A delegation from the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe, composed of rapporteurs Zana Gümüş (Türkiye, SOC/G/PD) and Elianne Demollin-Schneiders (Netherlands, EPP/CCE), will carry out the first part of a monitoring visit to Portugal (Lisbon, Santarém, Alpiarça) from 3 to 5 March 2026, to assess the application of the European Charter of Local Self-Government since the previous monitoring report adopted by the Congress in 2020.
The objective of the visit is to evaluate the progress made in implementing the 2020 recommendation of the Congress in Portugal. The delegation will pay specific attention to the consultation process with local authorities and their associations as well as to financial and fiscal autonomy at the local level. In light of the recent severe floods in several regions in Portugal, the rapporteurs will also discuss the challenges posed to local self-government, the responses of local authorities to natural disasters, and the cooperation between different levels of government in managing crisis situations.
During the visit, the rapporteurs will meet with Portugal's national delegation to the Congress, representatives of the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities (ANMP) and the National Association of Parishes (ANAFRE) and Mayor of Lisbon. They will also hold meetings with members of the Assembly of the Republic; Deputy Ombudswoman, representatives of the Court of Auditors and the Constitutional Court. Meetings have also been scheduled with the Minister of State and Finance as well as mayors of Santarém and Alpiarça, respectively.
