One of the novelties of the Government program in relation to the municipal sector is the creation “of a register of interests of the holders of municipal bodies”. As with the deputies of the Assembly of the Republic. All municipal regulations will also have to be online.
There are profound changes in perspective in the local government sector. As is already the case with Members, holders of municipal bodies as mayors, councilors and parish council presidents may have to reveal “the register of interests”, which in practice are the aspects of personal and professional life on which possible conflicts of interest related to the exercise of public functions fall.
Among the measures proposed for this sector is also the obligation to allow the “digital access to all local regulations, to the deliberations of Organs municipal bodies and to the proposals to be submitted for consideration or public discussion”, which already happens in many municipal councils, but not in all.
Another novelty is related to the holding of local referendums. the city councils, municipal assemblies, parish councils and parish assemblies continue to be able to propose these referenda to the population, but now the number of citizens needed to trigger this process decreases. So far, were accurate 8% of citizens registered in a parish or municipality to trigger the local referendum process, but the Government wants this percentage to pass to 5%.
CCDR assume regional bodies
The Government maintains the intention of creating conditions for the holding of a referendum on regionalization in 2024, which must be proposed by the Assembly of the Republic. Until then, the process of decentralization of competences, which is in progress, will be evaluated.
Before the end of this review, advances the second phase of the decentralization process that will equip the Coordination and Regional Development Commissions (CCDR) of greater responsibility. This is because they start to assume decentralized competences in the areas of education, Cheers, culture, Territorial Planning, nature conservation and forests, professional training and tourism, which means that the regional entities dedicated to these areas are extinguished, such as the Regional Health Administrations or the regional bodies for tourism and culture.
The transfer of new powers to municipal councils is also on the horizon., parishes and intermunicipal communities. In addition to wanting “identify new skills to decentralize”, the government wants “deepen areas already decentralized”.
The Government also foresees the application of a new “creation, modification and extinction of parishes”, in order to correct what you call “mistakes of the territorial reform of 2013”. In other words, the door is opened to the disaggregation of parishes that joined in the reform of 2013, in addition to the possibility of new aggregations, if that is the will of the territories.
Two new regions
The Government program inscribes the already known intention to create two new NUT II regions: Peninsula of Setúbal and Ribatejo and Oeste. The creation of these regions has already been requested from Brussels and is still awaiting the green light, but will have no impact on the regionalization process. The Government's intention is to maintain regionalization with the present five regions (North, Center, Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Alentejo and Algarve).
The development of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region with the new Setúbal and Ribatejo e Oeste Peninsula aims to make better use of community funds destined for less developed regions. Since they were attached to Lisbon, these regions were excluded from the possibility of accessing these funds, what will not happen if the European Commission validates the Portuguese intention.
A nova NUTS II
The Setúbal Peninsula includes the municipalities of Alcochete, Almada, Barreiro, bush, Montijo, Palmela, Seixal, Sesimbra and Setúbal. Ribatejo e Oeste comprises the Middle Tagus CIM (Abrantes, Alcanena, Constancy, junction, Ferreira do Zêzere, Mação, Ourém, Sardoal, Serta, Drink, Torres Novas, Vila de Rei and Vila Nova da Barquinha).
The CIM of LezÃria do Tejo (Almeirim, Alpiarça, Azambuja, Benavente, Cartaxo, Chamusca, Coruche, Golegã, Rio Maior, Salvaterra de Magos and Santarém) and the CIM of the West (Alcobaça, Alenquer, Arruda dos Vinhos, Bombarral, Cadaval, Queen syrup, Lourinhã, Nazareth, Obidos, Peniche, Sobral de Monte Agraço and Torres Vedras).
