Brussels, April 29, 2026 (Lusa) – The European Commission (EC) opened legal proceedings against the Portuguese state on Wednesday, citing "discrimination against fixed-term workers" in the public sector, saying that these employees lack the same salary progression conditions as those with permanent contracts.
The European Commission sent a formal notice to Portugal on Wednesday, marking the first step of an infringement process, saying that the state is failing to comply with a European directive which "prohibits discrimination against fixed-term workers".
"Portuguese law prevents fixed-term workers in the public sector from progressing on the salary scale, unlike permanently contracted staff who perform the same duties and undergo the same evaluations," it said. It added that this practice "represents discrimination, contrary to EU law."
It has therefore sent a letter of formal notice to Portugal, which now has two months to respond or to "correct the failures" identified.
"In the absence of a satisfactory response, the European Commission may decide to issue a reasoned opinion," it said, referring to the second stage of an infringement process.
In Wednesday's April infringement package, it moved to the second stage of a separate process against Portugal and eight other Member States. These countries have failed to transpose a directive on gender equality in corporate boardrooms into national law.
The directive requires large EU companies to ensure that "the under-represented sex occupies 40% of non-executive director positions and 30% of all director positions." It said that the deadline to transpose this directive expired on 28 December 2024. To date, Portugal, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia, Cyprus, Latvia, Hungary, Austria, and Poland "have still not communicated full transposition measures, despite being granted sufficient time."
"Consequently, the Commission has decided to issue a reasoned opinion to these nine member states, which now have two months to respond and take the necessary measures," it said.
Should they fail to do so, the European Commission warned it may "decide to refer the cases to the EU Court of Justice, with requests for the imposition of financial penalties."
TA/RYOL // AYLS
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