Lisboñ, Oct. 2, 2026 (Lusa) - Portugal faces 102 infringement proceedings in Brussels for failing to transpose European directives, Quercus reported Friday, urging the government to submit immediate transposition proposals to maintain compliance and avoid financial penalties.
In a statement, the environmental organisation Quercus explained that around a third of the active cases relate to the environment (21), energy (12) and climate action (three).
«Around 35% of the active cases, i.e. more than a third, relate to areas directly linked to nature conservation, energy transition and climate action. These figures highlight the opportunity for increased political commitment and investment in matters that are crucial for the country's future, public health, ecological balance and citizens' quality of life», the Quercus statement noted.
The focus is on the ongoing process of transposing directives into national law, such as the one strengthening consumers' rights to the repair of goods; Portugal is working to complete this task, and the European Commission opened infringement proceedings on 25 September.
Quercus adds that, «on that same day, the Portuguese government also needed to complete the full transposition of the recast Directive on Hydrogen and Decarbonised Gas (EU) 2024/1788 and the Directive on Industrial and Livestock Emissions (EU) 2024/1785.
The first concerns the «integration of renewable and low-carbon gases, notably hydrogen, whilst ensuring security of energy supply and affordable prices for all citizens of the European Union», whilst the second «seeks to tighten the rules on emissions' reduction, (…) reduce the use of hazardous chemicals and create a new right to compensation for health damage caused by illegal pollution».
Quercus also highlights the opportunity to accelerate the transposition of another directive on the fight against ‘greenwashing', so the Portuguese public can benefit from its provisions, which have been in force since 27 September but remain unimplemented in Portugal.
«The timely transposition and implementation of European Union environmental law is not a mere administrative formality. These failures have real costs for public resources and, ultimately, for taxpayers,» stated Quercus, citing the example of Portugal's condemnation by the Court of Justice of the European Union in March this year.
The matter concerns the need to fully implement a judgement related to the country's 61 conservation areas, and the European court imposed a fine of €10 million, plus a daily penalty of €41,250 «until the judgement is fully implemented».
For these reasons, Quercus is demanding that the government take immediate measures to transpose the three overdue directives that led to the opening of infringement proceedings on 25 September, «responding to the European Commission within the deadlines, to prevent the cases from proceeding to the Court of Justice of the European Union and to avoid any financial penalties».
It also calls for a strategy to monitor the transposition of directives, with a public timetable, «to put an end to the cycle of delays»; civil society involvement; and the human and technical resources required for monitoring.
The environmental organisation, which says it will continue «to monitor these cases closely and to press for Portugal to fulfil the commitments it has made», also announced it will compile an open-access database of all active infringement proceedings to «enhance transparency and public scrutiny».
IMA/ADB // ADB.
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