“In areas with less water resilience, we are funding 100% of the water projects, complementing operational programs with the Environmental Fund, as is the case in the Algarve, […] so there are no excuses for mayors not to carry out the works, they will have 100% funding, the protocol was signed effective from January 1, 2026,” stated the Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho.
The minister was responding to questions from Members of Parliament following her speech in the general debate on the State Budget proposal for 2026 (OE2026) in parliament.
Regarding water losses, “one of the first priorities of the [strategy] Water that Unites,” Maria da Graça Carvalho emphasized that a series of projects are currently underway across the country.
When questioned by MP Jorge Miguel Teixeira (IL) about the availability of management and account reports from the Environmental Fund on the website, to ensure public awareness of how approximately 500 million euros are being spent, the minister assured that this “transparency” is one of the goals of the new Climate Agency, which will manage the Environmental Fund and other funds.
“We have all the values that will soon be available on the new agency’s website and, to inform you, in the area of transport, we are predicting 529 million euros in 2026, which is almost the same as what we allocated this year; just in passes, we provide 490 euros for passes from the Environmental Fund,” the minister highlighted.
In the energy sector, Maria da Graça Carvalho noted in her initial address that the Government will continue to strengthen electric grids, invest in more electricity storage, facilitate network access in high-demand areas, and simplify project licensing to attract more investment.
Regarding the financing of these measures, the minister indicated that the inherited “past” guaranteed tariffs, which were borne by consumers, are coming to an end.
“They are gradually ending, which gives us the ability to lower electricity prices and make investments in the grid and electricity,” she pointed out.
