OECD ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE REVIEW OF PORTUGAL
Key recommendations Towards sustainable development ADDRESSING KEY ENVIRONMENTAL CHALLENGES z
Continue efforts to ensure sustainable financing of water services and infrastructure including by improving municipalities’ cost accounting capacity and updating tariffs where they provide the service directly.
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Raise water abstraction charges for agriculture, strengthen capacity to monitor abstractions, enforce water licensing regulations and limit new abstraction permits in over-allocated basins.
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Accelerate the passing on of municipal waste management costs to households through dedicated identifiable charges uncoupled from the water bill, as part of wider awareness-raising campaigns to move up the waste hierarchy; develop separate collection of waste.
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Increase allocations to protected areas management under the new common agricultural policy 2023‑27 and assess the environmental impact of measures implemented.
ENHANCING POLICY COHERENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
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Carry on efforts to ensure the transparent and effective implementation of programmes financed with EU funds, prioritising investments with the highest social return.
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Complete the evaluation of the green tax reform with a view to applying the polluter pays principle more consistently and supporting a green and inclusive recovery; identify potentially environmentally damaging supports and phase out those not justified on economic, environmental or social grounds.
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Gradually close the tax gap between diesel and petrol, remove the preferential circulation tax treatment for older vehicles to rejuvenate the fleet and steer towards cleaner vehicles.
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Vary toll prices with vehicle emissions; further develop low emission zones with strict standards in cities exceeding air quality limits and ensure their effective enforcement.
