President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has sanctioned a bill approved by the Assembly of the Republic, announced a statement from the Presidency’s official website. The recently approved bill modifies Decree-Law No. 98-A/2025, dated August 24, which outlines measures to support and mitigate the impact of rural fires.
The government-backed legislation, which received support from all parliamentary benches, revises an August decree-law that had already outlined support measures for affected individuals, by incorporating three additional measures requiring parliamentary approval.
The modifications involve waiving the requirement for authorization to provide support and formalize contracts between municipalities and the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (CCDR), in specific cases mentioned in the decree. It also includes VAT exemption for donations of animal feed and categorizes certain acts and contracts as urgent, exempting them from prior oversight by the Court of Auditors.
In today’s session, the parliament also passed a bill from the Communist Party (PCP) seeking to bolster urgent support measures for fire victims, amending the same August 24 decree-law.
The bill received backing from the parties PS, Livre, PCP, and JPP, while PSD, Chega, IL, CDS-PP, and PAN abstained. It covers support for income loss, other social aids, temporary housing, or reconstruction of secondary residences. Additionally, it provides support to businesses and measures post-fire.
