Civil Protection is an “essential” state function and, therefore, “it is important that funding is provided by the State Budget”. This is the opinion of Manuel Machado, president of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP), which met this Tuesday, November 13, in Faro.
In debate were issues related to the new organic structure of the National Civil Protection Emergency Authority (ANEPC), approved last October 25 by the Council of Ministers.
«The organic of ANEPC is on the table. The articulation, all of this, was discussed and will continue to be analyzed. In our understanding, it is an issue that deserves to continue to be discussed as it must be sufficiently comprehensive and clarifying», Manuel Machado said, at the end of the meeting, to the journalists.
This new law wants to do away with the district operations and relief commands (CDOS), existing in the 18 districts, to create a metropolitan or inter-municipal-based model.
Thus, the proposal is that five regional emergency and civil protection commands are born – North, Centre, Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, Alentejo and Algarve. These are joined by 23 sub-regional commands, corresponding to the territory of each inter-municipal community.
According to Manuel Machado, «for Civil Protection operations it is essential to have exactness in the interveners and in the operations they trigger, with the proper articulation between Municipalities and authorities such as the GNR, INEM, PSP and ICNF».
The fact is that, also said the mayor of Coimbra, «everyone must be present in the Civil Protection structure».
«The territorialization component has to be done in articulation with different entities. It is necessary to find a pattern. We are looking for a model that works well in all terrain. As there are geographic territorial areas of incidence that can be different, whether ICNF, INEM, GNR or PSP, everything needs to be considered», he referred to the journalists.
As for the Civil Protection Fee, a measure provided for in the State Budget, and which must be rejected by the PSD, PCP and BE in Parliament, Manuel Machado reiterated what he had already said: «it is necessary to guarantee the financing of Civil Protection and this is a function of State".
"If the proposal is approved, the municipalities will know how to manage with the necessary care, but we emphasize that Civil Protection must be guaranteed by the State and by the product of our taxes", he also considered.
In relation to latest transfers of competences from the State to the Municipalities in the area of education, Manuel Machado made a point of mentioning that, in that diploma, «all the points of view of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities were approved».
This document foresees that the municipalities will assume the management of the schools from the 1st to the 12th year. “It is an important process aimed at improving public services. The calendar presented is compatible with what was agreed from the beginning”, since, in this area, “decentralization has to start, in good time, before the beginning of the school year”.
As for the financing of the State for the Chambers, "it must be ensured through the transfer to the decentralization development fund", he concluded.
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