Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Council of the Government, which met on March 4, 2023, in Ponta Delgada, adopted the following measures:

1 - In the context of the process of divesting the majority of the share capital of Azores Airlines:

• Adopt the Resolution approving and publishing the specifications of the procedure for the divestment of shares representing a minimum of 51% and a maximum of 85% of the share capital owned by SATA Internacional - Azores Airlines, S.A., proposed by the Board of Directors of SATA Holding, S.A.

The Board of Directors of SATA Holding, S.A., submitted to the Regional Secretariat for Finance, Planning and Public Administration and to the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures, under the terms of the respective financial and operational management of SATA Holding, S.A., the tender specifications for the procedure to divest shares representing a minimum of 51% and a maximum of 85% of the share capital of SATA Internacional - Azores Airlines, S.A.

The tender specifications contain the specific clauses previously approved by the Council of the Government and will be published in the Official Journal of the Autonomous Region of the Azores. As such, the process conducive to the implementation of one of the measures set out in the SATA Restructuring Plan, approved on June 7, 2022, through European Commission Decision C(2022)3816, will continue.

2 - In the context of structuring the management of Community Funds:

• Approve the Resolution establishing the Governance Model of the Azores 2030 Programme, which defines the type and powers of the Programme Managing Authority as well as its institutional framework for governance purposes. It also establishes an advisory body to support the Managing Authority, implements the Monitoring Committee and defines some aspects of its implementation, taking into consideration the reality and specificities of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

• Approve the Resolution appointing the Regional Directorate for Rural Development, headed by the Regional Director for Rural Development, as the Managing Authority of the new Strategic Plan for the Common Agricultural Policy in the Azores (PEPAC).

• Approve the Resolution appointing the Regional Director for Fisheries as Regional Coordinator of the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund on a non-remunerated basis.

3 - In the context of the implementation of Agricultural and Rural Development policies:

• Approve the Resolution authorising the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Rural Development, through the Institute for Food and Agricultural Markets, to begin the procedure for a public works contract by launching a public tender to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union, with a view to carrying out the works contract for the "Construction of the São Jorge Slaughterhouse." It will have an estimated base price of  €10,900,000.00 (ten million nine hundred thousand Euros), plus VAT at the legal rate in force, and an estimated completion period of 18 months.

It is necessary to build a new slaughterhouse on São Jorge Island, which, in addition to the slaughter process, will include the preparation of carcasses and offal, a cutting room, an industrial wastewater treatment plant and a unit for the preparation and packing of byproducts and trimmings, pursuant to the legislation in force.

• Approve the resolution authorising the transfer of EUR €8,000,000.00 (eight million Euros) to IFAP, I.P., (Financing Institute for Agriculture and Fisheries), corresponding to the financing of the Autonomous Region of the Azores for the "Cattle Slaughter Premium - 2nd semester," under the POSEI-Azores sub-programme.
• Approve the resolution authorising the transfer of €1,500,000.00 (one million five hundred thousand Euros) to IFAP, I.P., corresponding to the funding granted to the Autonomous Region of the Azores regarding the "Aid for the Maintenance of Vineyards for the Production of Wines certified as Designation of Origin and Geographical Indication" under the POSEI-Azores sub-programme.

• Approve the Regional Implementing Decree amending the Regional Implementing Decree no. 3/2023/A of January 24. It regulates the action "Support schemes for product and process innovation, production and organisation, green transition and digital transition, aimed at the restructuring of farms" under the investment "Economic Recovery of Azorean Agriculture," which includes the investments under the Recovery and Resilience Plan for the Autonomous Region of the Azores, increasing the maximum amount of support from 75% to 80%.

• Approve the Resolution authorising the signing of a contract-programme for the year 2023 between the Autonomous Region of the Azores and IROA, S.A. (Regional Institute of Agrarian Planning) in the maximum amount of €4,250,000.00 (four million two hundred and fifty thousand Euros) to regulate cooperation between the parties in the implementation of the 2023 Regional Annual Plan.

• Approve the resolution authorising the transfer of €2,853,143.00 to IFAP, I.P., corresponding to the funding for the Autonomous Region of the Azores to meet the "Private storage aid for cheeses bearing the "Island" and "São Jorge" designations and the "Supplement to the reduction in milk production for the second half of 2021," under the POSEI-Azores sub-programme.

4 - In the context of the implementation of Youth and Employment policies:

• Approve the Resolution authorising the creation of the Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Youth Talent Support Programme.

The Entrepreneurship, Creativity and Youth Talent Support Programme has as its goals:

• Developing creative areas in the youth community, through the creation of favourable conditions for the artistic and cultural promotion of the youth community, and promoting their cultural participation, entrepreneurship and initiative;
• Encouraging cultural events with a high social impact on local communities and raising young people's awareness for sustainable development through creative, multi-sectoral and transdisciplinary approaches;
• Promoting citizenship, participation and empowerment of young people through creativity, entrepreneurship and culture, using the most diverse forms of artistic and cultural expression and through social entrepreneurship;
• Encouraging healthy living habits and preventing risk behaviours through art education and involving young people in cultural activities;
• Stimulating digital transition in creative areas;
• Creating a network of young Azorean talents to promote, identify and bring together young creative Azoreans in a systematic and organised manner.

• Approve the Resolution extending the deadline for submission of applications to the Salary Increase Support Mechanism, also known as "MAIS," created by the Government Council Resolution no. 23/2023 of February 10, 2023, until March 17, 2023.

The Council of the Government also adopted the following measures:

5 - Approve the Resolution appointing the following individuals to the Board of Directors of the Divino Espírito Santo de Ponta Delgada Hospital:

Manuela Margarida Anglin Ferreira de Melo Cabral Gomes de Menezes, as President of the Board;

José Barreto Vasques de Carvalho, as member of the Board;

Maria Paula Raposo Fonseca Macedo Paz Ferreira, as clinical director.

6 - Approve the Resolution authorising the transfer of use, free of charge, of urban property to the Portuguese Space Agency - Portugal Space, consisting of a one-floor building for services, located in the hamlet of Roças no Pico das Flores, parish of São Pedro, municipality of Vila do Porto, including all its furnishings and equipment, for a period of 20 years.

7 - Approve the Resolution authorising the procurement procedure, through a public tender, for the awarding of several lots that make up the "Acquisition of movable property of multi-parameter buoys and coastal oceanographic buoys for hydrological monitoring of the Azores Maritime Space," with a base price of € 903,414.00, plus VAT at the legal rate in force, and a deadline of 360 days.

8 - Approve the Resolution creating a mission structure designated as Mission Structure for Monitoring Health Financing in the Azores - EMAFIS.

The EMAFIS has as its mission to assess, study and develop a management model for the available resources in the health area, through the analysis of the health care offer, promote planning, coordination and control methodologies of the health care response through networking, and monitor its performance in terms of production as well as in economic and financial terms.

EMAFIS will operate under the administration of the Regional Secretary for Finance, Planning and Public Administration.

EMAFIS will be headed by a President, assisted by two members of the board, with Maria Cristina Fraga Gomes Freire de Barros appointed as President of the Board.

9 - Approve the Resolution classifying the Falcão Farm, located in the parish of Almagreira, municipality of Vila do Porto, as being of public interest.

10 - Approve the Regional Implementing Decree containing the necessary provisions for the implementation of the Budget of the Autonomous Region of the Azores for the year 2023.

11 - Approve the Resolution authorising the granting of financial support to the Grupo Desportivo Comercial, for the pursuit of sporting activities in motor racing in 2023, amounting to €750,000.00 (seven hundred, fifty thousand Euros).