Communiqué from the Council of the Government - Communication

The Council of the Government, which met on October 16, 2024, in the city of Horta, adopted the following measures:

1. Adopt the Resolution approving the Azores 2030 Education Strategy (EEA2030).

Education is both the driving force and the reflection of Autonomy.

The expression of the Autonomy of the Azores must prioritise Education, empowering us for our future and taking into account our unique condition.

Our remoteness and double territorial dispersion, both regarding our distance from Mainland Portugal and the European continent and between the nine islands, challenge us in a more distinctive and demanding way.

For this reason, Autonomy calls for us to defend it and use it wisely and effectively.

The development indicators registered in the Region highlight the need to define a strategy that ensures over time and does not have to fluctuate between political cycles. It is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals presented by the UN and the European assumptions defined in the European Education Area and the Portugal 2030 strategy.

The aim is to present a structural policy based on principles that are fundamentally geared towards promoting the success of every student in the Autonomous Region of the Azores.

Over the last few years, the Azores have made progress in social matters, especially education. European funds have greatly contributed to this, supporting the improvement of qualifications and educational facilities in the Region, and mitigating social inequalities. However, there are still challenges in these areas and in terms of demographics, which particularly affect the smaller islands and the more peripheral municipalities. These challenges need to be addressed, and, in this regard, the Azores 2030 Programme is an important funding instrument for this purpose until the end of the decade.

This strategy mobilises other European, national and regional funding sources, with a view to complementarity and respect for the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality. These include the Recovery and Resilience Plan, Erasmus+ and the Regional Plan and Budget.

The Azores 2030 Education Strategy is aligned with European strategies, the Regional Strategy to Fight Poverty and Social Exclusion and the Regional Agenda for Vocational Training. It focuses on enhancing the qualifications of Azoreans, ensuring inclusive and quality education while addressing the demographic challenges faced by the Azores.

It aims to expand Azorean knowledge, build scientific links and contribute to strengthening the identity of all Azoreans, thus affirming the Region and honouring Autonomy.

In line with the new Teaching Career Statute for the Autonomous Region of the Azores, this strategy also intends to attract the most promising and interested young people of the new generations to teaching.

It also seeks to play a crucial role in promoting an inclusive, equitable, fairer and more prosperous society, making Azoreans active, responsible, resilient, committed and participatory individuals.

2. Approve the Resolution authorising the expenditure and the decision to procure, by direct award procedure, for reasons of imperative urgency provided for by law, the supply and assembly of an integrated monitoring solution for the Modular Hospital - Divino Espírito Santo Hospital (HDES); the supply and assembly of various pieces of equipment for the operating rooms; the supply and assembly of a ventilation system, magnetic resonance monitoring, intensive care ventilation and a comprehensive ultrasound solution; the supply and assembly of neonatology equipment, anaesthesia equipment, imaging equipment, equipment for clinical use, intensive care pendants, video surgery/laparoscopy towers, and an integrated infusion therapy solution.

Following the damage caused by the fire in the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital building on May 4, a state of public disaster was declared in the Autonomous Region of the Azores for a period of one year, with a view to restoring normal operations.

The HDES Working Group has identified several urgent actions that need to be taken, including the construction of a Modular Hospital, which is underway and nearing completion, and the need to fit it out with medical equipment, which should be swift and enable the modular structure to be put into operation very soon.

The first procedure to take place in the context of the imperative urgency of responding to the replacement of response capacity in urgent and emergency health care was the works contract for the "design and construction of a modular support building for HDES." It is now important to carry out the necessary procedures to acquire the medical equipment to be installed in this hospital unit to guarantee its full operation as soon as possible, ensuring the resumption of health care provision to the population.

The leasing and installation in the modular hospital concerns the following equipment: integrated monitoring solution; equipment for the operating rooms; ventilation system, magnetic resonance monitoring, intensive care ventilation and comprehensive ultrasound solution; neonatology equipment, anaesthesia equipment, imaging equipment, and equipment for clinical use.

3. Approve the Resolution authorising the allocation of financial support to enable individual entrepreneurs to share the costs of setting up a commercial company, and approving the respective regulations.

The programme of the XIV Government of the Azores envisages the promotion of the competitiveness of Azorean companies, cutting red tape, speeding up responses, strengthening the resilience of the regional business fabric and boosting effective salary increases. And in doing so, creating a capitalisation system tailored to the regional business fabric.

In line with the Programme of the Government, the Council of the Government approved this Resolution. It ensures the continuity of financial support aimed at covering the costs incurred in converting individual entrepreneurs into commercial companies, so as to enable access to crucial tools for business capitalisation. It also provides better conditions for the resilience of the regional business fabric, as is the case with the Capitalisation Fund for Azorean Companies and the Construir 2030 Incentive System.

4. Approve the Resolution transferring, permanently and free of charge, the urban property located at Rua de Mãe de Deus, parish of São Pedro, municipality of Ponta Delgada, which includes the Jácome Correia Playing Field, to the Municipality of Ponta Delgada.

This Resolution aims to legalise the land registry of this urban property, which includes the Jácome Correia Playing Field, thus enabling the municipality to guarantee the conditions for making the appropriate investments to improve the conditions for the practice of sport on that playing field.

5. Approve the Resolution authorising the Regional Secretariat for Agriculture and Food to grant aid for the recovery of the traditional fig-growing landscape in the"currais" (stone-walled fields) on the island of Pico, up to a maximum amount of €100,000.00.

Fig growing is centuries old on the island of Pico and has long been associated with vine growing, particularly in the area of the Pico Island Vineyard Protected Landscape, classified by Unesco as a world heritage site, and its buffer zone.

It is pertinent to recover this traditional crop on the island of Pico, from which many farmers once made significant income, either by using the fruit and its derivatives for direct consumption or by industrially processing them into fig brandy, a local speciality.

It is crucial to recover, consolidate and promote agricultural activity in this important and symbolic World Heritage landscape and, concurrently, recover the corresponding building heritage.

There is great interest in recovering and promoting the production of an agricultural product, namely in organic production, for fresh consumption, or its industrial by-product, such as the famous fig brandy, a production of high commercial value and specific to this island.

Encouraging the recovery of this traditional crop could improve the income of local farmers, increase agricultural diversification, recover genetic heritage, preserve traditional species and varieties, and consolidate regional agricultural production, acknowledging the value of regional products.

6. Approve the Resolution recognising the recovery of the footpath between Porto Velho and the Altio Natural Pools, located in the parish and municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores, as a matter of significant public interest.

The Municipality of Santa Cruz das Flores intends to carry out renovation works on this path, as it has become dilapidated due to the destruction of some sections by sea erosion.

The footpath between Porto Velho and the Altio Natural Swimming Pools is popular among tourists and locals during the summer season, making its maintenance important for accessibility.

This intervention provides the community and other passersby with an opportunity for contemplation and enjoyment of a portion of the northeastern coast of Flores Island, as this path is intended to provide access in an equally natural and native way to the Altio Natural Pools.

The implementation of the route also includes cliff consolidation works, under the terms indicated by the Regional Civil Engineering Laboratory, given that the current condition of the route poses a danger to users.

7. Approve the Regional Implementing Decree establishing the organisational structure and management staff of the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures.

The approval of this new organisational structure and management staff of the Regional Secretariat for Tourism, Mobility and Infrastructures stems from the need to bring it into line with the organisational structure of the XIV Regional Government of the Azores.

8. Approve the Resolution renewing the preventive measures applicable to the runway expansion area and the obstacle protection area of Pico Aerodrome.

The Regional Government has demonstrated diligence and commitment to pursuing the processes leading to the possibility of expanding the runway of Pico Aerodrome.

Following the results of the preliminary study conducted for the expansion of the runway of Pico Aerodrome, the Government decided that it should request a complementary study with a planimetric and altimetric definition of the runway, with various configurations/extensions of the runway, either to the west or to the east, or a combination of both, with rotation of the runway, resulting in a take-off runway length of 2,345.0m (TORA), allowing A321 Neo, A320 Neo, A320 Ceo, B737-900, B737-800 and B737-700 aircraft to operate without operational limitations or minimum limitations.

As this study is underway, it is essential to maintain measures to prevent future or ongoing actions that seriously and irreversibly damage the area to be affected by the runway expansion.

The Regional Government maintains a firm commitment to the island of Pico regarding the expansion of the Pico runway. However, this will only be possible if the technical conditions of the indicated alternatives are guaranteed, whose feasibility needs to be analysed.

9. Approve the Resolution extending the term of office of the Destination Sustainability Management Structure (DMO).

The Autonomous Region of the Azores, through the DMO, is currently working towards obtaining Gold certification from EarthCheck in 2024.

The ongoing certification process requires maintaining the administrative management of the destination's certification process. This is in line with the target set out in the Strategic and Marketing Plan for Tourism in the Azores (PEMTA) 2030 to reach the Platinum level by 2029.

Since the DMO, among other duties, is responsible for preparing and promoting the implementation of the Region's planning, management and monitoring tools regarding the sustainability of the Azores Tourism Destination, the approval of PEMTA 2030 and the beginning of the POTRAA (Regional Tourism Management Plan) revision process entails maintaining specialised technical support for the sustainability of both tools.

This Resolution reformulates some of the DMO's responsibilities and extends its term of office until December 31, 2029.

10. Approve the Regional Implementing Decree establishing the organisational structure and management staff of the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment.

The approval of this new organisational structure and management staff of the Regional Secretariat for Youth, Housing and Employment stems from the need to bring it into line with the organisational structure of the XIV Regional Government of the Azores.

11. Approve the Resolution maintaining financial support for the 2024/2025 school year to cover the funding costs of regional vocational schools.

One of the goals of the XIV Programme of the Government of the Azores is the continued commitment to enhancing vocational education, in close coordination with regional vocational schools.

This Resolution maintains the financial support for the 2024/2025 school year to cover the funding costs of vocational schools in the Region.

The maximum amount of bank financing available to vocational schools in the Region is set at €5,000,000.00 for the 2024/2025 school year.

12. Approve the Resolution authorising the signing of a contract-programme between the Autonomous Region of the Azores and the University of the Azores, amounting to €252,569.28, to support the technological modernisation of the Pico Mountain Observatory.

The Pico Mountain Observatory is a multi-purpose research infrastructure of international relevance.

Its privileged position provides an unrivalled opportunity for long-term studies of aerosols and gases transported by air masses over long distances, the study of local volcanic phenomena and distant volcanic plumes and the acquisition of baseline data for the validation of space observation platforms in the North Atlantic. It is also a test bed for research and industry for the development of instrumentation and technology for extreme environments.

The modernisation of the infrastructure, the existence of a specialised and adequate team, and stable operational funding will allow the Pico Mountain Observatory to be established as a reference observation station. It will also integrate the European (ACTRIS) and global (GAW) monitoring networks, consolidating the Azores' scientific reputation and access to cutting-edge knowledge while facilitating access to funding and collaboration opportunities provided by these international research networks.