Competences
Presidency of the Regional Government
The organisational structure of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores, approved by the Regional Implementing Decree no. 28/2020/A of December 10, 2020, reflects the decisions taken for the governance of the Azores, namely the strategic guidelines based on the public policies pursued by the XIII Regional Government.
It defines the competences of the departments of the XIII Regional Government of the Azores, with particular reference to Article 5, which defines the competences of the President of the Regional Government:
Article 5
Competences of the President of the Regional Government
1 - The President of the Regional Government holds specific powers conferred by the Portuguese Constitution, the Political and Administrative Statute of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and by law, and also the powers delegated by the Regional Government Council.
2 - The President of the Regional Government heads the departments, bodies, entities and structures of the Presidency of the Regional Government.
3 - The President of the Regional Government may delegate to any member of the Regional Government the powers and competences over matters that, under the terms of this statute, fall within the competences of the President, with the possibility of subdelegating them.
4 - The President of the Regional Government may delegate to any member of the Regional Government the powers and competences over the bodies and services dependent under the authority of the President, with the possibility of subdelegating them.
5 - The competences conferred by law or regulation on the Regional Government or on the Council of the Regional Government, under the current affairs of the Public Administration, shall be considered as delegated to the President of the Regional Government, with the possibility of subdelegating them to any member of the Regional Government.
6 - In addition to the competences of overall coordination, the President of the Regional Government exercises the powers granted by law to the Regional Government in the following areas:
a) Relations with sovereign bodies, with the Representative of the Portuguese Republic, with the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores and with European Union institutions;
b) International treaties and agreements directly concerning the Autonomous Region of the Azores;
c) Relations with external governmental entities;
d) European affairs;
e) External relations and cooperation;
f) Relations with security, justice and defence systems;
g) Media;
h) Parliamentary affairs;
i) Institutional communication;
j) Law-making and legislative initiatives;
k) Official Journal of the Autonomous Region of the Azores.
7 - Without prejudice to the coordination powers conferred on the President of the Regional Government, the responsibility for monitoring the Cooperation and Defence Agreement between Portugal and the United States of America will henceforth be delegated to the Vice-President of the Regional Government.
8 - Without prejudice to the coordination powers conferred on the President of the Regional Government, the powers provided for in subparagraphs d), e) and h) of paragraph 6 will henceforth be delegated to the Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency.
Article 6
Replacement of the President of the Regional Government
1 - In case of any absence or impediment, the President of the Regional Government shall be replaced by the Vice-President of the Regional Government or by the Regional Secretary appointed for that purpose.
2 - Pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph and in the event that no explicit indication is made, the replacement of the President of the Regional Government shall follow the order laid down in subparagraphs b) to l) of Article 2.
The Presidency of the Regional Government of the Azores is headquartered in the city of Ponta Delgada.
