinuities in the
landscape to isolate fire outbreaks, namely: the creation of easement areas in the Structural Primary
Network Fuel Interruption Boxes, object of target 8.8 (Q3 2025); and the implementation of the
Primary Fuel Management Breaks Structuring Network at national level, object of target 8.9 (Q4
2025).
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. 12 contracts for the implementation of the Primary Fuel Management Breaks Structuring
Network. The contracts were signed between the Institute for Nature Conservation and
Forests, IP. and (i) Floponor, S. A. for Lots 1 and 2; (ii) Radicular – Gestão de Espaços Verdes,
Lda. for Lot 3; (iii) Ambiflora – Serviços de Silvicultura e Exploração Florestal, Lda. for Lot 4;
(iv) Floresta Jovem, Lda. for Lot 5; (v) Advanced Green, Engenharia Natural e Urbana, Lda.
for Lot 6; (v) Vibeiras – Sociedade Comercial de Plantas, S. A. for Lot 7; (vi) Nova Floresta –
Serviços e Gestão Florestal, Lda. for Lot 8; (vii) Prosilcôa, Unipessoal, Lda. for Lot 9; (viii)
Greenclon, Lda. for Lot 10; and (ix) Florecha – Forest Solutions, S. A. for Lots 11 and 12.
The contracts are published on the Government portal for online public contracts (BASE.gov)
and can be accessed on the following links. Screenshots of the portal with the publication of
the contracts were also provided:
Lot 1: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335449;
Lot 2: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335459;
Lot 3: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335471;
Lot 4: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335484;
Lot 5: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335491;
29

Lot 6: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335499;
Lot 7: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335505;
Lot 8: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335517;
Lot 9: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335523;
Lot 10: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335534;
Lot 11: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335542;
Lot 12: https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=contratos&id=9335550.
3. Tender notice CP/10/2022/ICNF/SEDE - purchase of services for the implementation of the
Primary Fuel Management Breaks Structuring Network – announced on the following
websites:
i)
Portugal’s Official Journal ‘Diário da República’, No 55/2022, second series of 18
March 2022, procedure No 3425/2022 (https://dre.pt/application/file/180724108);
ii)
The supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union
(https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:147088-2022:TEXT:PT:HTML&src=0);
and
iii)
The Government portal for online public contracts (BASE.gov)
(https://www.base.gov.pt/Base4/pt/detalhe/?type=anuncios&id=320237).
4. Technical specifications of the tender CP/10/2022/ICNF/SEDE (‘Caderno de Encargos’);
5. Annex I of the technical specifications of the tender procedure, with the description of the
operations that will be carried out;
6. Annex II of the technical specifications of the tender procedure (13 pictures with the
geographical illustration of the complete network and of each of the 12 Lots).
The authorities also provided:
1. Decree-Law No 82/2021 of 13 October (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’, No 199/2021, first series of 13 October 2021, pages 2 – 47), establishing the
Integrated Rural Fire Management System (‘Sistema de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais’)
in mainland Portugal and laying down its operating rules.
2. Council of Ministers Resolution No 28/2022 of 28 February (Published in Portugal’s Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’ No 41/2022, first series of 28 February 2022, pages 3 – 4)
from the Minister of State for the Economy and the Digital Transition for the Prime
Minister, approving the expenditure for the execution of the projects for the
implementation of the Primary Fuel Management Breaks Structuring Network.
3. Primary network Manual of 20 May 2014 by the Forest Protection and Development
Division of the Ministry of Agriculture, the Sea, the Environment and Spatial Planning and
by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, IP. defining the technical rules for the
planning of the primary network of fuel management breaks.

Analysis:
Tender CP/10/2022/ICNF/SEDE for the purchase of services for the implementation of the Primary
Fuel Management Breaks Structuring Network (RPFGC) was published in Portugal’s Official Journal
‘Diário da República’, No 55/2022, second series of 18 March 2022, procedure No 3425/2022 on 18
30

March 2022. The 12 contracts for the implementation of the RPFGC were all signed afterwards, one
for each of the 12 Lots of the RPFGC on 28 June 2022, except for Lots 4, 11 and 12 which were signed
on 29 June 2022 and Lot 10 which was signed on 4 July 2022.

In accordance with Article 7(d) of Decree-Law No 82/2021 of 13 October, which establishes the
Integrated Rural Fire Management System (‘Sistema de Gestão Integrada de Fogos Rurais’, SGIFR) in
mainland Portugal and lays down its operating rules, the Institute for Nature Conservation and
Forests, IP. (ICNF) is responsible for coordinating the measures to create the infrastructures for the
RPFGC and for ensuring its implementation.

In line with the requirements of the CID, the 12 contracts were signed between the competent
authority for the implementation of the RPFGC, Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, IP. and
forest management companies.

The RPFGC has the objective to “isolate fire outbreaks, protect communication routes, social
infrastructures and equipment, reduce the average area destroyed by fires by compartmentalising
the landscape, facilitate fire-fighting actions and ensure the safety of firefighters by creating escape
routes” (Clause 1(3) in the 12 contracts). In addition, the RPFGC contributes to create horizontal
discontinuities in the landscape (Clause 32 of the technical specifications of the tender; line i) of point
2.5(b) of Annex I of the technical specifications of the tender; and Clause 1(3) of the 12 contracts).

The 12 contracts indicate that the selection for the awarding of the contracts was made based on a
public (competitive) tender procedure (page 1 line a) in the 12 contracts), which was published in
Portugal’s Official Journal ‘Diário da República’ (No 55/2022, second series of 18 March, procedure
No 3425/2022), in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Union and in the
Government portal for online public contracts (BASE.gov). 30 applications were received for this
tender (as per point 4.3.2.1 on page 16 of the summary document). Tender CP/10/2022/ICNF/SEDE
(in Article 4(1)) and the announcement of the call for tender in Portugal’s Official Journal ‘Diário da
República’, No 55/2022, second series of 18 March 2022, procedure No 3425/2022 (in point 10.)
specify the period during which it was open for applications (30 days).

The technical specifications of the tender for the acquisition of services for the creation of the RPGFC
set out the requirement that the investments need to comply with two legislative texts: Council of
Ministers Resolution No 28/2022 of 28 of February and the Decree-Law No 82/2021 of 13 October
(Clause 25(2) of the technical specifications of the tender). Via this link, and in line with the
requirements of the CID, it is ensured that the RPFGC
i)

contributes to isolate potential fire outbreaks, protect communication routes, social
infrastructures and equipment, reduce the average area destroyed by major fires (paragraph
7 of Council of Ministers Resolution No 28/2022 of 28 of February) by compartmentalising
the landscape (as described in the works to be performed in Clause 32 of the technical
specifications of the tender and specified in Article 48(2) of the Decree-Law No 82/2021 of
13 October), facilitate fire-fighting interventions (as specified in paragraph 7 of the Council
31

ii)

of Ministers Resolution No 28/2022 of 28 of February) and ensure the safety of firefighters
by creating escape routes as a consequence and specified technically in point 2.4 of Annex I
of the technical specifications of the tender, defining that reversing zones shall be
constructed or improved to create escape routes and to ensure the safety of firefighters.
aims at establishing the network in strategic locations in rural areas and with favourable
conditions for fighting rural fires (Article 48(1) of Decree-Law No 82/2021 of 13 October). It
also determines the aspects to consider when planning, installing and maintaining the RPFGC
(Article 48(3) of Decree-Law No 82/2021 of 13 October).

Moreover, the Primary Network Manual of 20 May 2014 sets out the technical criteria to define the
RPFGC, defining that as a first step priority areas to be protected need to be identified (point 5.1.1.
of the Primary Network Manual) and that once they have been identified, the network is defined
according to pre-established guidelines (point 5.1.2. of the Primary Network Manual).

The eligible areas for intervention for the implementation of the Primary Fuel Management Breaks
Structuring Network were considered at national level (Clause 25 of the tender specifications) and
then defined as illustrated in the maps included in the tender specifications (Clause 26(1) and Annex
II). As referred to in section 4.1.3 of the summary document, the RPFGC was defined in priority areas
to be protected (considering the risk of fire) and which have favourable conditions for fighting rural
fires through the implementation of fuel management breaks, with the aim of meeting the final goal
of 37.500 ha (as defined in Target 8.9 and demonstrated in section 4.3.1.1 of the summary
document).
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

32

Number: 8.14

Related Measure: C08-i05: More Forest Programme
Name of the Target: Creation of regional and sub-regional structures of the National Authority
for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC)
Quantitative Indicator: Number of
Baseline: 0
Target: 6
Time: Q2-2022
regional and sub-regional structures
Context:
The investment aims at upgrading the fire prevention and firefighting system, shifting from the
model of combating fires to the model of prevention; and at strengthening the actions of Forest
owners’ organisations and Competence Centres in the forestry sector.
This is the first target for this investment and concerns the strengthening of the operational
response capacity of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection in the fight against
rural fires. It requires the entry into operation of two Regional and four Sub-Regional Commands of
the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection.
It is followed by target 8.13 (Q4 2024), which covers the reinforcement of the entities of the Ministry
of Internal Affairs with vehicles and operational equipment. Another milestone of this investment
is milestone 8.15, also part of this payment request, and requires the publication of the initial report
on programme contracts between the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I.P. and Forest
owners’ organisations and the Competence Centres. The final target related to this investment is
target 8.16 that concerns the implementation of a national training programme for the technicians
of 150 Forest owners’ organisations, to be implemented by Q4 2025.
Evidence Provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the target (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Order of the Minister No 3212-A/2022 of 15 March (published in Portugal’s Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 52/2022, second series of 15 March 2022, pages 547-(2)
and 547-(3)) from the State Secretary of Internal Administration2, which establishes the
location of Sub-regional Commands;
3. Order of the Minister No 11198/2020 of 13 November (published in Portugal’s Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 222/2020, second series of 13 November 2020, pages 31
– 32) from the State Secretary of Internal Administration3, which establishes the entry
into operation of the two Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commands, including
the relevant provisions indicating the entry into force of the order;
4. Order of the Minister No 10970-A/2022 of 9 September (published in Portugal’s Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 175/2022, second series of 9 September 2022, pages
293-(2) and 293-(3)) from the State Secretary of the Civil Protection4, which establishes
2

following delegation of powers established by point 1(a) of Order of the Minister No 12094/2021 of 13 December (published in Portugal’s
Official Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 239/2021, second series of 13 December 2021, pages 32 – 33) of the Minister of Internal
Administration, which have entered into force on the date of its signature (6 December 2021) as per point 7.
3
following delegation of powers established by point 1(a) of Order of the Minister No 798/2020 of 21 January (published in Portugal’s
Official Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 14/2020, second series of 21 January 2020, pages 62 – 63) of the Minister of Internal
Administration, which have entered into force on the date of its signature (30 December 2019) as per point 8.
4
following delegation of powers established by point 1(a) of Order of the Minister No 6606/2022 of 25 May (published in Portugal’s Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’, No 101/2022, second series of 25 May 2022, pages 39 – 40) of the Minister of Internal Administration, which
have entered into force one day after its publication (26 May 2022) as per point 9.

33

the entry into operation of the four Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection
Commands, including the relevant provisions indicating the entry into force of the order;
5. Decree-Law No 45/2019 of 1 April (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’, No 64/2019, first series of 1 April 2019, pages 1798 – 1808), establishing the
organisation of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, and aiming to
create its new internal organisation, composed of National, Regional Commands and SubRegional Commands, including the relevant provisions indicating the entry into force of
the decree-law;
6. Order ‘Despacho’ of the President of National Authority for Emergency and Civil
Protection of 17 November 2022, certifying the renovation of the two Regional
Emergency and Civil Protection Commands with information technology and
communications equipment.
The authorities also provided:
1. Certificate by IP Telecom of 8 November 2022, certifying that four sub-regional
commands are in operation, as per Order of the Minister No 10970-A/2022 of 9
September.
Analysis:
Decree-Law No 45/2019 of 1 April establishes a new internal organisation of the National Authority
for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC), composed of National, Regional Commands and SubRegional Commands.
This target concerns the entry into operation of
i) two Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commands (hereinafter ‘Regional
Commands’), of Viseu and Évora, which were set up in the existing infrastructures of the
District Commands of Operations and Rescue (point 5 of Order of the Minister No
11198/2020 of 13 November). In addition, infrastructure renovations for these two
Commands were also foreseen. There are five Regional Commands in total (two of which in
scope of this sub-investment); and
ii) four Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commands (hereinafter ‘Sub-Regional
Commands’), of Alto Tâmega, Oeste, Tâmega e Sousa and Médio Tejo, which were set up
in new infrastructures in the Intermunicipal Communities (as determined in Article 23(1) of
Decree-Law No 45/2019 of 1 April). There will be 23 Sub-Regional Commands in total (four
of which in scope of this sub-investment).
In line with the requirements of the CID:
i) the two Regional and four Sub-Regional Commands have entered into operation in
accordance with Article 38(1) of Decree-Law No 45/2019 of 1 April, which determines that
the regional and sub-regional structures of ANEPC shall enter into operation in phases,
defined by an Order of the Minister of the member of government responsible for internal
administration:
a) The two Regional Commands entered into operation on 14 November 2020, under
Order of the Minister No 11198/2020 of 13 November (published on 13 November
2020 and entered into force one day after its publication as per its point 7), which
specifies the conditions for the set-up and operation of the regional emergency and
civil protection commands (point 1) and defines their location (point 4). In addition,
Order of the Minister 10970-A/2022 of 9 September clarifies that the Regional
Commands were set up and are in operation under Order of the Minister No
11198/2020 of 13 November (paragraph 4 in the preamble and point 5). Order of the
Minister No 11198/2020 of 13 November was signed by the State Secretary of Internal
34

Administration following a delegation of powers by the Minister of Internal
Administration, established by point 1(a) of Order of the Minister No 798/2020 of 21
January.
b) The four Sub-Regional Commands entered into operation on 1 September 2022, under
Order of the Minister 10970-A/2022 of 9 September (which entered into force on 1
September 2022 as per its point 6), which provides for the entry into operation of five
Sub-Regional Commands (four of which in scope of this sub-investment), in a pilot
regime (point 2). Order of the Minister 10970-A/2022 of 9 September was signed by
the State Secretary of the Civil Protection following a delegation of powers by the
Minister of Internal Administration, established by point 1(a) of Order of the Minister
No 6606/2022 of 25 May.
The certificate by IP Telecom (an independent expert as stated in point 4.3.2. of the
summary document) of 8 November 2022 concludes (in point 5), based on on-site
verifications, that the four Sub-Regional Commands are in operation and clarifies (also
in point 1) that the mention to ‘pilot regime’ (in the Order of the Minister 10970A/2022 of 9 September) refers to the fact that these Sub-Regional Commands shall be
used as pilots for the entry into operation of the remaining 18 sub-regional commands
on 1 January 2023 (point 4 of the Order of the Minister 10970-A/2022 of 9 September).
This clarification is also included in point 4.3.2. of the summary document.
ii) the Order by the President of ANEPC of 17 November 2022 certifies the renovation of
existing infrastructure of the two Regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commands with
new information technology and communications equipment. The President of ANEPC is
the relevant authority to certify this conclusion since (i) the President of ANEPC is
responsible for promoting and coordinating civil emergency planning activities, in
accordance with the guidelines of the Member of the Government responsible for internal
administration (line a) of Article 12(1) of Decree-Law No 45/2019 of 1 April); and (ii) as part
of civil emergency planning, it is the responsibility of ANEPC to provide the necessary means
for civil protection operations (line b) of Article 4(4)). In addition, since the scope of this
renovation is the acquisition of new technological and communications equipment for the
day-to-day operation of the Regional Commands of the ANEPC, ANEPC it is the authority
best placed to certify that this equipment was delivered and that it is fit for purpose.
iii) the entry into operation of the two Regional and four Sub-Regional Emergency and Civil
Protection Commands contribute to upgrading the fire prevention and firefighting system
by strengthening the operational response capacity of the ANEPC (paragraph 1 in the
preamble of Order of the Minister 10970-A/2022 of 9 September). In addition, as referred
to in section 4.2.1. of the Summary document, the Commands ensure the territorial
decentralization of the coordination structures for the response to rural fires, bringing
these services closer to the territories under their responsibility, enabling effective and
efficient firefighting.
The entry into force of the four Sub-Regional Commands was provided by (i) Decree-Law No
45/2019 of 1 April, setting up the legal basis for the creation of a new internal organization of
ANEPC, composed of National, Regional Commands and Sub-Regional Commands; (ii) Order of the
Minister No 3212-A/2022 of 15 March (published on 15 March 2022 and entered into force one day
after its publication (point 5)) establishing the location of the Sub-Regional Commands (point 2) and
defines (paragraph 4 in the preamble) that the next steps of the creation process for these four SubRegional Commands are the set up and the entry into operation; and (iii) Order of the Minister
10970-A/2022 of 9 September (which entered into force on 1 September), determining the set up
and entry into operation (paragraph 6 in the preamble) of these four Sub-Regional Commands. Even
though, the legal term ‘entry into force’ (which is used in the verification mechanism of the
Operational Arrangements) is not mentioned in the evidences described above, the fact that the
four Sub-regional Commands have been (i) legally established in Decree-Law No 45/2019 of 1 April;
35

(ii) their location was defined; and (iii) they have been set-up and have entered into operation in
line with the requirement established in the target, is considered as equivalent to their entry into
force (i.e. actual existence).

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

36

Number: 8.15

Related Measure: C08-i05: More Forest Programme
Name of the Milestone: Publication of the initial report by the Institute for Nature Conservation
and Forests, I.P
Qualitative Indicator: Publication of a report on programme contracts
between the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I.P. and the Forest Time: Q2-2022
owner’s organisations (OPFs) and the Competence Centres
Context:
The investment aims at upgrading the fire prevention and firefighting system, shifting from the model
of combating fires to the model of prevention. It also aims at strengthening the actions of the Forest
owners’ organisations and Competence Centres that bring together producers, industry, the national
scientific and technological system and local authorities in the forestry sector, by involving specialists
and boosting the technical qualifications of all the actors involved in these entities.
This milestone requires the publication of the initial report by the Institute for Nature Conservation
and Forests, I.P., paving the way for the strengthening of the actions of Forest owners’ organisations
and Competence Centres in essential areas for the sustainability of forest resources. This milestone
shall be followed by the implementation of a national training programme provided for the
technicians of 150 Forest owners’ organisations, object of target 8.16 (Q4 2025). Two other subinvestments in this measure concern the entry into operation of two regional and four sub-regional
structures of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection, object of target 8.14 (Q2
2022) which is also part of the second payment request, and the reinforcement of the entities of the
Ministry of Internal Affairs with vehicles and operational equipment, object of target 8.13 (Q4 2024).
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Initial report issued by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I.P. on
programme contracts between the Environmental Fund and the Forest owners’
organisations and the Competence Centres, published on 9 September 2022.
The authorities also provided:
1. Two screenshots of the following websites with the publication of the Initial Report:
i)
Environmental Fund (https://www.fundoambiental.pt/ficheiros/mais-florestaicn_relatorioinicial_c08_i05_maisfloresta_12set-pdf.aspx), published on 9
September 2022;
ii)
Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I.P.
(https://www.icnf.pt/api/file/doc/46341df5521eb673) published on 26 September
2022.
2. Technical Collaboration Protocol between the Institute for Nature Conservation and
Forests, I.P. and the Environmental Fund of 30 August 2022, with the terms and conditions
of the collaboration between the Environmental Fund and the Institute for Nature
Conservation and Forests, I.P. in the implementation of some investments of the RRP,
including the one in the scope of this milestone.
3. Four programme contracts signed between the Environmental Fund and the Competence
Centres (Centro PINUS, Filcork, Município de Alcoutim and Centro UNAC).
4. Six programme contracts signed between the Environmental Fund and the Forest owners’
organisations (Baladi, Fenafloresta, Forestis, Forum Florestal, UNAC and FNAPF).
37

5. Decree-Law No 114/2021 of 15 December (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário
da República’, No 241/2021, first series of 15 December 2021, pages 14-38), establishing
some changes to the Environmental Fund and to the organisation of the Secretariat-General
of the Ministry of the Environment.
6. Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022 of 14 January (published Portugal’s Official Journal,
‘Diário da República’, No 10/2022, second series of 14 November 2022, pages 528-(4) to
528-(11)) from the Minister for the Environment and Climate Action, approving the
regulation laying down the Rules and Procedures for the Conclusion of Programme
Contracts between the Environmental Fund and the Forest owners’ organisations and the
Competence Centres.
7. Decree-Law No 135/2012 of 29 June (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’, No 125/2012, first series of 29 June 2012, pages 3326-3330), established the
Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I.P..
Analysis:
The initial report issued by the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests, I.P. (ICNF) on
programme contracts between the Environmental Fund and the Forest owners’ organisations (OPFs)
and the Competence Centres (CCs) was published on the websites of the Environmental Fund
https://www.fundoambiental.pt/ficheiros/mais-florestaicn_relatorioinicial_c08_i05_maisfloresta_12set-pdf.aspx, on 9 September 2022; and the ICNF
https://www.icnf.pt/api/file/doc/46341df5521eb673, on 26 September 2022, as demonstrated by
two screenshots of these websites submitted by the Portuguese authorities as evidence.
In line with the requirements of the CID, the initial report:
i) provides details on the programme contracts between the Environmental Fund and the OPFs,
including the list of OPFs selected to sign the different contracts (table 1, page 15) and the
objectives and targets (in line with Clause 1 of the contracts and with the actions 3.5, 4.1, 4.2
and 4.3 of Article 4(1) of the Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022) to be achieved each year
until the end of 2025 (annexes 2 to 7, pages 19 to 30 of the initial report). The description of
the targets presents the actions to perform, the respective quantitative targets (number of
actions) and their unit of measure;
ii) provides details on the programme contracts between the Environmental Fund and the CCs,
including the list of CCs selected to sign the contracts (table 1, page 3) and the objectives and
targets (in line with Clause 1 of the contracts and with the actions foreseen in Article 4(2) of
the Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022) to be achieved each year until the end of 2025
(annexes 1 to 4, pages 5 to 12 of the initial report). The description of the targets presents
the actions to perform, the respective quantitative targets (number of actions) and their unit
of measure.
The CID required the contracts to be signed between the ICNF and the OPFs and the CCs. However,
the contracts were signed between the Environmental Fund and the OPFs and the CCs. Whilst this
constitutes a minimal formal deviation from the requirement of the CID, this investment was, at the
time of the adoption of the CID under the responsibility of the Permanent Forestry Fund which in turn
worked under the administrative umbrella of the ICNF (Article 3(3) of Decree-Law No 135/2012 of 29
June). However, in December 2021, the Permanent Forestry Fund was merged into the Environmental
Fund (Article 7(2) of Decree-Law No 114/2021 of 15 December).
In this context, Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022 of 14 January, defined that the programme
contracts were to be signed between the Environmental Fund and the eligible entities. Hence, and
according to the newly stablished framework, the contracts were signed between the Environmental
Fund and the OPFs and the CCs. Since the Environmental Fund has been transferred all the powers,
38

rights and obligations of the Permanent Forestry Fund (Article 7(1) of Decree-Law No 114/2021 of 15
December) and given that the ICNF remains responsible for the monitoring, control and evaluation
of the programme contracts (as per Article 14 of Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022 of 14 January,
and operationalized through the Technical Collaboration Protocol between ICNF and Environmental
Fund), the progress towards achieving the investment that this milestone represents is not affected.
On this basis, it is considered that this constitutive element of the milestone is satisfactorily fulfilled.
In line with the requirements of the CID:
i) following the publication of the initial report, an implementation and progress of the
programme contracts shall be published every semester. This requirement is addressed
through the inclusion:
a) in the initial report paragraph 2 on page 3 for the CCs and paragraph 6 on page 14 for
the OPFs mentioning that, following the publication of the initial report, the
implementation and progress of the programme contracts shall be published every
semester on the websites of the ICNF and that of the Environmental Fund;
b) in all the programme contracts signed, of an obligation (Clause 7, line d)) requiring the
OPFs and CCs to submit every semester a report to the ICNF (in accordance with a form
to be made available by the ICNF);
c) in the Technical Collaboration Protocol between the ICNF and Environmental Fund, an
obligation for the ICNF to produce and publish, every semester, reports for the
monitoring of the implementation and progress of investments (Clause 4, line d));
d) in Article 14(3) of the Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022 of 14 January, the indication
that the ICNF shall submit to the Environmental Fund a semestral overall monitoring
report on the implementation of the programme contracts and a final implementation
report with the publication of the results achieved.
ii) the actions to be performed following the programme contracts with the CCs include the
development of studies, guides of good practice and production of elements contributing to
the provision of good training and information to the actors in the forestry sector, which
supports the (i) increased knowledge, innovation and digitalisation in the forestry sector; (ii)
promotion of good soil management practices; (iii) improvement of the management of agroforestry areas; (iv) development of proposals for more resilient and sustainable forest
management; (v) promotion and development of the multifunctional potential of forests and
increase in carbon sequestration; and (vi) promotion and development of a sustainable and
circular forest bioeconomy, as stated in Clause 1 of the contracts and paragraph 2 on page 2
of the initial report. These actions shall result in an active management of agricultural and
forestry territories and contribute to a more resilient forest and to the sustainability of forest
resources (line d) page 2 of the contracts), and, as a result, improve the fire prevention system
by reducing the risk of fires and shifting from the model of combating fires to the model of
prevention.
iii) the programme contracts with the OPFs are in line with the objective of preventing rural fires
(paragraph 3 on page 14 of the initial report) and shifting from the model of combating fires
to the model of prevention. These actions are expected to strengthen these organisations in
essential areas for the sustainability of forest resources (line d) page 2 of the contracts), such
as, carrying out minor post-fire stabilisation actions, awareness-raising and information
campaigns aimed at the agro-forestry sector and the general population, development of the
certification of sustainable forest management and the introduction of sales quotations for
wood, cork, resin and pine (Clause 1 of the contracts and paragraph 3 on page 13 of the initial
report). The main purpose of these actions include to (i) promote the active planning and
management of vulnerable agricultural and forestry areas of high environmental value; (ii)
protect biodiversity by supporting the restoration of agricultural and forest ecosystems, in
particular burnt areas; and (iii) increase the resilience of these territories by reducing the risk
39

of fires through effective and efficient prevention and, if fires occur, reducing damage
through effective and efficient fighting, awareness-raising and information campaigns aimed
at the agro-forestry sector and the general population (paragraph 4 on page 14 of the initial
report).
iv) the actions of the OPFs and CCs in the forestry sector shall be strengthened, since specialists
are foreseen to be involved (expenditures for the acquisition of technical and specialized
services are foreseen in Clause 5(1) of all the contracts) in the development of the actions
defined in the programme contracts, which shall result in the boosting of the technical
qualifications of all the actors involved in these entities (i.e. the technicians from these
entities, which shall be involved in preparing these actions, and the forest owners and other
associates of these entities that shall benefit from the them) in areas that are essential for
the sustainability of forest resources (line d) on page 2 of the contracts with the CCs and
paragraph 4 on page 2 and paragraph 5 on page 14 of the initial report).
In addition, following article 8 (3) of the Order of the Minister No 643-C/2022 of 14 January and as
foreseen in the initial report (paragraph 2 on page 16), further actions are planned to be implemented
in a second phase. This covers the actions listed in Article 4(1) of the Order of the Minister No 643C/2022 of 14 January but not covered by the above-mentioned programme contracts already signed
with the OPFs. In that sense, new contracts are expected to be signed (covering these remaining
actions) and objectives and targets defined in line with these actions, which are planned to be
implemented by 31 December 2025. Its implementation shall be monitored in the implementation
and progress reports of the programme contracts published every semester.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

40

Number: 9.9

Related Measure: C09-i02: Hydraulic multi-purpose enterprise of Crato

Name of the Milestone: Publication of the planning documentation of the measure, fully
incorporating any result and condition from the EIA
Qualitative Indicator: Publication of the planning documentation of the measure,
fully incorporating any result and condition from the EIA

Time: Q12022

Context:
This measure concerns the construction of a dam in the Crato valley to ensure water provision for
agriculture and human consumption. The objectives of the measure are to provide water for
irrigation, to counter the desertification of the region, to contribute to agriculture diversification,
and to ensure drinking water supply. The installation of photovoltaic panels and a mini-hydro energy
plant will also contribute to increasing electricity generation from renewable sources.
This milestone concerns the publication of the planning documentation of the project fully
incorporating any result and condition from the published and completed Environmental Impact
Assessment required to achieve compliance with the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance
(2021/C58/01).
It is the first milestone of this investment and it is followed by two further milestones (9.10 in Q3 2025
and 9.11 in Q4 2025). Milestone 9.10 requires the adoption of an updated design of the dam, hydro
and solar power generation and irrigation, allowing for a final check of whether the results and
conditions from the comprehensive and cumulative EIA that are required to achieve compliance with
the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01) have been fully incorporated into the
project design. Milestone 9.11 relates to the entry into operation of the dam, hydro and solar power
generation and irrigation, fully respecting the results and conditions set by the EIA and achieving good
status of the affected water bodies by Q4 2025.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Published planning documentation of the measure
i.Environmental Impact Study entitled Evaluation of the Sustainability and Integrated
Development of Water and Energy Resources of the Crato Multipurpose Hydraulic
Development of the Consolidated Environmental Impact Assessment Report (Avaliação
da Sustentabilidade e Desenvolvimento Integrado dos Recursos Hídricos e Energéticos do
Aproveitamento Hidráulico de Fins Múltiplos do Crato Estudo de Impacte Ambiental
Consolidado Relatório) by the project developer Intermunicipal Community of Alto
Alentejo CIMAA (published in May 2022 on the integrated environmental licencing
system portal SILIAMB :
https://siliamb.apambiente.pt/anexo/?extern=true&code=71b40cea65b5de874de4e4e
b207c0a8%206),
ii.Updated planning documentation of the execution of the measure showing the
integration of any and all results and conditions from the Environmental Impact
Declaration entitled ´Planning document of the execution of the measure showing the
integration of any and all EIA results and conditions ´ (Documento de planeamento de
execução da medida evidenciando a integração de todo e qualquer resultado e condição
da DIA), by Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo CIMAA published on 25
November on its website and accessible on

41

https://www.cimaa.pt/download/aproveitamento-hidraulico-de-fins-multiplos-docrato-documentacao-de-planeamento-versao-de-25-de-novembro-de-2022/)
3.

4.

5.

6.

Environmental Impact Declaration (Declaração de Impacte Ambiental – DIA) included in the
single environmental permit (Título Único Ambiental TUA20220901002002) (code
APA08560963) issued by the Portuguese environmental agency, Agência Portuguesa do
Ambiente, on 1 September 2022 (published and accessible on the portal of the Information
system on Environmental Impact Assessment
https://siaia.apambiente.pt/AIA.aspx?ID=3473)
Report by the Portuguese environmental agency, Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, entitled
´Technical documentation as part of the verification of compliance with milestone 9.9 of the
RRP´ (Documentação técnica no âmbito da verificação do cumprimento do Marco 9.9 do
PRR) published in September and updated in October, (published and accessible on the
portal of the Information system on Environmental Impact Assessment (Information System
on Environmental Impact Assessment (Sistema de Informação sobre Avaliação de Impacte
Ambiental SIAIA) https://siaia.apambiente.pt/AIA.aspx?ID=3473), demonstrating how the
Environmental Impact Assessment procedure has been carried out in full and substantive
compliance with Directive 2011/92/EU, with the relevant assessments in the context of
Directive 2000/60/EC, and the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01).
Statement by the Portuguese environmental agency, Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente, of
25 November 2022 declaring that all results and conditions of the Environmental Impact
Declaration have been included in the updated planning documentation.
Decree-Law No 151-B/2013 (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’, No 211/2013, second supplement, first series of 31 October 2013, pages 6-31,
amended by Decree-Law No Decree-Law No 47/2014 of 24 March, Decree-Law No
179/2015 of 27 August, Law No 37/2017 of 2 June, 152-B/2017 of 11 December, DecreeLaw No 102-D/2020 of 10 December and Law No 75-B/2020 of 31 December, hereforth
Decree-Law No 151-B/2013, as amended), which transposes into Portuguese law Directive
2011/92/EU and which makes it legally binding that all results and conditions of the
Environmental Impact Declaration are incorporated into the project.

The authorities also provided:
1. Decree-Law No 62/2022 of 26 September (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’, No 62/2022, first series of 26 September 2022, pages 2-7), creating the
Enterprise of Hydraulic Use of Multiple Purposes of Crato (Empreendimento de
Aproveitamento Hidráulico de Fins Múltiplos do Crato (EAHFMC)) and classifying it as an
enterprise of national public interest.
2. Declaration of conformity of the Environmental Impact Study by the Portuguese
environmental agency, Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente to Intermunicipal Community of
Alto Alentejo CIMAA on 30 June 2022.
3. Memorandum issued by the project developer Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo
CIMAA published on 9 November 2022 on its website and accessible on the link:
https://www.cimaa.pt/download/re-c09-i02-aproveitamento-hidraulico-de-fins-multiplosdo-crato-memorando-nos-termos-do-n-o-1-do-mecanismo-de-verificacao-do-cumprimentodo-marco-9-9/ setting out how the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance is
addressed.
4. Statements on the review of territorial management instruments by the mayors of the
relevant municipalities, committing to the requirement to split the irrigation perimeter into
batches not exceeding 100 hectares:
a. Statement by the mayor of the municipality of Crato, signed on 28 September
2022
42

b. Statement by the mayor of the municipality of Alter do Chão, signed on 28
September 2022
c. Statement by the mayor of the municipality of Avis, signed on 29 September 2022
d. Statement by the mayor of the municipality of Fronteira, signed on 28 September
2022
e. Statement by the mayor of the municipality of Sousel, signed on 28 September
2022
5. Report entitled ´Secondary Irrigation Infrastructures - Preliminary Study´ (Infraestruturas
Secundárias de Rega – Estudo Prévio) published in October 2021 (on portal of the
Information system on Environmental Impact Assessment (SIAIA) and accessible on the link:
https://siaia.apambiente.pt/AIA.aspx?ID=3473), which contributes an analysis of the
agricultural models and practices of the project.
6. Technical study entitled ´Component C) Study of Photovoltaic Plants- 1st Phase´
(Componente C) Estuda das Centrais Fotovoltaicas- 1ª fase), published in September 2021
and accessible on the Information system on Environmental Impact Assessment portal SIAIA
https://siaia.apambiente.pt/AIA.aspx?ID=3473, on the use and location of on-land and
floating photovoltaic panels.
7. Document from the Recuperar Portugal Task Force entitled Reply of Recuperar Portugal
Task Force to the Euroepan Commissions’ Observation Letter (2nd payment request)
(Resposta da Estrutura de Missão Recuperar Portugal à Observations Letter (2nd payment
request) da Comissão Europeia) showing a carbon dioxide emissions reduction of more than
80 000 through the photovoltaic plant.]
Analysis
The dam project is located in the river basin of the Tagus in a zone close to the boundary of the
Guadiana river basin. The project developer, Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA),
published the Environmental Impact Study in May 2022. This is the original planning documentation
for this project, which outlines the project developer’s analysis of the potential environmental impact
of the project and forms one of the key bases of analysis by the independent environment agency
Agência Portuguesa do Ambiente (APA).
APA issued the Environmental Impact Declaration on 1 September 2022, assessing the environmental
viability of the project and defining measures to prevent, minimise or offset impacts from the project,
taking into consideration the public consultation phase, the opinions from other public authorities
and in particular of the Evaluation Committee it set up for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
procedure of this project.
APA also published, alongside the Environmental Impact Declaration, a report demonstrating how the
EIA procedure has been carried out in full and substantive compliance with Directive 2011/92/EU,
with the relevant assessments in the context of Directive 2000/60/EC, and the ‘Do no significant harm’
Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01).
In line with the requirements of the CID:
i) APA conducted an EIA in accordance with Decree-Law No 151-B/2013 as amended, which
transposes into Portuguese law Directive 2011/92/EU, and published its findings in the
Environmental Impact Declaration on the Information system in Environmental Impact
Assessment web portal SIAIA.
ii) By issuing its Declaration of Conformity, which attests that the information contained in the
Environmental Impact Study is appropriate for the EIA procedure, APA confirms that the
Environmental Impact Study is based on the most up-to-date, comprehensive and accurate
data.

43

iii) The Environmental Impact Study includes monitoring data on biological quality elements that
are specifically sensitive to hydromorphological alterations (Memorandum of the
Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo, page 12) and on the expected status of the water
body as a result of the new activities, as compared to its current one (Environmental Impact
Study, page 1268).
iv) The Environmental Impact Study included projected water flows in the baseline scenario (no
investment) as well as after the investment (Environmental Impact Study, page 80), which
were available for the public consultation, taking into account the adverse impacts of climate
change based on the best available specific prediction, including a plausible worst-case
scenario of ‘Representative Concentration Pathway of 8.5’ (Environmental Impact Study,
Chapter 2, pages 42 and 43).
v) The purpose of the investment as compared to alternatives in terms of their goals and means
is justified in the Environmental Impact Study (pages 21-27), its chapter 3 (page 1230) and
the Report I Secondary Irrigation Infrastructures - Preliminary Study.
vi) In the Memorandum published after the publication of APA’s Environmental Impact
Declaration, the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo accepts APA´s declaration and
commits to incorporate its results and conditions into the project.
vii) The updated planning documentation of the execution of the measure showing the
integration of any and all EIA results and conditions is published on the website of the
Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo CIMAA. This documentation incorporates the
results and conditions of the Environmental Impact Declaration into the design of the project.
Notably, in addition to the legal requirement that such conditions must be complied with in
the implementation of the project that stems from Decree-Law No 151-B/2013 as amended,
the updated planning documentation includes explanations from the contractor on how it
will implement each of the results and conditions from the Environmental Impact
Declaration. APA has confirmed that the results and conditions of the Environmental Impact
Declaration have been included in the updated planning documentation. Whilst, under
milestone 9.9, it is assessed whether those have been incorporated into the planning
documentation, which is considered to have taken place, the final assessment on whether
those have been complied with will take place in milestone 9.10, also on the basis of the
further studies that the contractor has been required to undertake as a result of the
Environmental Impact Declaration.
In order for the investment to comply with the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance
(2021/C58/01), the CID sets the conditions that, besides being in line with the requirements of the
Environmental Impact Declaration, the measure does i) a) neither significantly or irreversibly impact
affected water bodies, b) nor prevent the specific water body to which it relates nor other water
bodies in the same river basin to achieve good status or potential by Q4 2025; and ii) does not cause
significant negative impact on protected habitats and species directly dependent on water. These
conditions are complied with in the following way:
i)
APA issued a positive Environmental Impact Declaration with conditions (Environmental
Impact Declaration, page 2).
ii)
APA found that the construction of the dam leads to ‘significant and permanent changes in
the physical characteristics of the water body where it is built’, including the deterioration of
the status of that directly affected water body (Seda river with the EU Surface Water Body
Code PT05TEJ0997) that is in moderate and bad status according to the Third River Basin
Management Plan (Environmental Impact Declaration, page 45 and Technical documentation
in the context of verification of compliance with Milestone 9.9 of the RRP, chapter Additional
Technical Note on compliance with Directive 2000/60/EC Addendum 1, page 2). APA then
uses the derogation foreseen under Article 4(7) of the Water Framework Directive to justify
a temporary deterioration of the water status by the overriding public interest of constructing
the dam (Technical documentation in the context of verification of compliance with
44

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

Milestone 9.9 of the RRP, chapter Additional technical note on compliance with Directive
2000/60/EC Addendum 1, page 1).
To justify compliance with provision i) a) of the CID requirements, APA explains that the
construction of the dam inevitably leads to a significant and permanent change in the physical
characteristics of the water body, in the sense that the flow of the water body is interrupted,
and that all other impacts on the affected water bodies are not significant, permanent, and/or
can be mitigated (report Technical documentation in the context of verification of compliance
with Milestone 9.9 of the RRP, chapter Additional technical note on compliance with Directive
2000/60/EC Addendum 1, page 1). To justify compliance with provision i) b) of the CID
conditions, APA states in its report Technical documentation as part of the verification of
Milestone 9.9 compliance (Technical documentation in the context of verification of
compliance with Milestone 9.9 of the RRP, chapter Additional Technical Note on compliance
with Directive 2000/60/EC Addendum 2) that the impacts resulting from the implementation
of the project do not prevent the water body directly affected by the project (Seda river basin
with the EU Surface Water Body Code PT05TEJ0997)) to achieve good status by Q4 2025
(Technical documentation in the context of verification of compliance with Milestone 9.9 of
the RRP, chapter Additional Technical Note on compliance with Directive 2000/60/EC
Addendum 2, page 1) and confirms that this is also the case for other water bodies belonging
to the same river basin district (Additional Technical Note on compliance with Directive
2000/60/EC Addendum 2, page 1). In the light of these explanations, the Commission
considers that even if the impact to the water body is significant, it is only temporary and not
irreversible, given that the intervention does not prevent the water body to attain good status
by Q4 2025, due to the mitigating measures described in the Environmental Impact
Declaration. In addition to condition i) b) above, as set by the CID, achieving good status is a
requirement of milestone 9.11 in order to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no significant
harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01). Milestone 9.11 requires the achievement of good
status of all relevant water bodies affected by the investment by Q4 2025. The Commission
will assess whether this was achieved under that milestone.
APA sets out the relevant measures to mitigate the impact of the project of the water bodies
in the annex to its report Technical documentation in the context of verification of compliance
with Milestone 9.9 of the RRP, chapter Additional Technical Note on compliance with
Directive 2000/60/EC Addendum 2. The Commission considers the assessment by APA to be
technically ambitious that these mitigating measures will achieve good water status of the
Seda River (and all other relevant water bodies affected by the investment) by Q4 2025. In
line with the requirement that the measures identified in the Environmental Impact
Declaration necessary to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical
Guidance (2021/C58/01) be integrated into the project (which has been done) and then
complied with at the stages of the construction, operation and decommissioning of the
infrastructure, it is expected that APA will closely monitor the implementation of the
mitigating measures and their effects on the water status, including making use of the
possibility by APA to adjust and propose additional mitigating measures, if needed, to achieve
good water status by Q4 2025, in accordance with milestone 9.11.
The measure is compliant with the Water Framework Directive (Directive 2000/60/EC) as it
integrates the assessment of this Directive into the EIA procedure (APA report Technical
documentation in the context of verification of compliance with Milestone 9.9 of the RRP,
page 3).
The Portuguese authorities provided evidence that the project does not cause significant
negative impact on protected habitats and species directly dependent on water. APA
confirms that the implementation of mitigation and compensation measures set out in the
Environmental Impact Declaration will mitigate the impacts generated by the project on the
species and habitats dependent on the Seda stream (EU Surface Water Body Code
45

PT05TEJ0997A) (Additional Technical Note on compliance with Directive 2000/60/EC
Addendum 2, page 1 and Additional Technical Note on compliance with Directive 2000/60/EC
Addendum 3, (pages 1, 2). In line with the requirement that the measures identified in the
Environmental Impact Declaration necessary to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no significant
harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01) be integrated into the project (which has been
done) and then complied with at the stages of the construction, operation and
decommissioning of the infrastructure, it is expected that APA will closely monitor the
implementation of the mitigating measures and their effectiveness in protecting biodiversity
on the basis of site-specific conservation objectives for the relevant Natura 2000 sites,
including making use of the possibility by APA to adjust and propose additional mitigating
measures, if needed, to ensure continued full compliance with Directive 2011/92/EU and the
‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01), in accordance with milestones
9.10 and 9.11.”
The project’s main characteristics are in line with the requirements of the CID:
i)
The planning documentation confirms that the objectives of the measure are to ensure
drinking water supply, counter the desertification of the region, diversify agriculture and
contribute to the reconfiguration of energy production in the area (Environmental Impact
Study, page 21).
ii)
The measure consists of the construction of a dam in the Crato valley to ensure the provision
of water for human consumption and agriculture reconfiguration, while offering a privileged
site to install floating photovoltaic panels and producing electricity autonomously from the
projected mini-hydro plant. (Environmental Impact Declaration, page 2 and Environmental
Impact Study, page 21).
iii)
On the photovoltaic plant, Portugal has done more than required in the CID (Technical study
entitled Component C) Study of Photovoltaic Plants- 1st Phase, page 3). In addition to
installing floating panels, Portugal is adding on-land panels. While the installation of floating
panels foresees a reduced capacity compared to the initial project (due to technical,
economic and environmental reasons), together with on-lands panels, these make up the
photovoltaic plant, which will provide twice the capacity foreseen in the CID, by providing a
capacity of 150MW instead of the 75MW required by the CID (Environmental Impact
Declaration, pages 2 and 3).
iv)
Opting for the combination of floating and onshore solar panels makes it possible to ensure
the 60% of the region’s energy needs being produced (Summary document, page 8) and a
reduction in carbon dioxide emissions of more than 80 000 tonnes per year (Document from
the Recuperar Portugal Task Force, page 9).
v)
The project will contribute to diversify agricultural activity as irrigation allows for a
diversification and increased production of crops, such as nuts, fruit, vegetables, and
increasing the potential of existing activity, such as pastures and feedstock (Environmental
Impact Study, page 42 and Chapter 3, page 236). The project is expected to attract inhabitants
to this area as around 500 jobs are expected to be created in the various sectors linked to the
project, including qualified workers, which is expected to make it attractive for people to
move there from other territories.” (Environmental Impact Declaration, page 46). The project
will introduce a water-efficient management system through the introduction of this strategic
reserve (Environmental Impact Declaration, page 42).
vi)
The storage reservoir will be at an elevation of 248 metres with a maximum storage height of
48 metres (Environmental Impact Study, pages 16 and 77).
vii) It will have a storage capacity of 116.2 hm3, 0.1% more than required in the CID
(Environmental Impact Study, page 77).
viii) It will strengthen the supply of the Póvoa and Meadas dam from the Pisão dam by connecting
the former with the latter (Environmental Impact Declaration, pages 42 and 44).
46

ix)

x)

xi)

xii)

It includes lifting stations for irrigation, ducts, balancing reservoirs and distribution networks,
irrigation networks and improvement of agricultural access (Environmental Impact
Declaration, page 2).
The project will ensure redundancy in the public water supply providing enough water to
serve the populations of Alter do Chão, Avis, Crato, Fronteira, Gavião, Nisa, Ponte de Sor and
Sousel (approximately 55 000 persons) (Decree-Law No 62/2022 of 26 September 2022, page
2).
The irrigation perimeter shall be divided into batches with an area not exceeding 100 ha, as
the mayors of the relevant municipalities have committed to in signed declarations
(Statements on the review of territorial management instruments).
The Portuguese authorities carried out a cumulative impact assessment, meaning that they
included in the EIA all elements of this multi-purpose measure (Environmental Impact
Declaration, pages 1-3). They also assessed whether there were other existing or planned
infrastructure in the river basin and came to the conclusion that this was not the case
(Summary document, page 32).

In relation to this measure, the CID requires that “Any measures identified in the framework of the EIA
and the assessment under Directive 2000/60/EC as necessary to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no
significant harm’ principle shall be integrated into the project and strictly complied with at the stages
of construction, operation and decommissioning of the infrastructure”. A number of conditions that
resulted from the Environmental Impact Declaration and were necessary to ensure compliance with
the ‘Do no significant harm’ principle contradict a limited number of other CID requirements. As such,
it is not possible for Portugal to literally fulfil each of the requirements as identified.
In accordance with Article 17(4) in conjunction with Article 5(2) of Regulation (EU) 2021/241, the
Recovery and Resilience Facility shall only support measures respecting the principle of ‘do no
significant harm’. In this respect, together with the repeated references in the description of the
measure and description of the milestone to integrating the results of the EIA procedure as necessary
to ensure compliance with the ‘Do no significant harm’ principle, the requirements in the CID are to
be interpreted in line with this overall context of needing to respect the DNSH principle, both generally
and specifically in relation to the outcome of the EIA. Given that the EIA has been conducted in line
with Union law, where the Commission finds the necessary changes to the scope of the project both
plausible and necessary in order to respect the ‘Do no significant harm’ principle, the evidence put
forward by the Portuguese authorities has minor deviations compared to a number of CID
requirements. This applies to the following requirements of the CID:
xiii)

xiv)

xv)

APA ruled in favour of a version of the project, which eliminates a downstream enhanced
inflow system and a downstream bypass pipe, a lift station and an elevation line, which had
been required by the CID (Environmental Impact Declaration, page 3 and Relatório para
cumprimento do ponto 3, alíneas a) e b) do mecanismo de verificação do Marco 9.9 do PRR,
page 6). These elements were part of an alternative to the project, which APA ruled against
for not being technically, environmentally and economically feasible. The chosen version of
the project, therefore, does not drain or pump water from two tributary rivers to the
reservoir.
A smaller annual average volume for public water supplies (52hm3 vs 57.83 hm3/year,
Environmental Impact Study, page 18) stems from the integration of results and conclusions
of the Environmental Impact Declaration, leading to a revision in the average annual volumes
(Summary Document, page 11).
The CID requires the planned mini-hydro plant to have a 1 MW capacity. However, the
capacity will be smaller than 1MW due to the exclusion in the Environmental Impact
Declaration of irrigation from the Ribeira de Seda river. The size of the mini-hydro project is
47

xvi)

currently under review and therefore no capacity figure can be put forward yet
(Environmental Impact Declaration, page 62).
The CID requires the creation of 5 078 hectare of new irrigation blocks (Alter do Chão, Avis,
Crato, Fronteira and Sousel). However, the effectively irrigated area will be smaller (4 660 ha)
as the Environmental Impact Declaration specifically required the exclusion of two areas from
the irrigation blocks where breeding and feeding habitats for endangered birds were
detected (Environmental Impact Declaration, page 57).

The Commission considers that the milestone is satisfactory fulfilled, taking into account that a
contextual interpretation of the requirements of the milestone leads to the conclusion that the
deviations from the literal requirements of the CID, described above, were necessary to comply with
the requirement to integrate the results of the EIA, as mandated by the CID, in order to ensure
compliance with ‘Do no significant harm’ Technical Guidance (2021/C58/01) and the eligibility
condition of Article 5(2) of the RRF Regulation.

xvii) The CID required the dam to have a flooded area of 7.24 km2. However, a flooded area of
7.25km2 was accomplished (Environmental Impact Study, page 77). Whilst this constitutes a
minimal substantive deviation from the requirement of the constitutive element of the CID,
this does not affect the progress towards achieving the investment RE-C09-i02: Hydraulic
multi-purpose enterprise of Crato that milestone 9.9 represents. As such, the investment
overall supports the provision of drinking water supply, counter the desertification of the
region, enhance the diversification of agriculture and contribute to the reconfiguration of
energy production in the areas that are the main goals of this part of the investment. On this
basis, it is considered that this constitutive element of the milestone is satisfactorily fulfilled.
This applies to the following CID requirement: The flooded area will be 7.25km2 as opposed
to 7.24km2 in the CID, a 0.1 percent difference. (Environmental Impact Study, page 77).
The Commission considers one CID requirement met despite a clerical error in the text.
xviii) The CID requires the project to ensure 50.3 hm3/year for public drinking water supply to
provide enough water to serve the approximately 55 000 inhabitants of Alter do Chão, Avis,
Crato, Fronteira, Gavião, Nisa, Ponte de Sor and Sousel. However, this figure should have
referred to public drinking water supply (3.3 hm3/year) and irrigation (47 hm3/year) and
should be treated as a clerical error as the Portuguese plan submitted to the Commission was
wrongly reflected in the Commission proposal (see updated figure in the Memorandum from
the project developer Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo, page 1). In any case, the
project will ensure the water supply of the above-named communities (summary document,
page 11).
This assessment is without prejudice to the infringement procedure INFR 2015/2002 and ruling by the
European Court of Justice (Case 290/18, Judgment of 5 September 2019).
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

48

Number: 12.2

Related Measure: C12-i01: Bioeconomy
Name of the Milestone: Approval of the projects submitted by the Consortia for the development
of new bioeconomy products, technologies and processes in the textile and clothing, footwear
and natural resin sectors
Qualitative Indicator: Approval of the projects for the development of new
Time: Q2-2022
bioeconomy products, technologies and processes
Context:
The investment aims at the development of the bio-economy by supporting the incorporation of biobased materials in production processes. This (sub)investment aims to provide financial support for
the development of new products, technologies and pilot processes integrating bio-based resources
in specific sectors relevant for the Portuguese economy: textile and clothing, footwear and natural
resin sectors. The financial support is awarded through programme contracts with consortia.
Milestone 12.2 relates to the approval by the selection committee of the projects submitted by the
three Consortia for the development of new bioeconomy products, technologies and processes in the
textile and clothing, footwear and natural resin sectors. It is the initial milestone for this
(sub)measure. The target 12.3 (Q4 2025) is the final target for this (sub)investment and concerns the
development of 15 new products, technologies and pilot processes integrating bio-based resources.
Investment C12.i01 also includes other (sub)investments aiming at forest management activities and
covered by other specific milestones and targets (milestone 12.1 and target 12.4).
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled. The summary document includes (Table 3) the list of the
projects selected, with the references to the contract, the project description, the area
covered, the final recipients, and the financed value of the project for every project selected;
2. Notice No 01/C12-i01/2021, call for the constitution of consortia;
3. Final report on the selection of the consortia by the selection committee of 16 February
2022, approved and signed by the director of the environmental fund;
4. Notice No 02/C12-i01/2022, call for presentation of projects;
5. Minutes of the coordinating meeting of 17 May 2022 on the selection of the projects
presented by the consortia;
6. Formal decision of 23 May 2022 by the director of the Environmental Fund on the selection
of the projects presented by the consortia;
7. Financing contracts with the three consortia
i)
BE@T financing contract of 23 May 2022 between the Environmental Fund and the
consortia BE@T – Bioeconomy of Textiles and Clothing;
ii)
BioShoes4All financing contract of 24 May 2022 between the Environmental Fund
and Associação Portuguesa dos Industriais de Calçado, Componentes, Artigos de
Pele e seus Sucedâneos as promoter of the consortia BioShoes4All — Innovation
and Empowerment of the Footwear Field for Sustainable Bioeconomy;
iii)
RN21 financing contract of 23 May 2022 between the Environmental Fund and
ForestWISE — Association for the Collaborative Laboratory for Integrated Forest
and Fire Management as promoter of the consortia RN21 – Innovation in the Field
of Natural Resina for Strengthening the National Bioeconomy;
8. DNSH compliance declaration of the three consortia
49

i)
ii)
iii)

BE@T DNSH compliance declaration of 23 May 2022
BioShoes4all DNSH compliance declaration of 23 May 2022
RN21 DNSH compliance declaration of 23 May 2022

Analysis:
In line with the requirements of the CID, the projects submitted by the Consortia have been approved
by the selection committee as shown by the minutes of the coordinating meeting of 17 May 2022 and
the formal decision and the financial support has been awarded through three separate financing
contracts established with the selected consortia: BE@T in the textile sector, BioShoes4All in the
footwear sector and RN21 in the resin sector (BE@T financing contract of 23 May 2022, BioShoes4all
financing contract of 24 May 2022, RN21 financing contract of 23 May 2022).
Each of the Consortia include businesses, R&I institutions (higher education institutions, scientific and
technological institutions) and end-users (NGOs and associations). The final report on the selection
of the consortia by the selection committee of 16 February 2022 includes the full list of organisations
participating in the Consortia: table 9 (page 23) for BE@T, table 10 (page 24) for BioShoes4All and
table 11 (page 25) for RN21 from which it can be verified that each of the Consortia include
businesses, R&I institutions (higher education institutions, scientific and technological institutions)
and end-users (NGOs and associations).
The Consortia have been selected through a competitive process.
Notice No 01/C12-i01/2021, the call for the formation of Consortia was published on 10 May 2021
and had a continuous deadline of 60 days for submission of applications (page 36), with a view to
selecting a consortium for each sector (textile and clothing, footwear and natural resin). Notice No
01/C12-i01/2021 was published on the website of the Environmental Fund
(https://www.fundoambiental.pt/apoios-prr/bioeconomia.aspx).
On 16 February 2022, the final report on the selection of the Consortia was published on the website
of the Environmental Fund with the final ranking of the Consortia (Table 2). The consortium with the
higher final rating per sector was selected.
The Consortia fall within one of the three following programmes: ‘Promoting a sustainable and
circular bioeconomy in the Textile and Clothing Sector’, ‘Promoting the sustainable and circular
bioeconomy in the footwear sector’ and ‘Promotion and enhancement of natural resin’. Notice No
01/C12-i01/2021 in its Chapter 1 (page 5), states that ‘This call refers to the main strategic axes for
the transition from a bioeconomy to three sectors — Textile and Clothing, Footwear and Resina […]’
and ‘The investments supported are aimed at the modernisation and development of a national biobased industry to increase the incorporation of bio-based materials in the production of high added
value products in three sectors: (a) manufacture of textiles and clothing; (b) footwear manufacture
and (c) natural resin’. The objectives to be achieved by each sector are described in Chapter 2 (pages
7 to 12).
The selected projects focus on a low-carbon economy, resilience and adaptation to climate change
through the application of clean technology solutions, low-impact alternatives and the use of Best
Available Techniques. As an annex to the financing contracts, each consortium quantifies the
expected contribution to environmental objectives (Fiche 1 of each financing contract: BE@T
financing contract, BioShoes4all financing contract, RN21 financing contract). These are: reduction of
consumption of fossil-based raw materials and substitution of bio-based raw materials; reduction of
GHG emissions; description of the life cycle of the new products; increased integration and
valorisation of bio-based raw materials/waste/by-products; increasing resource efficiency in

50

manufacturing processes; reducing the use of critical chemicals; and increasing the culture of low
carbon and sustainable production and consumption.
Fiche 1 of each contract (BE@T financing contract of 23 May 2022, BioShoes4all financing contract of
24 May 2022, RN21 financing contract of 23 May 2022) specifies the contributions of the projects to
a low-carbon economy, resilience and adaptation to climate change through the application of clean
technology solutions, low-impact alternatives and the use of Best Available Techniques.
The clause 2 (investment objectives) of each financing contract (BE@T financing contract of 23 May
2022, BioShoes4all financing contract of 24 May 2022, RN21 financing contract of 23 May 2022)
obliges the consortium to align its activities with the policy area ‘022 — Research and innovation
processes, technology transfer and cooperation between enterprises, focusing on the low-carbon
economy, resilience and adaptation to climate change’.
The selection criteria for the projects require that the projects ensure a reduction of direct and
indirect greenhouse gases. According to the criteria of Notice No 02/C12-i01/2022 (page 8), Consortia
should justify that the projects ensure a reduction in direct and indirect carbon emissions.
In an annex to the contracts, each consortium quantifies the expected contribution to GHG emission
reduction, as shown in the Fiche 3 in each contract (BE@T financing contract of 23 May 2022,
BioShoes4all financing contract of 24 May 2022, RN21 financing contract of 23 May 2022). This is
done with a description, for each measure, of the respective expected contribution, quantification
and reference points.
All selected projects comply with the ‘Do no significant harm’ technical Guidance (2021/C58/01)
through the use of an exclusion list and with the relevant EU and national environmental law. Notice
No 02/C12-i01/2022 (page 28) introduces the list of excluded activities. According to the criteria of
Notice No 02/C12-i01/2022 (page 6), Consortia should justify that projects comply with the ‘Do no
significant harm’ technical Guidance (2021/C58/01) through the use of an exclusion list and the
requirement for compliance with applicable EU and national environmental law. All selected
consortia submitted the required DNSH checklist as Fiche 4 annexed to each contract (BE@T financing
contract of 23 May 2022, BioShoes4all financing contract of 24 May 2022, RN21 financing contract of
23 May 2022). In addition, the leader of each consortium submitted a duly signed Declaration of
Compliance with the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle and with applicable environmental
legislation at EU and national level (BE@T DNSH compliance declaration of 23 May 2022, BioShoes4all
DNSH compliance declaration of 23 May 2022, RN21 DNSH compliance declaration of 23 May 2022).
Notice No 01/C12-i01/2021 (page 7) includes the list of actions supported. From this list, it can be
concluded that the activities supported include research, development and productive innovation
projects, digitalisation projects and advanced production technologies, dedicated training and
empowerment programmes, production of domestic natural resin, and awareness raising measures
for sustainable production and consumption. In accordance with Notice No 02/C12-i01/2022, each
consortium indicated in the project fiches as an annex to the three financing contracts (BE@T
financing contract of 23 May 2022, BioShoes4all financing contract of 24 May 2022, RN21 financing
contract of 23 May 2022) the number of actions included in its project proposal for each activity type:
research, development and innovation actions (R & D + I); new products with better ecological
footprint; industrial pilot projects with a technological readiness level (TRL) greater than or equal to
7 until 8; technical/scientific publications; platforms/databases; communication and marketing
campaigns; dedicated training and capacity building programmes; industrial symbioses. The RN21
financing contract of 23 May 2022 includes the activities linked to the production of domestic natural
resin (notably in the project fiches).
The selected projects contribute to waste management in the textile and clothing, footwear and resin
processing sectors. In accordance with Notice No 02/C12-i01/2022 (page 18), each consortium
51

demonstrated in the project Fiche 1 annexed to the contracts (BE@T financing contract of 23 May
2022, BioShoes4all financing contract of 24 May 202, RN21 financing contract of 23 May 2022) the
increased integration and valorisation of bio-based raw materials/waste/by-products in their
production processes.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

52

Number: 15.10

Related Measure: C15-i04: Bus Rapid Transit Boavista – Império
Name of the Milestone: Signature of the contract for the construction of a Bus Rapid Transit line
between Praça do Império and Praça Albuquerque Mouzinho in Porto
Qualitative Indicator: Signature of the contract for the construction of a bus
rapid transit line between Praça do Império and Praça Albuquerque Mouzinho
in Porto

Time: Q1-2022

Context:
The objective of this measure is to increase the attractiveness of public transport in Porto and attract
more users while reducing greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions and encouraging the modal shift
away from roads. This investment consists of the creation of a new Bus Rapid Transit system
(operated by electric buses) of 3,8 km and the construction of 7 stations between Praça do Império
and Praça Mouzinho de Albuquerque in Porto, providing a connection to the Porto metro network.
Milestone 15.10 concerns the signature of the project implementation contract for the construction
of the Bus Rapid Transit line between the public authorities and the contractor selected in a tender
process. This is the first milestone for this measure and is followed by the final target 15.11 that is
the completion of the works (to be implemented by Q4 2023). The final target requires the
completion of the 3.8 kilometres construction works and the new bus rapid transit line to be ready
for the immediate operation of the planned transport services.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Signed project implementation contract (and its annexes) of 23 March 2022 between the
public authorities (Metro Do Porto S.A.) and the contractor selected in a tender process, in
addition to an addendum of the contract signed on 06 May 2022;
3. Act of the Board of Directors of Metro do Porto of 28 February 2022, awarding the public
tender process to the winning contractor;
4. Tender notice, published as national publication on 08 July 2021 (n. º 8845/2021) in the
platform Diario da Republica Electronico, that may be accessed at
https://dre.pt/dre/detalhe/anuncio-procedimento/8845-2021-166660375, and as
international publication on 09 July 2021 (n. 348921-2021-PT) in the platform TED Tenders
Electronic Daily, available at https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:3489212021:TEXT:PT:HTML.
The authorities also provided:
5. A study on passenger demand related to the project and carried out by Metro do Porto,
published in January 2022;
6. Cost Benefit Analysis of the project carried out by Metro do Porto, published in January
2022;
7. Technical opinion by Metro do Porto describing the zero-emission electric vehicles that
shall operate in the Bus Rapid Transit system of 28 July 2022;

53

8. Map indicating the exact location of the stations to be built in the framework of the
project implementation contract.
Analysis:
The project implementation contract for the construction of a bus rapid transit line was signed on 23
March 2022 between Metro do Porto, S.A. and the contractor (Alberto Couto Alves, S.A. and Alves
Ribeiro, S.A.). The project implementation contract concerns the design and construction of a bus
rapid transit line that links Praça do Império and Praça Albuquerque Mouzinho in Porto (Clause 1 of
project implementation contract and map indicating the exact location of the stations).

The contractor was selected through a public tender process that started on 08 July 2021, as set out
in the Act of the Board of Directors of Metro do Porto of 28 February 2022, awarding the public tender
process. The tender notice was available both at national and international level.

In line with the requirements of the CID, the bus rapid transit line Boavista-Império shall be developed
around the streets ‘Avenidas da Boavista’ and ‘Avenida do Marechal Gomes da Costa’ and shall entail
a total street coverage of approximatively 4,2 km and eight surface stations, which are: Casa da
Música, Bom Sucesso, Guerra Junqueiro, Bessa, Pinheiro Manso, Serralves, João de Barros e Império’
(project implementation contract, Annex III ‘Technical conditions of the execution of the contract’,
1.1.4). This entails a longer line (4.2 vs. 3.8 km) and more stations (8 vs. 7) compared to the
requirements of the CID. As the map indicating the exact location of the stations demonstrates, the
line shall provide a connection to the Porto Metro network, due to the proximity between the Metro
stop Casa da Música and the homonymous line stop foreseen in the project implementation contract.

The investment is expected to increase the attractiveness of public transport in Porto and attract
more users, as is shown in the study on passenger demand related to the project and carried out by
Metro do Porto, which demonstrates that the bus rapid transit line is estimated to increase the
number of annual passengers of 7.4 million in Porto, to reach a total increase of 42.7 million
passengers in 2027 (pages 11 and 41 of the study on passenger demand). Consequently, the line
would reduce the number of passengers using individual transport, encouraging the modal shift away
from roads.

This modal shift is also expected to reduce greenhouse gas and pollutant emissions (pages 11 and 41
of the study).

The Bus Rapid Transit system shall be operated by electric buses as indicated in the technical opinion
expressed by Metro do Porto. The buses that shall be acquired to operate on the line are considered
zero-emission electric vehicles, in particular hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

54

Number: 16.1

Related Measure: C16-r31: Digital transition of the business environment
Name of the Milestone: Entry into force of the review of the training content included in the
National Qualifications Catalogue regarding modules on the field of Digital Skills and the
legislation or regulation for the creation of digital signatures and seals
Qualitative Indicator: Entry into force of the review of the training content
included in the National Qualifications Catalogue regarding modules on the
Time: Q1-2021
field of Digital Skills and the legislation or regulation for the creation of
digital signatures and seals
Context:
The objective of the measure is to improve the Portuguese business environment by making it
digitally more competitive and resilient in the current global economic and social context.
The reform consists of a single milestone with the following elements:
i)
Review of the formative content included in the National Qualifications Catalogue,
specifically relating to digital skills for use in a professional context.
ii)
Creation of the legal and regulatory framework necessary for the creation of digital
signatures and seals in the areas of cybersecurity, privacy, sustainability and usability.
The review of the formative content included in the National Qualifications Catalogue is
instrumental for the implementation of the training courses, objects of milestone 16.2, also part of
this payment request, and targets 16.3 and 16.4 (both to be implemented by Q3 2025), that are
part of investment C16.i1 ‘Digital Empowerment of Enterprises’. The regulatory framework
necessary for the creation of digital signatures and seals is also instrumental for the implementation
of investment C16.i3 ‘catalyst for the Digital Transition of Enterprises’, in particular for target 16.14
(to be implemented by Q4 2022), that foresees the creation of new platforms for sending digital
invoices; cybersecurity certification; privacy certification; usability certification; and sustainability
certification, including the related dissemination campaigns on all platforms.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Government Order ‘Portaria’ No 250-A/2020 of 23 October (published in Portugal’s
Official Journal, ‘Diário da República’ No 207/2020, first series of 23 October 2020, pages
16-(2) – 16-(8)) establishing the ‘Youth + Digital Programme’, a training programme for
the acquisition of skills in the digital field;
3. Government Order ‘Portaria’ No 179/2021 of 27 August (published in Portugal’s Official
Journal, ‘Diário da República’ No 167/2021, first series of 27 August 2021, pages 27 – 34)
which establishes the ‘Digital Competence Certficate programme’;
4. Labour and Employment Bulletin ‘Boletim do Trabalho e Emprego’, No 40 of 29 October
2020;
5. Labour and Employment Bulletin ‘Boletim do Trabalho e Emprego’, No 15 of 22 April
2021;
6. Labour and Employment Bulletin ‘Boletim do Trabalho e Emprego’, No 17, of 8 May
2021;
7. Labour and Employment Bulletin 'Boletim do Trabalho e Emprego', No 29, of 8 August
2022;

55

8. Decree Law No 12/2021 of 9 February (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’ No 27/2021, first series of 9 February 2021, pages 4 – 16) on the
implementation in the internal legal order of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014, and which
provides a framework for electronic identification and trust services for electronic
transactions;
9. Communication 01/2021 of the National Security Office (‘Presidência Do Conselho De
Ministros, Gabinete Nacional De Segurança’), on the use of qualified electronic signatures
and seals on electronic invoices;
10. Government Order ‘Portaria’ No 305/2020 of 29 December (published in Portugal’s
Official Journal, ‘Diário da República’ No 251/2020, first series of 29 December 2020,
pages 487 – 488), which defines the terms and conditions of use of the System for the
Certification of Professional Attributes;
11. Decree Law No 65/2021 of 30 July (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário da
República’ No 147/2021, first series of 30 July 2021, pages 8 – 21), that regulates the legal
framework for cyber security;
12. Portuguese Normative Document ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNP TS 45771 – cybersecurity, published on the Bulletin of the National Standards Body, the
Portuguese Institute for Quality (IPQ) ‘Instituto Portugues da Qualidade‘ of 15 November
2021;
13. Portuguese Normative Document ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNS TS 45774 - accessibility published on the Bulletin of the National Standards Body, the Portuguese
Institute for Quality (IPQ) ‘Instituto Portugues da Qualidade‘ of 15 December 2021;
14. Portuguese Normative Document ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNP TS 45772- privacy, published on the Bulletin of the National Standards Body, the Portuguese
Institute for Quality (IPQ) ‘Instituto Portugues da Qualidade‘ of 18 April 2022;
15. Portuguese Normative Document ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNP TS 45773 – sustainability, published on the Bulletin of the National Standards Body, the
Portuguese Institute for Quality (IPQ) ‘Instituto Portugues da Qualidade‘ of 18 April 2022;
The authorities also provided:
1. Screenshots from the website of the National Qualifications Catalogue showing the
newly approved training paths under the ‘Digital Competence Certificate’ (anqep.gov.pt);
2. Explanatory document that summarises the legislative amendments in the field of
digital signatures, from the Portugal Digital Task Force (‘Estrutura de Missão Portugal
Digital’);
3. Explanatory document that summarises the legislative amendments in the field of
digital seals, from the Portugal Digital Task Force (‘Estrutura de Missão Portugal Digital’);
4. Screenshots from the website of the National Qualifications Catalogue showing the date
of publication of five training paths part of ‘Youth + Digital Programme’ not published in
the Labour and Employment Bulletin (anqep.gov.pt).
Analysis:
Review of the formative content included in the National Qualifications Catalogue
Government Order No 250-A/2020 of 23 October established the ‘Youth + Digital Programme’ and,
by its Article 14, it entered into force on 24 October 2020.
In line with the requirements of the CID,
i) article 4 of Government Order No 250-A/2020 of 23 October establishes that the creation
of new training paths or the updating of existing ones was done according to the needs of
56

the digital labour market, and that the training paths of the programme are in the digital
field and form part of the National Qualifications Catalogue and are made available on the
website www.catalogo.anqep.gov.pt.
ii) Under this framework, 11 short and medium term training paths have been created,
incorporated in the National Qualifications Catalogue, and have been published in the
Labour and Employment Bulletin (LEB) No 40 of 29 October 2020 (eight training pathscreated by the integration of their specific modules), on page 3555, No 17 of 8 May 2021
(two training paths), at page 1697, and No 29 of 8 August 2022 (one training paths), on page
3369. The bulletins, respectively on page 3553, 1696 and page 3366, also indicate that the
approval of the training path was a competence of the National Agency for Qualification
and Vocational Education (‘Agência Nacional para a Qualificação e Ensino Profissional’ ANQEP). These training paths are:
- Management of social networks (modules 10784 e 10785, LEB No 40, of 29
October 2020)
- UX/UI Design (modules 10786 and 10787, LEB No 40, of 29 October 2020)
- Data analysis (modules 10796, 10797, 10805 - 10811, LEB No 40, of 29 October
2020)
- Business lntelligence (modules 10796 - 10804, LEB No 40, of 29 October 2020)
- JAVA programming (modules 10788 - 10791, LEB No 40, of 29 October 2020)
- .NET Programming (modules 10788 - 10790, 10792, LEB No 40, of 29 October
2020)
- Web Programming (modules 10788 - 10790, LEB No 40, of 29 October 2020)
- Python programming (modules 10788 - 10790 and 10793 - 10795, LEB No 40, of
29 October 2020)
- Customer Relationship Management (LEB No 17, of 8 May 2021)
- Automation system (LEB No 17, of 8 May 2021)
- Visual no-code programming (LEB No 29, of 8 August 2022)
iii) In addition, five other training paths specifically developed for the ‘Youth + Digital
Programme’ have been incorporated in the National Qualifications Catalogue without a
prior publication in the Labour and Employment Bulletin. The document with the
screenshots from the National Qualifications Catalogue shows that these five training paths
have been added on 23 October 2020. These training paths are:
- Productivity and Collaboration Tools
- Advanced tools for productivity and collaboration
- Digital trade – Business strategy
- Digital trade – Operationalisation
- Cybersecurity
Government Order No 179/2021 of 27 August, which entered into force on 28 August 2021 by its
article 16, established the ‘Digital Competence Certificate’ a program for the acquisition and
certification of competencies in the area of digital technologies and media. In line with the
requirements of the CID,
i)

article 2 of Government Order No 179/2021 of 27 August establishes that the strategic
objective of the ‘Digital Competence Certificate’ programme shall contribute to raising the
digital skills of the Portuguese population, as a factor for social inclusion and promoting
employability, in response to the emerging needs of the digital economy and society.

57

ii)

Within this program, 13 short and medium training paths have been incorporated in the
National Qualifications Catalogue as published in the Labour and Employment Bulletin No
15 of 22 April 2021, page 1295 and as shown also by the document with the screenshots
from the National Qualifications Catalogue. The bulletin, on page 1292, also indicates that
the approval of the training paths was a competence of the ANQEP. The short and medium
training paths are:
- Digital skills at basic level:
- Search, analyse and organise content
- Communicating and interacting through digital technologies
- Creating and editing digital content
- Protecting devices and personal data and identifying risks to health and the
environment
- Middle-level Digital Competences:
- Analyse, organise and retrieve digital content
- Communicating and collaborating through digital technologies
- Create and edit digital content in different formats
- Protecting devices, personal data, health and the environment
- Advanced Digital Skills:
- Filter, analyse and retrieve digital content
- Communicating, sharing and collaborating through digital technologies
- Create and integrate digital content in different formats
- Promoting privacy and security in digital environments
- Resolve technical problems in digital environments

Legislation or regulation necessary for the creation of digital signatures
Decree Law No 12/2021 of 9 February, which entered into force 30 days after its publication, on 9
February 2021, by its Article 37, provides a framework for electronic identification and trust services
for electronic transactions. In line with the requirements of the CID, Decree Law No 12/2021 of 9
February:
i) ensures the implementation in the internal legal order of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 of
the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 July 2014 on electronic identification and
trust services for electronic transactions (Article 1);
ii) regulates the validity, effectiveness and probative value of electronic documents, the
recognition and acceptance, in the Portuguese legal system, of means of electronic
identification of legal persons and lays down the rules applicable to the State Electronic
Certification System — Public Key Infrastructure (Article 1);
iii) indicates that the decree applies to electronic documents drawn up both by private
individuals and by the public administration (Article 2).
As explained in the submitted explanatory document that summarises the legislative amendments
in the field of digital signatures, Decree-Law No 12/2021 of 9 February consolidated existing
legislation both on the validity, effectiveness and evidentiary value of electronic documents and on
the State Electronic Certification System. These provisions are complementary to the
implementation in the internal legal order of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 by consolidating existing
legislation and clarifying its relationship with the Regulation (EU) No 910/2014.
In addition, Government Order No 305/2020 of 29 December, which has entered into force on 30
December 2020 by its Article 4, makes it possible to use the business attributes of the System for
the Certification of Professional Attributes for signing electronic invoices reinforcing the availability
58

of qualified electronic mechanism for digital signatures that includes the certification of business
attributes. Such a digital signature mechanism can be used for several ordinary business activities
such as, among others, the signing of contracts, signing of invoices and the signature of minutes
and deliberations of the corporate bodies.
Communication 01/2021 of the National Security Office (national supervisory body for the purposes
of Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 910/2014 (the Regulation on electronic identification and trust
services for electronic transactions in the internal market - eIDAS Regulation)) on the use of
qualified electronic signatures and seals on electronic invoices, clarifies market doubts about the
correct use of qualified electronic signature for sending electronic invoices, making
recommendations on the affixing of qualified electronic signatures or electronic seals to the
electronic invoice and the use of various types of qualified signature/seal creation devices, as well
as clarifying that there is no need to introduce new authentication credentials when an electronic
invoice is issued, which is key to ensuring the efficiency of the solution to be developed by the
Agency for Administrative Modernisation.
The amendments and regulatory clarifications introduced by Decree-Law No 12/2021 of 9 February,
by Government Order No 305/2020 of 29 December, and by the Communication 01/2021 of the
National Security Office, are a necessary step to enable the implementation of the measure
‘Dematerialisation of invoices’ included in investment C16.i3 ‘catalyst for the Digital Transition of
Enterprises’ of the Portuguese recovery and resilience plan.
Creation of digital seals in the areas of cybersecurity, privacy, sustainability and usability
Decree Law No 65/2021 of 30 July, which has entered into force in July 2022 by its Article 23,
regulates the legal framework for cyber security and defines the cybersecurity certification and
obligations for the implementation of Regulation (EU) 2019/881 of the European Parliament of 17
April 2019. In line with the requirements of the CID, Decree Law No 65/2021 of 30 July, by its Article
1:
i) transposes the Directive (EU) 2016/1148, of the European Parliament and of the Council,
of 6 July 2016, on measures to ensure a high common level of network and information
security across the Union;
ii) executes in the national legal order the obligations arising from Regulation (EU) 2019/881,
of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 April 2019, allowing for the
implementation of a national cybersecurity certification framework;
iii) regulates the security requirements of networks and information systems that shall be met
by the Public Administration, by critical infrastructure operators and by essential service
operators.
In addition, four different Portuguese normative documents also provide for the normative and
regulatory conditions necessary for the implementation of the certification seals in the four
dimensions of: cybersecurity, privacy and data protection, accessibility/usability and sustainability.
These Portuguese normative documents enable the creation of a certification system that allows
companies to guarantee their customers and partners that they achieved the label of digital
maturity in the four considered dimensions. This framework of officially recognised certification is
instrumental to create a safer and more trustworthy digital business environment. These
Portuguese normative documents, for each envisaged dimension, have been published in the
Bulletin of the National Standards Body, the Portuguese Institute for Quality ‘Instituto Portugues da
Qualidade‘ (IPQ), namely:
i)
Cybersecurity, ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNP TS 4577-1, entered into force
on 21 December 2021.

59

http://www1.ipq.pt/PT/Normalizacao/AtividadeNormativa/Entrada_Vigor_Documentos_
Normativos/Listas/Publica%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Oficial%20de%20novembro%20de%202
021.pdf
ii)

Accessibility, ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNS TS 4577-4, entered into force
on 13 December 2021.
http://www1.ipq.pt/PT/Normalizacao/AtividadeNormativa/Entrada_Vigor_Documentos_
Normativos/Listas/Publica%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Oficial%20de%20dezembro%20de%2020
21.pdf

iii)

Privacy, ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNP TS 4577-2, entered into force on 7
April 2022.
http://www1.ipq.pt/PT/Normalizacao/AtividadeNormativa/Entrada_Vigor_Documentos_
Normativos/Listas/Publica%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Oficial%20de%20abril%20de%202022.pd
f

iv)

Sustainability, ‘Documentos Normativos Portugueses’, DNP TS 4577, entered into force on
7 April 2022.
http://www1.ipq.pt/PT/Normalizacao/AtividadeNormativa/Entrada_Vigor_Documentos_
Normativos/Listas/Publica%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20Oficial%20de%20abril%20de%202022.pd
f

The bulletins of the National Standards Body, of 15 November 2021, 15 December 2021 and 18 April
2022, that published the above Portuguese normative documents, in their section 1.2, indicate that
the above Portuguese normative documents entered into force on the day of their issuance
(‘edição’), specified on the first page of each Portuguese normative document.
The above Portuguese normative documents provide for rules and standards that operators need
to attain in order to obtain the relevant certification. The summary document also clarifies that the
regulation on accessibility encompasses the concept of usability to take into account also the needs
of people with disabilities. The Portuguese normative document DNS TS 4577-4 on accessibility
defines in point 3.11 the concept of usability and a usability test is also mentioned in the
requirements for the certifications (Quadro A.1 - TU.1).
As specified in the explanatory document that summarises the legislative amendments in the field
of digital seals (page 3, second paragraph), and as also illustrated in the below link, the Portuguese
Institute for Quality (IPQ) is the authority responsible for the official publication of the above
Portuguese normative documents DNP TS 4577-1 on Cybersecurity, DNS TS 4577-4 on Accessibility,
DNP TS 4577-2 on Privacy, and DNP TS 4577-3 on Sustainability:
http://www1.ipq.pt/PT/Normalizacao/AtividadeNormativa/Entrada_Vigor_Documentos_Normati
vos/Paginas/Entrada-vigor-Documentos-Normativos.aspx
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

60

Number: 16.2

Related Measure: C16-i01: Digital Empowerment of Enterprises
Name of the Milestone: Start of the Portugal Digital Academy and Employment + Digital
programmes
Qualitative Indicator: Start of the Portugal Digital Academy and Employment
+ Digital programs

Time: Q1-2022

Context:
This measure consists of two training programmes to increase the digital skills of the employed
workforce, including employees and managers, with a particular focus on enterprises in the industry,
commerce, services, tourism and agriculture sectors. The investment is expected to contribute to the
development of lifelong vocational skills and training practices and to improve the ability of
companies to face challenges and seize the opportunities brought by technology.
This milestone concerns the setting up of the two training programmes:



Portugal Digital Academy, with the launch of the online training platform that includes a
diagnostic tool and dedicated content for digital skills training;
Employment + Digital, with the start of the deeper face-to-face and blended digital skills
training.

It is the first milestone for this investment. Two future targets will monitor the execution of the
training programmes. Under target 16.3, to be implemented by Q3 2025, 200 000 training
participants should have completed a face-to-face or blended reskilling and upskilling focusing on
digital skills under the Employment + Digital programme. Under target 16.4, to be implemented by
Q3 2025, 800 000 training participants should have received a digital skills diagnostic, an individual
training plan and have completed an online, blended or in-person module in the Portugal Digital
Academy programme.

Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Supplementary document on Portugal Digital Academy and Employment + Digital,
provided by the Portugal Digital Task Force (‘Estrutura de Missão Portugal Digital’)
including:
i)
for Portugal Digital Academy, the outline of the diagnostic procedures that are
defined to assess digital skills, the proof of accessibility of the platform and the link
to the platform;
ii)
For Employment + Digital: list of the economic sectors targeted, the course content
and the list of the partners and stakeholders selected for the implementation of the
programme;
3. Certificate of the works related to Portugal Digital Academy and confirmation that the
platform is operational, signed on 20 October 2022 by the Executive Director of the
Portugal Digital Task Force;
61

4. Cooperation Agreement I between the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training
(and the Confederation of Business of Portugal, for the first phase of the Employment +
Digital programme;
5. Cooperation Agreement II between the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training
and the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal, for the first phase of the
Employment + Digital programme;
6. Mapping of courses carried out in the first phase of the Employment + Digital programme,
provided by the Portugal Digital Task Force;
7. Confirmation of start of the training of the first phase of the Employment + Digital
Programme – provided by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training, on 17
March 2022, on the courses of the Confederation of Business of Portugal;
8. Confirmation of start of the training of the first phase of the Employment + Digital
Programme – provided by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training, on 17
March 2022, on the courses of the Confederation of Commerce and Services of Portugal;
9. Government Order 246/2022 of 27 September (published in Portugal’s Official Journal,
‘Diário da República’ No 187/2022, first series of 27 September 2022, pages 44-57), which
establishes the second phase of the ‘Employment + Digital’ programme;
10. Government Order 179/2021 of 27 August (published in Portugal’s Official Journal, ‘Diário
da República’ No 167/2021, first series of 27 August 2021, pages 27-34) which establishes
the ‘Digital Competence Certificate’ programme with the objective to contribute to raising
the digital skills of the Portuguese population.
11. Confirmation of start of the training of the second phase of the Employment + Digital
Programme, including the list of training started – provided by the Institute for Employment
and Vocational Training;
12. The implementing regulation of the second phase of the Employment + Digital
Programme, approved by the board of directors of the Institute for Employment and
Vocational Training on 13 October 2022 – published on
https://www.iefp.pt/documents/10181/11688978/REGULAMENTO+ESPECIFICO+E_D.pdf/4
3ecb4aa-d1a4-4386-818e-b95b5def73c7;
13. Open call for tender for the second phase of the Employment + Digital programme, for
training entities other than the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training –
published on
https://www.iefp.pt/documents/10181/11688978/AVISO+Abertura+Candidaturas+Formac
ao+Emprego_mais_Digital.pdf/762db9c7-49cc-4d8a-9d9b-40fcd94e78f9.

Analysis:
Portugal Digital Academy
The certificate of the works related to Portugal Digital Academy, signed by the Executive Director of
the Portugal Digital Task Force, presents the works carried out to develop the online platform and its
current status of operations. In line with the requirements of the CID:
i)
ii)

The online platform for the programme Portugal Digital Academy is operational and the
first set of online trainings are launched and are accessible to trainees (section1);
Access to the Portugal Digital Academy platform is open to any user (including employees
and managers of the workforce) through the website: http://academiaportugaldigital.pt
(section1). The website itself presents the platform as a tool that allows citizens and
62

iii)

iv)

businesses to self-assess their digital skills and receive personalised digital skills training plans
and access training resources to explore other professional paths;
The diagnostic tool was developed on the basis of five areas of competence: i) Search,
evaluate and filter internet information, ii) Communicate, interact and share information on
the Internet, iii) Digital content creation, iv) How to use the internet securely, and v)
Troubleshooting in digital environment. The diagnostic tool is aligned with the ‘Digital
Competence Certificate’ programme, established by Government Order 179/2021 of 27
August that aims to contribute to raising the digital skills of the Portuguese population, as a
factor of social inclusion and promotion of employability, in response to the emerging needs
of the digital economy and society (section 2);
at the end of the diagnosis and based on its outcome, the user is proposed a set of trainings
courses to improve the digital skills. The users can in any case access all courses available in
the platform (section 3).

The supplementary document on Portugal Digital Academy, provided by the Portugal Digital Task
Force, on pages 2-10, contains a series of illustrative screenshots to present the platform, its
diagnostic tool and the offer of digital training courses.
On the basis of the provided evidence it was possible to test that the platform is available at the
provided link and confirm that the Portugal Digital Academy platform is operational and open to all
citizen and workers including employees and managers in accordance with what has been described.

For what concerns the impact on the business sector the platform Portugal Digital Academy is open
to everybody. The measure description in the CID requires the platform to focus on workers across
the industry, trade, services, tourism and agriculture sector. The provided summary document
explains that in Portugal 82% of the population employed works in the private sector (data from the
National Institute of Statistics for 2021). Further the summary document explains that the categories
mentioned in the CID cover the entirety of the activities in the private sector distributed as follows
(in terms of share of workers): agriculture (2.7 %), industry (19.6 %), trade (18.9 %), tourism (8 %) and
services (50.8 %). The fact that the platform is not reserved to employees and managers does not
prevent this category from benefiting from the platform, in line with the requirements of the CID.
Further, only the training delivered to employees and managers from the business sector will count
toward the final target 16.4 to be fulfilled by Q3 2025.

Portugal Digital Academy, being open to all workers including those that have or will benefit from
Employment + Digital programme offers a further training opportunity that reinforces and
complements the face-to-face and blended training offered under the Employment + Digital
programme.

Employment + Digital
As explained in the preamble of the Government Order 246/2022 of 27 September, the programme
Employment + Digital has been implemented in two phases: a first phase was set up as a pilot project

63

to experiment with the training model, and a second phase has been then designed to scale up the
training programme.
The framework of the first phase of the programme Employment + Digital is set out in the
Cooperation Agreements between the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (IEFP) and,
respectively, the Confederation of Business of Portugal (CIP) and the Confederation of Commerce
and Services of Portugal (CCP) (cooperation agreements I-II). This framework and its implementation
are aligned with the CID requirements as:
i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

The programme provides a set of specialised digital training actions that respond to the crosscutting needs of the associated companies of the two confederations (clause 1 of
cooperation agreements I-II);
The objective of the training programme is to: i) increase digital skills of workers and
transform the economy; ii) promote the empowerment and digital inclusion of people and
the transformation of businesses, thereby contributing to the competitiveness of businesses;
iii) support a faster match between the supply and demand of skills and qualifications in the
digital labour market by providing the development of specific skills through training; and iv)
provide digital skills to keep up with the changes brought about by the digitalisation of
processes and procedures and innovation in the areas of trade and services (clause 3 of
cooperation agreements I-II);
The actual training courses provided during the first phase of Employment + Digital can be
seen in the document that provides the mapping of courses provided by the Portugal Digital
Task Force. The title of the courses confirms the alignment with the requirements of the CID;
The economic sectors to be targeted, their main digital challenges and the partners and
stakeholders for the implementation of the programme are identified. The sectors targeted
and their main digital challenges are those of the associated companies of the two
confederations (clause 3 of cooperation agreements I-II);
As indicated in the supplementary document on Portugal Digital Academy and Employment
+ Digital, overall, a total of 41 business associations contributed to the implementation of the
first phase of Employment + Digital (listed on page 12 and 13). In addition, the following
sectors have been particularly targeted during the first phase (listed on page 9): footwear,
ceramics, canned fish, cork, metallurgical and metal mechanical, textiles, foundry, graph,
wholesaler and retail, family and community support services, personal support services
(beauty and related care), business/business support services (logistics, marketing);
Two documents, named Confirmation of start of training, have also been provided by the
Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (the partner training institute) that confirm
the start of implementation of the first phase of Employment + Digital programme,
respectively for the Confederation of Business of Portugal and the Confederation of
Commerce and Services of Portugal.

The second phase of the Employment + Digital programme will be implemented directly with training
actions delivered by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training, and through a call for
tenders open to other training entities. Hence it will be open also to entities other than the associated
companies of the Confederation of Business of Portugal and the Confederation of Commerce and
Services of Portugal object of the first phase.

64

Government Order 246/2022 of 27 September, in its article 1, establishes the second phase of the
Employment + Digital programme. This framework and its implementation are aligned with the CID
requirements as:
i)

ii)

iii)

iv)

v)

vi)

The Employment + Digital programme is established in the context of the governmental
policies to address the challenges brought by the digital transition, with the aim to improve
the digital skills of workers, prevent the risk of technological unemployment, improve the
conditions for progress and occupational mobility and improving the quality of employment
(preamble).
Employment + Digital aims to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the various
economic sectors, including industry, trade, services, tourism, agriculture, the maritime
economy and construction, which are heavily impacted by the digital transformation
processes and the COVID-19 pandemic (preamble).
Employment + Digital’s strategic objective is to train and reskill workers, and managers of
enterprises and social economy entities in order to respond to the challenges and
opportunities of the various business sectors heavily impacted by the digital transition
processes (Article 2).
There is a link between Employment + Digital and the Portugal Digital Academy program as
this tool is identified as the preferred tool for the initial and final digital skills diagnosis (Article
3).
Partners, stakeholders and economic sectors that will be eligible to deliver the Employment
+ Digital specific training projects are the social partners sitting in the Standing Committee
on Social Dialogue (CPCS) and their associated sectoral and regional organisations, the social
economy entities and other training bodies. All these entities have to be certified by the
Directorate-General for Employment and Labour Relations (DGERT). In addition, also higher
education institutions and the centres of the Institute for Employment and Vocational
Training (IEFP) feature among the identifies training bodies (Article 8).
The training pathways should, where possible, consist of digital skills related courses which
are available in the National Qualifications Catalogue (CNQ) (https://catalogo.anqep.gov.pt/)
and should also be related to the specific digital needs of each sector of activity (Article 6).

The implementing regulation of the second phase of the Employment + Digital Programme, provided
by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training, in section 4 (‘preferential sector of activity
and priority area of training‘) identifies the priority areas for training and the priority sectors to be
targeted. These requirements are also reflected in the specifications of the open call for tender for
training entities other than the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (in section 4 ‘eligible
actions’). This framework is in line with the CID requirements as:
i)

ii)

in terms of digital challenges to be addressed by the courses the following are listed:
Productivity and collaboration tools, Digital trade -, business strategy & operationalisation,
Cybersecurity, Social media management, UX (user experience)/UI (user interface) design,
Data analysis, Business intelligence, Programming languages, Robotics, Customer
relationship management, Automation systems, Industry 4.0;
for what concerns the economic sectors to be targeted the employees of the following are
listed: Automotive, Civil construction work, Electrical and electronic, Pharmaceuticals,
Forestry and paper sector, Wood and furniture, Marble, Granite and Ceramics, Health,

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Moulds, Navy, Chemicals, Petrochemicals and refineries, Restaurants and hotels, Information
and electronic technologies, Agriculture, Sea economy, Commerce, and Social sector.

The start of the training for the second phase, in line with the requirements of the CID, is confirmed
by the document provided by the Institute for Employment and Vocational Training (‘Confirmation
of start of the training of the second phase of the Employment + Digital’). This public entity could
start the training courses without the need to have recourse to a tendering procedure and has already
initiated training measures for employees in the priority sectors identified above and for training in
the areas also defined above. The document ‘Confirmation of start of the training of the second phase
of the Employment + Digital’ lists 16 courses that started between 27 and 30 September 2022 for a
number of training participants between 12 and 22, depending on the course.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

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Related Measure: C17-i02: Modernisation of the information systems of the Tax
and Customs Authority for rural property taxation
Name of the Milestone: Complete the implementation of pre -filling of the Model 1 declaration of
the municipal immovable property tax (IMI), on the basis of the data available to the Tax and
Customs Authority
Qualitative Indicator: Complete the implementation of pre-filling of the
Time: Q2-2022
Model 1 declaration of the municipal immovable property tax (IMI)
Context:
The objective of this investment is to advance with the digitalisation of all processes related to rural
property taxation and the development of pre-filling services for specific declarative obligations,
notably for immovable property taxation and specific transactions subject to stamp duty.
Number: 17.15

This milestone relates to the completion of the implementation of pre-filling of the Model 1
declaration of the municipal immovable property tax, on the basis of the data available to the Tax
and Customs Authority. This is the first milestone envisaged for the completion of this investment.
The other milestones for this investment are: milestone 17.16, which is expected to be implemented
by Q4 2025, and concerns the delivery of the information system supporting the simplified
assessment of rural property; and milestone 17.17, which is expected to be implemented by Q4 2025,
and requires the completion of the soil and climate characterisation and assessment of the economic
potential of rural properties.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all constitutive elements)
was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Implementation report from 20 October 2022 prepared by the Portuguese Tax and Customs
Authority on the implementation of the pre-filling of the Model 1 declaration of the municipal
immovable property tax (IMI);
3. Evidence of the effective data sharing between the information systems of the Tax and
Customs Authority and of municipalities, as included in section 2 of the implementation
report.
Analysis:
The Model 1 declaration for the municipal immovable property tax (Imposto Municipal sobre Imóveis
or IMI) is exclusively used for the registration or modification of urban properties in the respective
Tax and Customs’ Authority urban property registry or so-called urban property matrix
(implementation report of 20 October 2022, section 1, subsection (a), page 5, third paragraph).
In line with the requirements of the CID,
i)
the pre-filling of the Model 1 declaration of IMI was made available on the Tax and Customs
Authority online platform (‘Portal das Finanças’) (implementation report of 20 October 2022,
section 1, subsection (b)), taking advantage of available information within the Tax and
Customs Authority property registry and of documents electronically received by the Tax and
Customs Authority from municipalities (implementation report of 20 October 2022, section
1, subsection (a), page 5).

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The pre-filling of the Model 1 declaration of IMI is completed since it is available for all the
circumstances for submitting it where pre-filling can be implemented on the basis of the
available data to the Tax and Customs Authority (implementation report of 20 October 2022,
section 1, subsection (a), page 5-6). These circumstances are: (i) new property, (ii)
improved/modified property, (iii) improved/modified/reconstructed property, (iv)
requirement for evaluation and (v) change of use of the building.
The option of pre-filling the Model 1 declaration of IMI is available to the taxpayer in the Tax
and Customs Authority online platform for properties already registered within the urban
property matrix for which there has been a modification of its characteristics,
(implementation report of 20 October 2022, section 1, subsection (a), page 6 and flowchart
in section 1, subsection (c), page 13). In case the taxpayer has communicated to the Tax and
Customs Authority urban operations, or properties’ documentation has been requested to
municipalities, these can be consulted by the taxpayer and attached to the online declaration.
In case of a registration of a property, the taxpayer can associate to the online declaration
documentation related to urban development operations or documentation shared by
municipalities.
The pre-filling of the Model 1 declaration of IMI takes advantage of existing information about
properties in the information systems of the Tax and Customs Authority and municipalities,
as evidenced by the systems and workflows put in place for data sharing between both
(implementation report of 20 October 2022, section 1, subsection (c), pages 10-13). These
systems, and associated workflows, are available on the Tax and Customs online platform
(‘Portal das Finanças’), are the GPUrb (‘Operações Urbanísticas’ or urban operations) and the
GPA (‘Plantas de Arquitectura’ or architectural plans):
-

-

ii)

The GPUrb (implementation report of 20 October 2022, section 1, subsection (c), pages
10-11) allows municipalities to communicate to the Tax and Customs Authority and
associate documentation on authorised and/or approved urban operations. This system
also allows the Tax and Customs Authority services to associate to the declaration
documentation on properties registered within the urban property matrix or related with
their matrix and/or evaluation status. The implementation report of 20 October 2022
(see flowchart in section 1, subsection (c) page 11) demonstrate the different steps part
of the work flows associated with the GPUrb system.
The GPA (implementation report of 20 October 2022, section 1, subsection (c), pages 1112) allows municipalities to share information on architectural plans with the Tax and
Customs Authority when the later has requested further information in the context of
the validation of a Model 1 declaration for the IMI. The implementation report of 20
October 2022 (see flowchart in section 1, subsection (c) page 12) demonstrate the
different steps part of the workflows associated with the GPA system.

Data sharing between the information systems of the Tax and Customs Authority and of
municipalities has taken place. In the period from January to end-June 2022, a total of 14,765
and 2,557 documents were shared via GPUrb and GPA, respectively (implementation report
of 20 October 2022, section 2, subsection (b), page 14).
The online submission of the Model 1 declaration of IMI is only mandatory for legal persons
and for natural persons with organised accounts, with the use of the pre-filling option and
the association by the taxpayer of documents electronically received by the Tax and Customs
Authority from municipalities being facultative (implementation report of 20 October 2022,
section 2, subpart (b), page 15, first paragraph). From January to end-June 2022
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approximately 38.3% of the Model 1 declarations submitted online (37.8% from legal persons
and 67.2% from natural persons) benefited from the pre-filling functionality (implementation
report of 20 October 2022, section 2, subpart (b), page 16). Out of all declarations submitted
online, in 8.1% of the cases documents could have been attached by the taxpayer or by the
Tax and Customs’ Authority services.
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

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Related Measure: C19-i04: Efficient, secure and shared digital critical
infrastructures
Name of the Target: Secure mobile communications system for government employees
Number: 19.11

Quantitative Indicator: Percentage of
government area employees with
Baseline: 0
Target: 95
Time: Q2 2022
access to a secure voice, messaging and
video communications system
Context:
The objective of the measure is to increase the resilience of government critical digital infrastructures,
namely emergency and security communications networks, as well as of the government computer
network (RING).
This target is the first of this investment and concerns granting access to secure mobile voice,
messaging and video communications to, at least, 95% of the government employees who are users
of the government computer network (RING). There are four milestones covered by this investment:
the partial and complete upgrade of critical digital infrastructures (milestones 19.12 and 9.13, Q4
2023 and Q4 2025, respectively); the upgrading of the IT system of security forces and services
(milestone 19.14, Q4 2024); and the strengthening of the Government’s IT network management
centre (milestone 19.15, Q1 2026).
Evidence Provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the target (including all the constitutive elements)
was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Implementation Report, issued by the Government Computer Network Management Centre
on 16 September 2022;
3. Calculation Methodology Report, issued by the Government Computer Network
Management Centre (CEGER) on 16 September 2022.
4. Anonymised list of active users of the Secure Mobile Communications System, prepared by
the Government Computer Network Management Centre on 13 October 2022.
Analysis:
The target requires that 95% of government area employees have access to a secure voice, messaging
and video communications system. In line with the further specifications of this target in the
Operational Arrangements, ‘government area employees’ should be understood as employees of the
Government who are network users (RING). Given that network users include support staff (such as
administrative technical support or public relations unit staff) who not only do not need but should
not have access to secret or classified information that would be contained on such secure mobile
communications system, and taking into account the drafting of the RRP, the government area
employees in target 19.11 should be interpreted as government members and their closest staff who
would need access to such a secure system; notably RING users except support staff.
Between 24 August 2022 and 6 September 2022, the new secure mobile application, the Secure
Mobile Communications System, was installed centrally and technical quality tests were carried out,
70

after which the Secure Mobile Communications System was made available to all users (pages 2-3 of
the Implementation Report of 16 September 2022).
According to the Calculation Methodology, based on data from the ‘Operational User Creation
Management application’ as a data source, which is the application used by the Government
Computer Network Management Center to register and create users in the government computer
network (RING), there were 1137 RING users on 15 September 2022 (see page 6). Out of these 1137
users, 219 were support staff, based on their job function (see page 5). Therefore, the remaining 918
RING users would need access to the Secure Mobile Communications System (see page 6).
In line with the requirements of the CID, on 15 September 2022, 876 RING users had already installed
and activated on their mobile devices the Secure Mobile Communications System, corresponding to
95.42 % of the 918 RING users that would need access to the secure system, as specified in the
description of the present target in the CID and the further specifications of the same target in the OA
(page 12 of the Implementation Report of 16 September 2022 and pages 1-8 of the anonymised list
of active users).

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

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Loan support
Related Measure: C05-i06: Capitalisation of companies and financial
resilience/Banco Português de Fomento
Name of the Milestone: Notification to the European Commission of the successful passing of the
pillar assessment for BPF
Qualitative Indicator: Notification to the European Commission of the
Time: Q1-2022
successful passing of the pillar assessment for BPF
Context:
The objective of the measure is to address the structural problem of firms’ undercapitalisation. To
this end, the national promotional bank (Banco Português de Fomento) will be recapitalised with a
capital buffer of EUR 250 000 000, with the aim of supporting Portuguese firms in the context of
implementing InvestEU. The measure also includes the creation of a special purpose vehicle, which
should invest EUR 1 300 000 000 in viable Portuguese firms mainly in the form of equity and quasiequity.
Number: 5.30

This is the first milestone of the sub-investment and requires a notification to the European
Commission of the successful passing of the pillar assessment by Banco Português de Fomento. The
second milestone (5.31), also part of this payment request, refers to the capital transfer of EUR 250
000 000 from the Portuguese Government to Banco Português de Fomento, and the adoption of an
investment policy to regulate the use of these funds. The final target (5.32) concerns the full allocation
of the funds provided by the recapitalisation of Banco Português de Fomento, to be implemented by
Q4 2025. For the other sub-invest, the creation of a special purpose vehicle, milestones 5.27 and 5.28
are the adoption of a legislative act to regulate the special purpose vehicle and the adoption of an
investment policy, respectively (both were implemented by Q4 2021). The final target 5.29, the
delivery of the full amount of the funds to companies, is to be implemented in Q4 2023.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Final pillar assessment report issued and signed by the external auditor on 12
October 2022, certifying the outcome of the pillar assessment for Banco Português de
Fomento;
3. Email notifying the European Commission of the conclusion of the pillar
assessment of Banco Português de Fomento performed by the external auditor (“Email
Final Report” of 12 October 2022).
Analysis:
The ‘pillar assessment’ constitutes a mandatory process which external entities implementing
European Union (EU) funds in indirect management must undergo, in line with EU Regulation
2018/1046.
Its purpose is to verify whether entities, to be entrusted by the European Commission with budget
implementation tasks under indirect management, demonstrate a level of protection of the Union’s
financial interest equivalent to that existing when the European Commission implements the budget
itself, in line with the European Commission’s guidance on indirect management of March 2021. In

72

the context of InvestEU, Banco Português de Fomento (BPF) had eight pillars assessed by an external
auditor, as reported in the pillar assessment report of 12 October 2022.
In line with the requirements of the CID:
i)
The European Commission was notified through “Email Final Report” of 12 October 2022, of
the outcome of the auditor's finalised pillar assessment of BPF, in line with Regulation No.
2018/1046 of the European Parliament and of the Council;
ii)
The successful passing of the pillar assessment for BPF is certified by the final pillar
assessment report issued by the external auditor on 12 October 2022.
In this document, and in line with the European Commission’s guidance on indirect
management of March 2021, BPF is assessed under eight pillars. The auditor provided a
positive evaluation of all eight pillars.
However, sub-pillar 6B (“tax avoidance and non-cooperative jurisdictions”) received a
negative opinion. The auditor’s findings on sub-pillar 6B concerned in particular some new
rules and processes which BPF had designed to address some shortcomings in this domain,
but which had not yet been implemented at the time of the audit and could therefore not be
assessed (“final pillar assessment report”, pages 82-84).
Based on these results, and in accordance with sections 3.5.8 and 3.5.9 of the European
Commission’s guidance on indirect management of March 2021 and with Article 154(5) of
the Financial Regulation (2018), the failure of a sub-pillar does not in itself prevent the overall
pillar assessment from being successfully passed, as the outstanding findings can be
addressed by supervisory measures to be implemented by the pillar-assessed entity. Such
measures will be negotiated outside of the pillar assessment process and will have to be
defined before BPF can be entrusted with the implementation of any EU budgetary
guarantees.
Following the receipt of the auditor’s final report, justifying the satisfactory fulfilment of this
milestone, the Commission has begun the next steps in the pillar assessment process. The
European Commission has notified BPF by formal letter on 16 November 2022 that the pillar
assessment process is confirmed and that based on the results of the auditor’s assessment
“[..] the Commission may proceed to entrust budget implementation tasks to BPF under
indirect management [..]”.

Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

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Related Measure: C05-i06: Capitalisation of companies and financial
resilience/Banco Português de Fomento
Name of the Milestone: Capital transfer of EUR 250 000 000 from the Portuguese Government to
BPF and adoption of the investment policy for BPF
Qualitative Indicator: Capital increase and development of investment policy
for BPF to implement InvestEU, establishing a set of eligibility criteria to
Time: Q1-2022
ensure that the objectives of the RRF are met
Context:
The objective of the measure is to address the structural problem of firms’ undercapitalisation. To
this end, the national promotional bank (Banco Português de Fomento), will be recapitalised with a
capital buffer of EUR 250 000 000, with the aim of supporting Portuguese firms in the context of the
implementation of InvestEU. The measure also includes the creation of a special purpose vehicle, to
invest EUR 1 300 000 000 in viable Portuguese firms mainly in the form of equity and quasi-equity.
Number: 5.31

This milestone demands the capital transfer of EUR 250 000 000 from the Portuguese Government
to Banco Português de Fomento, and Banco Português de Fomento’s adoption of an investment policy
to implement InvestEU. This is the second milestone of the sub-investment, following milestone 5.30,
in the same payment request, that relates to Banco Português de Fomento’s successful passing of the
pillar assessment. The final target (5.32), the full allocation of the funds provided by the
recapitalisation of Banco Português de Fomento, will be implemented by Q4 2025. For the other subinvestment related to the creation of a special purpose vehicle, milestones 5.27 and 5.28 cover the
adoption of a legislative act to regulate the special purpose vehicle, and the adoption of an
investment policy for the special purpose vehicle, respectively (both were implemented by Q4 2021).
The final target (5.29), the delivery of the full amount of the funds to companies, is to be implemented
by Q4 2023.
Evidence provided:
In line with the verification mechanism set out in the Operational Arrangements, the following
evidence was provided:
1. Summary document duly justifying how the milestone (including all the constitutive
elements) was satisfactorily fulfilled;
2. Proof of operation certifying the amount of capital transferred to BPF (‘Comparativo da
operação’), of 19 September 2022;
3. Investment policy, signed and adopted by BPF on 16 September 2022 (published and
accessible on the BPF website);
4. ‘Despacho’ of 15 September 2022, approved by the Minister of Economy and the Sea on 15
September 2022;
5. Link to the publication of the investment policy on BPF’s website:
(Bpf_investeu_politica_de_investimento.pdf (bpfomento.pt));
6. Extract from the investment policy showing alignment with the DNSH Technical Guidance
(2021/C58/01).
The authorities also provided:
1. Unanimous social deliberation (‘Deliberação Social Unânime por Escrito’) of 16 September
2022 for the capital increase of Banco Português de Fomento.
Analysis:

74

In line with the requirements of the CID:
i) Through the Unanimous social deliberation of 16 September 2022, the shareholders of Banco
Português de Fomento (BPF) agreed on a capital increase, to provide BPF with a capital buffer
of EUR 250 000 000. The capital transfer of EUR 250 000 000 from the Portuguese
Government to BPF is formally documented in the Proof of operation of 19 September 2022,
which certifies the amount of capital transferred to BPF.
ii) BPF developed the investment policy to implement InvestEU, which was approved by the
Minister of Economy and the Sea on 15 September 2022 through ‘Despacho’ of 15 September
2022 and adopted (signed) by BPF on 16 September 2022.
iii) The investment policy establishes:
a) Eligibility criteria in line with the Recovery and Resilience Facility objectives, as outlined
in Section 4.3 of the Investment Policy, including alignment with the DNSH Technical
Guidance (2021/C58/01) (see I, Investment Policy, Annex I). This set of eligibility criteria
targets the financial instruments of the fund towards economically and financially viable
companies, which comply with the DNSH principle, providing for a further safeguard to
ensure that the objectives of the RRF are met, such as: mitigating the economic impact
of the coronavirus pandemic, increasing the resilience of Portuguese companies and
preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of the green and digital transitions;
b) The strategy and objectives of the fund, developed in the context of the signature of an
‘InvestEU guarantee agreement’ (section 3.1.2 of the signed investment policy
document).
Commission Preliminary Assessment: Satisfactorily fulfilled

75