The Council of Ministers today approved a new package of diplomas – the third – within the scope of the process of transfer of competences to local authorities and to inter-municipal entities, provided for in the Framework Law on Decentralization.
The four new decree-laws cover the areas of communication routes, unused public real estate, cultural heritage and social action. The Government clarifies that all these matters have already been the subject of a “consensual process with the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities and the National Association of Parishes”.
Thus, within the scope of communication routes, the approved diploma proceeds “to transfer to the municipalities the competence to manage road sections and the equipment and infrastructures included in them located in urban perimeters”.
As for the management of unused public real estate assets, this is "transferred to the municipalities, with a view to preventing the degradation of the State's real estate assets that are unused, vacant or abandoned, encouraging their recovery, conservation and reuse, allowing the enjoyment and public enjoyment and a more efficient use of these resources».
In terms of culture, competences are transferred for «management, enhancement and conservation of part of the cultural heritage that, being classified, is considered to be of local scope and of museums that are not classified as national museums (in general)».
Finally, in terms of social action, it is now up to municipalities and intermunicipal entities «the competences in terms of strategic planning instruments, social development programs and housing comfort, and attendance, monitoring and social support services (in general)».
In its communiqué, the Council of Ministers explains that "the approved process of transfer of competences is gradual, with local authorities being able to assume the new competences in a phased manner until 2021".
O first package of skills to be transferred was approved by the Government at its meeting on 14 September and focused on the areas of justice, proximity policing, tourism promotion, civil protection, gaming licensing and bathing area cleaning.
Following this first package of approvals, Silves announced that he would not accept this transfer of competences.
The second package of diplomas was approved last week on September 21, and had to do with the areas of civil protection, animal health and food safety, housing and structures for serving citizens.
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