Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Council of the Government, which met on May 16, 2024 in Ponta Delgada, adopted the following measures:

1.         Approve the proposal for Regional Legislative Decree adapting the Legal Scheme Applicable to Portuguese Firefighters to the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

This law proposal aims to recognise the importance of volunteer firefighters in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Firefighters are an essential part of the public safety infrastructure, responding to a wide range of emergencies.

Adapting the social status of firefighters to the Autonomous Region of the Azores is a way of recognising their importance in the community and providing them with better working conditions.

It is also a way of ensuring that the laws and regulations are updated and in line with the current needs of firefighters.

The so-called social status of firefighters was adapted to the Region in 2015 by Regional Legislative Decree no. 10/2015/A, of April 9, with the aim of improving the efficiency of the Volunteer Fire service in the Region. The update that is now being proposed has two clear goals:

Firstly, to reinforce volunteer fire service by providing support to all firefighters who, on a voluntary basis, carry out operational work throughout the year in their respective fire brigade, a situation that already exists, but for which no support has been established.

It also aims to ensure that access to the length of service bonus will be at no cost to volunteer firefighters.

As already known, volunteer firefighters in Portugal can benefit from an increase in their length of service, up to a maximum of five years, by paying 50% of the amount calculated by the Social Security services for early retirement purposes, with the remaining 50% being paid by the League of Portuguese Firefighters.

It is now proposed that, in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, the Regional Government should pay 50% of the amount that, until now, was borne by firefighters so that they do not have to incur any costs or expenses to benefit from the bonus.

This measure is also intended to encourage and anticipate the renewal of personnel, since, at the moment and in the light of the Social Status of Firefighters still in force, firefighters, when eligible for this bonus, are forced to pay the amount to anticipate their retirement age and instead choose not to claim this benefit, while continuing in service.

With this amendment, which is now being proposed, firefighters will be exempt from any payment to access early retirement. The amount calculated by Social Security services for this purpose will be covered at 50% by the Regional Government and the remaining 50% by the League of Portuguese Firefighters, ensuring that firefighters will not be forced to continue working.

Therefore, these tangible measures will have a direct impact on the lives of regional firefighters and will make a fundamental contribution to stimulating volunteer fire service.

2.         Approve the proposal for Regional Legislative Decree establishing the rules and procedures for unfreezing medical special careers to be adopted by the services and organisations that make up the Regional Health Service.

Despite the efforts made by the Regional Government to implement the performance evaluation system for medical workers, it has not yet been possible to implement it in the services that make up the Azores Regional Health Service.

Accordingly, the aim is to regulate the method of recording the performance of duties by these professionals, so as not to jeopardise their normal career development, and to establish the rules and procedures for the process of unfreezing special medical careers by awarding one and a half points (1.5) for each year of service between 2009 and 2018, regardless of the existence of any performance evaluation.

3.         Approve the proposal for Regional Legislative Decree establishing the legal framework for technical and financial cooperation between the autonomous regional administration, parishes and regional parish associations.

Maintaining mutually effective relations between the Regional Government and Local Authorities is one of the programme goals of the XIV Regional Government of the Azores.

The XIV Government of the Azores intends to continue decentralising, through cooperation and sharing, the financial investment resources available in the regional budget to municipalities and parishes, in a process that has been objective, equitable and transparent.

This proposal for a Regional Legislative Decree intends to ensure greater stability, predictability and planning in actions aimed at parishes, within the scope of decentralisation, through cooperation.

It also proposes the creation of the Regional Fund for the Development of Azorean Parishes, expanding and reinforcing cooperation with parishes as well as the areas of collaboration with the Regional Administration, while clarifying the legal framework, and determining its scope and procedures.

4.         Approve the Resolution authorising the expenditure under the international public tender for the supply, installation and support of the Mobile.Gov Platform as well as ratifying the awarding of the tender, in the amount of €2,909,602.60.

Considering the organisation of the XIV Regional Government and the amount of the tender awarded, it is necessary to ensure the awarding of the contract concerning this procedure, which, given the amount of the tender awarded, can only take place through the delegation of powers to the Vice-President of the Government.

5.         Approve the Resolution recognising the "Areia Larga Suites & SPA 5 stars" project as a Project of Regional Interest (PIR).

The project in question, which includes the construction of a hotel unit, in the form of tourist apartments, is in line with the regional development strategy. It meets the general measures and goals enshrined in the XIV Regional Government of the Azores.

The investment project will positively impact the production of tradable goods that can be traded internationally or exposed to foreign competition. It will contribute to increasing exports as well as boosting and promoting the Azores abroad, with a view to harnessing its resources and potential.

The "Areia Larga Suites & SPA 5 stars" project involves an overall investment of approximately 6.8 million Euros and will create 16 jobs.

6.         Approve the Resolution recognising the "Installation of a meat, bakery, pastry and fish processing plant on São Miguel Island" project, promoted by the company CFA - Centro de Fabrico dos Açores, SA. as a Project of Regional Interest (PIR).

The project promoted by the company CFA - Centro de Fabrico dos Açores, SA. is in line with the regional development strategy. It meets the general measures and goals enshrined in the Programme of the XIV Regional Government of the Azores, specifically with regard to investment in the production of tradable goods for export or import substitution.

This project involves an overall investment of approximately 14.8 million Euros and will create 15 jobs.

7.         Approve the Resolution approving the new Regulations on the Higher Education Merit Award.

The Regional Government is implementing a comprehensive youth policy that includes actions aimed at empowering more young Azoreans and attracting more young people to the various islands of the Azores.

The XIV Government of the Azores, following in the footsteps of the previous government, continues to focus on the Education and Training of young people as the qualification strategy that will lead young people to be the masters of their own lives, but also to be positive change-makers in society.

This legal document aims to cover the maximum number of students entering higher education for the first time, regardless of the institution they will be attending, and to speed up and simplify the application process.

8.         Approve the Regional Implementing Decree approving the organisational structure of the Pico Island Health Unit.

There is a need to adapt the organisational structure of the Pico Island Health Unit to the changes made to the Statute of the Regional Health Service, as well as its respective staff, to the reality of the current regional island staff and align the structure of this island health unit with others, in addition to including of a non-executive member of the board.

This legal document seeks to achieve the goal set out in the Government Programme on primary health care, which is essential in a well-structured and organised health policy based on health promotion and disease prevention, always placing health users at the core of the Regional Health Service.

9.         Approve the Resolution appointing António Vasco Vieira Neto Viveiros as a member of the Board of Directors of the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital.

10.      Approve the Resolution delegating the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security, with powers to sub-delegate to the Regional Director for Social Solidarity, the power to authorise expenditure on works co-financed through Cooperation Contracts.

This resolution is justified by the need to speed up the decision and awarding of Cooperation Contracts signed with private non-profit institutions, as provided for in the Azores Social Welfare Code, given that many of them involve the co-financing of works, whose approval powers are limited to the amount of €25,000.00, as far as the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security is concerned. 

The Azores Social Welfare Code establishes that the decision to sign Cooperation Contracts rests with the Regional Government member responsible for social solidarity or the Regional Government Council, depending on the powers to authorise expenditure.

Accordingly, and given the limit on the powers of the Regional Secretary for Health and Social Security to approve expenditure on works, up to €25,000.00, it is necessary to delegate the powers of the Regional Government to this member of the Government, up to a limit of €1,000,000.00.

11.      Approve the Resolution authorising the transfer of €3,450,00.00 to IFAP.

This arises from the need to fulfil the commitments made under the POSEI-Açores sub-programme - "Animal Production Premium" measure, namely the 2023 Milk Production Reduction Supplement.

12.      Approve the Resolution authorising the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment to grant subsidies and other forms of support for economic actions and projects that fall within the scope of the competences of the said Regional Government department.

This stems from the need to increase the amount allocated for support for specific training needs, investments and compensation for the funding of vocational schools and other training organisations, which will enable support for more promoters. There is also a need to support activities during the first half of 2024, as the 2024 budget has not yet been approved.

13.      Adopt the Resolution approving three applications under the legal and financial support scheme for climate emergency, due to damage resulting from the extreme weather events that occurred on August 20, 2023, in the parish of Sete Cidades.

14.      Adopt the proposal for Regional Legislative Decree approving the Flood Risk Management Plan for the Autonomous Region of the Azores 2022-2027.

The EU and national regulatory framework stipulates that flood risk management plans must be reviewed on a regular basis.

The 1st planning cycle corresponded to the Flood Risk Management Plan for the Autonomous Region of the Azores (PGRIA 2016-2021), approved by Regional Legislative Decree 20/2016/A of October 10.

The drafting of the PGRIA 2022-2027 aims to assess the impact generated by the programme of measures adopted in the previous planning cycle (2016-2021) as well as to review the current flood risk management plan, considering the likely impact of climate change on flooding.

The drafting process of PGRIA 2022-2027 was overseen by an advisory committee and was under public discussion from October 24 to November 24, 2023.

The estimated investment for implementing the measures proposed in the PGRIA 2022-2027 amounts to €18,093,000.00.