STRUCTURE and OPERATION of LOCAL and REGIONAL DEMOCRACY Portugal
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STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY Portugal PORTUGAL Structure Territorial territoriale set -up 230 231 235 232 237VIANA 228DO 229 281 CASTELO 58 233 234 243 48 43 240 236 46 239 286 34 44 249 283 42 VILA REAL BRAGANÇA 57 278 39 35 BRAGA36 37 52 250 53 51 40 246 41 280 189 45 38 244 306 179 242 47 276 192 190 251 56 54 282 279 307 238 185 181 177 182 191 248 247 49 277 184 PORTO 55 285 287 188 186 241 245 180 187 183 178 266 252 284 193 264 256 270 130 50 255 7 6 271 RAA 9 258 263 4 269 125 16 254 15 273 120 13 19 267 117 129 10 8 VISEU 268 17 261 126 2 289 AVEIRO 275 274 262 290 292 5 121 GUARDA 12 119 118 288 293 291 1 257 272 260 123 18 14 122 3 77 259 253 71 265 128 124 127 11 80 82 85 59 294 61 79 72 86 70 74 COIMBRA 65 76 62 73 75 81 84 78 137 83 CASTELO BRANCO 64 145 133 143 63 LEIRIA 138 60 132 67 140 139 214 204 66 68 69 134 141 211 206 146 210 131 212 173 195 213 166 203 170 136 201 194 171 142 205 144 207 209 135 SANTARÉM 167 175 155 151 197 200 PORTALEGRE 174 162 199 196 160 163 147 150 164 169 LISBOA 208 172 165 159 156 149 161 202 176 93 168 154 198 90 158 308 88 89 148 221 100 152 153 216 157 221 98 217 218 220 92 ÉVORA 224 222 96 87 91 225 226 97 215 99 94 95 SETBAL 22 26 33 219 23 29 27 301 223 24 227 32 20 BEJA MAINLAND PORTUGAL RAM CONTINENTMunicipalities PORTUGAIS (278) 25 300 MunicipalitésDistricts (18) (278) 295 305 304 31 28 Districts (18) 30 299 298 302 Azores autonomous region 296 303 REGION AUTONOME DE AÇORES 297 21 Municipalities (19) 102 Municipalités (19) Madeira autonomous region 103 109 104 113 REGIONMunicipalities AUTONOME (11) DE MADERE 108 Municipalités (11) 111 FARO 114 107 112 116 115 106 101 105 110 STRUCTURE AND OPERATION OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL DEMOCRACY Portugal Situation in 2006 /rench edition: Structure et fonctionnement de la démocratie locale et régionale : Portugal Studies appearing in the series —Structure and operation of local and regional democracy“: 1st edition 1992: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland. 1993: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Turkey, United Kingdom. 2nd edition The second edition of the files was started in 1996. It will include an individual file for each of the member states of the Council of Europe. Already published: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, —the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia“, Turkey, United Kingdom. 3rd edition (brochure series) The third edition of the files was started in 2004. Files on individual countries are no longer published with an ISBN. 2004: Czech Republic; Hungary 2006: Belgium, Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal For further information, please contact: Directorate of Co-operation for Local and Regional Democracy DG I œ Legal Affairs Council of Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Tel.: +33 (0)3 88 41 24 14 Fax: +33 (0)3 88 41 27 84 e-mail [email protected] Reproduction is authorised provided the source is mentioned. Council of Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex © Council of Europe, June 2006 Printed at the Council of Europe 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. LEGAL BASIS ............................................................................................................. 3 1.1. Constitutional provisions .............................................................................................. 3 1.2. Main legislative texts .................................................................................................... 4 2. STRUCTURE OF LOCAL/REGIONAL AUTHORITIES............................................... 5 2.1. Main subdivisions ......................................................................................................... 5 2.2. Statistical data.............................................................................................................. 6 2.3. Special structures......................................................................................................... 8 2.4 Regulations governing changes in structures ............................................................ 18 2.5. General units of state administration at local/regional level and their relationship to local/regional authorities............................................................................................. 19 3. ORGANS OF EACH CATEGORY OF LOCAL OR REGIONAL AUTHORITY.......... 21 3.1. Deliberative body........................................................................................................ 21 3.2. Executive body ........................................................................................................... 22 3.3. Political head - Head of the administration................................................................. 23 3.4. Division of powers and responsibilities between the different organs ........................ 23 3.5. Legal provisions concerning the internal structures of local/regional authorities ....... 25 4. DIRECT CITIZEN PARTICIPATION IN DECISION-MAKING.................................... 25 4.1. Local/regional referendums........................................................................................ 25 4.2. Other forms of direct participation .............................................................................. 26 5. CONDITIONS OF OFFICE OF LOCAL ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES................ 28 6. DISTRIBUTION OF POWERS BETWEEN THE VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF LOCAL AND REGIONAL AUTHORITIES ................................................................. 30 6.1. Principles governing the distribution of powers .......................................................... 30 6.2. Responsibilities of local and regional authorities........................................................ 31 6.3. Participation of local/regional authorities in national planning.................................... 39 6.4. Tasks delegated to local or regional authorities......................................................... 39 6.5. Proposals for changes in the distribution of powers................................................... 39 2 8. CO-OPERATION AND OTHER TYPES OF RELATIONS BETWEEN LOCAL/REGIONAL AUTHORITIES.......................................................................... 40 7.1. Institutionalised co-operation...................................................................................... 40 7.2. Legislative provisions concerning associations of local authorities at national and regional levels ............................................................................................................ 43 7.3. Co-operation between local/regional authorities in different countries....................... 43 8. FINANCE ................................................................................................................... 43 8.1. Taxes.......................................................................................................................... 43 8.2. Grants......................................................................................................................... 44 8.3. Financial equalisation................................................................................................. 46 8.4. Other sources of income ............................................................................................ 48 8.5. Borrowing ................................................................................................................... 49 9. CONTROLS OVER LOCAL AUTHORITIES ............................................................. 50 10. REMEDIES FOR INDIVIDUALS AGAINST DECISIONS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES52 11. LOCAL ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL ................................................................ 53 12. REFORMS ENVISAGED OR IN PROGRESS ........................................................... 54 3 1. LEGAL BASIS 1.1. Constitutional provisions The Constitution of the Republic of Portugal lays down detailed rules governing local authorities and expressly establishes the principles of self-government and decentralisation. Article 6 (1) of the Constitution provides that —the state shall be a unitary one organised according to the principles of local self-government and the democratic decentralisation of public administration“. The whole of Section VIII of Part III is devoted to local government. Its provisions: œ define local authorities as territorial bodies corporate with representative organs whose purpose is to further the interests of the local population (Article 235); œ establish the categories of local authorities, namely parishes, municipalities and administrative regions (Article 236); œ recognise the existence of specific functions regulated by law in accordance with the principle of administrative decentralisation (Article 237); œ recognise the principle of autonomy of finances and assets: local authorities have their own assets and own financial resources (Article 238); œ specify the structure of local authority organs, providing for a deliberative assembly and a corporate executive body (Article 239); œ grant local authorities their own powers to issue regulations, within the limits of the Constitution and of the laws and regulations of higher local authorities or authorities