Background information

Through Decree-Law 98-A/2025 of 24 August, the Government establishes a regulatory framework, designed to respond more swiftly and effectively to needs arising from rural fires. The framework can be adapted and applied according to specific requirements.

Inspired by Decree-Law 59-A/2024 of 27 September—adopted by the XXIV Constitutional Government following the fires of September 2024—this framework is structured around the following thematic areas: (i) people; (ii) housing; (iii) economic activities; (iv) agriculture; (v) environment, nature conservation and forests; and (vi) infrastructures and equipment.

In addition, given the urgency of implementing the measures needed for the recovery of the affected regions, it is established an exceptional regime for awarding public works contracts and for leasing or purchasing goods and services.

These measures apply to rural fires of significant size or severity, as defined by the Council of Ministers Resolution 126-A/2025 of 28 August that sets their temporal and geographical scope.

This measure is closely related to PT-2023-34/3399

Content of measure

This decree-law establishes:

1. Support and mitigation measures addressing the impact of rural fires:

2. People: health; income support; temporary exemption of contributions to social security; support for private social solidarity institutions; strengthening of social work staff and the establishment of dedicated teams; extraordinary financial incentive for maintaining jobs; extraordinary financial incentive for self-employed workers; priority in active employment measures; vocational training; simplified scheme for reducing or suspending activity in situations of business crisis; extension of deadlines for complying with social security and tax obligations; qualification of overtime work, when such work is carried out in the context of these fires, as overtime in a situation of force majeure.

3. Housing: support for the reconstruction or rehabilitation of permanent housing and for urgent and temporary accommodation.

4. Economic activities: creation of support lines and schemes for companies and cooperatives:

a) treasury support line;

b) support scheme for restoring the productive capacity and economic competitiveness, except in the agriculture and forestry sectors, which are covered by specific support measures;

c) support line for the regeneration, tourism enhancement and promotion of territories affected by the fires, intended to finance public entities and non-profit private entities directly or indirectly affected by the fires.

• Agriculture: restoration of agricultural production potential; extraordinary support for livestock producers and beekeepers; exceptional support for farmers; support for income lost in agro-forestry holdings.

• Environment, nature conservation and forests: restoration of ecosystems and forests.

• Infrastructures and equipment: support for the replacement and repair of public infrastructures and equipment belonging to local authorities and the public corporate sector; territorial resilience and the acquisition and replacement of operational resources.

• Exceptional public procurement rules for direct awards and prior consultations concerning public works, the leasing or purchase of movable goods, and the acquisition of services related to damage caused by rural fires.

Use of measure

No information is available on the use of measure.

Target groups

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

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

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

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement as case not in social partner domain	No involvement as case not in social partner domain
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

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

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

Involvement

There was no involvement of social partners.

Views and reactions

No views on /reactions to the measure from the social partners are known.

Sources

• 24 August 2025: Decreto-Lei 98-A/2025 (diariodarepublica.pt)
• 29 August 2025: Resolução do Conselho de Ministros 126-A/2025 (diariodarepublica.pt)