Background information

Between 4 and 5 August 2023, two major rural fires broke out in mainland Portugal, with a total burnt area of 14,062 hectares.

The Baiona rural fire, in Odemira, and the Carrascal rural fire, in Castelo Branco, resulted in adverse situations which, in the Government's view, constituted exceptional situations in the same time period in two geographical areas.

These situations require the application of emergency response measures aimed at repairing the damage caused by the fires to economic activities, habitats, the hydrographic network, homes and infrastructures, in order to ensure the basic conditions for restoring normality to the lives of populations and businesses.

The affected territories also require the implementation of structural prevention measures, the restoration and promotion of biodiversity, landscape resilience and the relaunch and promotion of economic competitiveness.

These measures were determined by Council of Ministers Resolution 136/2023 of 3 November.

Content of measure

This Resolution provides for immediate, short-term support measures aimed at emergency stabilisation actions and social and economic support for populations, companies and municipalities to restore normality, as well as measures to increase the resilience and competitiveness of the affected territories, notably in the following areas:

Economy 1. Treasury and Investment Support Line for Tourism Companies (indicative budget allocation of €3,000,000). 2. Interior Tourism Programme (€2 million).

Labour 1. Measures to support families, to meet expenses necessary for their subsistence or for the purchase of immediate and unavoidable goods (€2 million). 2. Exceptional measures of exemption and deferral of payment of social security contributions.

Housing Support for the reconstruction or rehabilitation of homes intended for permanent residence affected by the fires, as well as urgent and temporary accommodation for people consequently deprived of their homes.

Territorial cohesion Measures to support companies, except in the agriculture and forestry sectors, aimed at fully or partially restoring productive capacity directly affected by rural fires, for situations of reported damage of up to €200,000 (€2 million).

Agriculture 1. Support for livestock producers with cattle, sheep and goats (€25,000). 2. Support for beekeepers (€25,000). 3. Support, through a non-refundable subsidy, for restoring the agricultural production potential of farms affected by the fires (€1,5 million).

Local entrepreneurship and diversification of the economic base 1. Support to national, locally-based productive investment, with the aim of strengthening and boosting the competitiveness of micro and small businesses, through non-reimbursable Community funding (€5 million). 2. Support for job creation and setting up own business (€2 million). 3. Calls for tourist and cultural promotion of the heritage assets of the affected territories (€3 million).

Use of measure

According to the Execution Report for the 1st half of 2024 of the Municipal Emergency Fund (FEM):

Four financing contracts were signed. The four contracts covered the reimbursement of losses in the order of €5,526,515.53, with a total value of €3,315,909.32.

No payments were made in this period, with an available balance of €2,684,090.68; expenditure totaling €242,876.70 was justified, covered by payments made in previous periods as an advance.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Other groups of workers	Other businesses	Other groups of citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	European Funds National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

Social partners were not involved.

Views and reactions

The views of social partners on the measure are not known.

Sources

• 04 November 2023: Resolução do Conselho de Ministros 136/2023 (diariodarepublica.pt)
• 09 November 2023: Portaria 341/2023 (files.diariodarepublica.pt)
• 17 November 2023: Despacho Normativo 14/2023 (files.diariodarepublica.pt)
• 01 July 2024: Fundo de Emergência Municipal - Relatório de Execução 1.º semestre 2024 (FEM) – Relatório de Execução – 1º semestre de 2024 (portalautarquico.dgal.gov.pt)