The decree-law 98-A/2025, dated August 24, addresses the “tragic reality” of rural fires in Portugal and emphasizes that, despite government priorities focusing on prevention, mitigation, and repression, it is also necessary to establish support and mitigation measures for affected individuals and businesses.
The decree intends to support rebuilding homes, reviving economic activities, aiding farmers, repairing infrastructure and equipment, restoring ecosystems and biodiversity, reforesting, and containing environmental impacts, among other goals.
To prevent the necessity of declarations of alert or calamity before measures can be applied, the decree establishes the “legal framework governing the supportive measures to be implemented, as determined by a resolution of the Council of Ministers.”
Inspired by the decree-law approved by the previous executive under Luís Montenegro for support following the September 2024 fires, the normative framework covers areas such as individuals, housing, economic activities, agriculture, environment, nature conservation and forests, and infrastructure.
These measures apply to rural fires of significant size or severity, as defined by a resolution of the Council of Ministers, based on assessments from the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) and the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF).
The decree specifies that the measures do not exempt individuals from civil and criminal responsibility for actions that initiated, facilitated, spread, or otherwise contributed to the fires.
Damage assessment falls to the local authorities, which report findings to the respective Regional Coordination and Development Commission (CCDR), with cost estimates developed during a joint inspection by municipal and CCDR technicians.
The coordination commission reports damage and evaluation details to the Public Prosecutor for “potential legal actions of a civil or criminal nature.”
In addition to health services for fire victims provided by the National Health Service (SNS), including exemption from fees and free medication, Local Health Units will enhance epidemiological monitoring, particularly of respiratory diseases, and environmental surveillance of air, water, and soil quality in coordination with the Portuguese Environment Agency and CCDR.
Assistance for farmers includes acquiring immediate necessities like animal feed, restoring subsistence economics and lost incomes, and exemption from or partial exemption of 50% on social security contributions for employers who hire individuals unemployed directly due to the fires.
Funding is also allocated for social equipment, infrastructure, and legally constructed or potentially legalizable housing, up to 250,000 euros.
Support systems for businesses are established, alongside measures aimed at regenerating, enhancing tourism in, and promoting fire-affected regions, designed to fund public entities and non-profit organizations. It also includes restoring agricultural productivity and supporting livestock and beekeeping producers.
Exceptional agricultural assistance up to 10,000 euros, even without documentation, is contingent upon joint inspections by municipal and CCDR technicians to assess damage related to animals, annual crops, perennial plantations, machinery, equipment, and facilities supporting agricultural activities.
For ecosystem and forest restoration, support is available for replacing or repairing forestry machinery and equipment, warehouses, and other structures, and assisting entities managing hunting areas, protected area co-management commissions, and common land management entities.
Spending under the exceptional authorization regime cannot exceed a maximum of 5 million euros per ministry.
The President of the Republic has enacted the government decree approved in the Council of Ministers on Thursday, comprising 45 measures.
Since July, mainland Portugal has been impacted by multiple large-scale rural fires, primarily in the northern and central regions.
