Framework
Portugal 2030 materialises the Partnership Agreement established between Portugal and the European Commission, which sets the main strategic objectives for the application, between 2021 and 2027, of the overall amount of €23 billion.
The sum comes from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund) – €11.5 billion plus €139 million relating to European Territorial Cooperation (ETC); the European Social Fund (ESF+) – €7.8 billion; the Cohesion Fund – €3.1 billion; the Just Transition Fund – €224 million, and the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) – €393 million.
This sum is combined with transfers to the Connecting Europe Facility – €1.048 billion.
It is programmed around five strategic objectives of the European Union: a smarter, greener, better connected, more social Europe, closer to its citizens.
The strategic framework for Portugal 2030 is the Portugal 2030 Strategy, approved by Council of Ministers Resolution n.º 98/2020, of 13 November, structured around four theme-based agendas regarded as crucial to developing Portugal’s economy, society and territory in 2030.
Portugal 2030 is implemented through 12 programmes: four with a theme-based scope – Demography, qualifications and inclusion; Innovation and digital transition; Climate action and sustainability, and Sea; five Regional programmes, corresponding to the NUTS II of mainland Portugal, two of the Autonomous Regions and one for Technical Assistance. There are also the European Territorial Cooperation Programmes in which Portugal participates.
Together, these Programmes mobilise all available resources in a coordinated and consistent way, respecting the principles of simplification, transparency, partnership, effectiveness, efficiency, and result orientation.
The Portugal 2030 Partnership Agreement was approved on 12 July 2022 and signed on 14 July by the Portuguese Government and the European Commission; all programmes were approved by 15 December 2022.
Priorities
The Portugal 2030 programme is built around five strategic objectives (PO) plus one specific European Union objective.
A Smarter Portugal
Investing in research and innovation, digitisation (including digital connectivity), competitiveness and internationalisation of enterprises, skills for smart specialisation, industrial transition and entrepreneurship.
A more Connected Portugal
With strategic transport networks, based on a strong investment in railways, enhancing the mobility of people and goods, as well as the qualification of the territories, ensuring their attractiveness, competitiveness, and insertion in domestic and international markets.
Portugal Closer to citizens
Supporting development strategies at local level, promoting social and territorial cohesion, and supporting sustainable urban development, based on the concept of interconnected networks, centred on people’s needs.
A Greener Portugal
Geared towards the green transition, accompanying the climate emergency and incorporating the goals of decarbonisation, energy efficiency and strengthening of renewable energy, and supporting innovation, the circular economy and sustainable mobility.
A more Social Portugal
Supporting the improvement of the population’s qualifications, equal access to health care, promoting quality employment, social inclusion, following the priorities established in the European Pillar of Social Rights.
Portugal with a more Just transition
Ensuring that the transition to a sustainable and carbon-neutral economy is just.
Guiding principles
Portugal 2030 is guided by 8 principles:
Concentration
Concentrating the support from European funds on a limited number of strategic areas and types of intervention in order to maximise its impact on the economic, social, environmental and territorial dimensions, avoiding the dispersion of support and stimulating a more efficient mobilisation of resources.
Results orientation
Ensuring that the application of European funds is focused on the results to be achieved, based on their contractualisation, furthering the mechanisms of appropriation and accountability of the beneficiaries by consolidating practices aimed at conditioning incentives to the actual achievement of results.
Transparency and accountability
Reinforcing the mechanisms and practices of public information that already exist in the European Funds, continuing to disclose the support to be granted and actually granted, as well as the evaluation of the results achieved, namely via the ‘Mais Transparência’ Portal, among others.
Segregating management and conflict-of-interest prevention functions
Keeping the European Funds management model subordinated to the primacy of the strict separation of the functions of analysis and decision, payment, accounting, and audit and control.
Simplification
Continuing to reduce costs associated with management and deadlines, reflected in a reduction in programming levels; shortening the procedural intermediation chain, eliminating steps that do not add value; choosing simplified costs; reducing and simplifying promoters’ interactions with the system.
Openness to innovation
Implementing pilot projects and innovative territorial approaches in areas financed by European funds, demonstrating results related to the efficiency and effectiveness in public policies.
Subsidiarity
Furthering the process of decentralised adoption of decisions at the level where it is most efficient to do so; in the case of territorial agendas, matching the corresponding territorial level of decision-making on policies with the level of decision-making on funding.
Synergies between national and EU funding sources
Ensuring, both in terms of strategic and budgetary programming and in terms of monitoring and evaluation, an overview of the resources mobilised to support the Portugal 2030 Strategy.
Programmes
Portugal 2030 is implemented through 12 programmes, which allocate funds by area of activity (theme-based programmes) and by region (regional programmes).
Theme-based programmes
Pessoas 2030
Dedicated to demography, qualifications and inclusion, this programme has a budget of around €5.7 billion financed by ESF+ and is aimed at the least developed regions of mainland Portugal, although some of its measures may cover the Lisbon and Algarve regions.
It has interventions in the areas of active employment policies; education, professional and higher education training; combating material deprivation; social inclusion and equal opportunities, with interventions that, together, also contribute to tackling the demographic challenge, almost fully meeting the A More Social Portugal objective.
Sustentável 2030
Dedicated to climate action and sustainability, this programme This programme has a total of €3.1 billion financed by the Cohesion Fund and will have a national scope to respond to the challenges arising from sustainability and climate transition, with particular focus on the decarbonisation of the various sectors of the economy, making a strong contribution to meeting the national goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The interventions focus on energy transition (mainly via decarbonisation) and actions promoting the sustainability of resources and urban mobility, which contribute to the A Greener Portugal objective, as well as investments in the field of transport, namely railways and the maritime-port sector, under the A More Connected Portugal objective.
COMPETE 2030
Dedicated to Innovation and digital transition, this programme has a total of €3.9 billion financed by the ERDF and ESF+ and is aimed at the least developed regions of mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Regions to support innovation and competitiveness, energy transition, and skills for competitiveness.
Thus, it includes, under the A More Competitive Portugal objective, interventions in digitisation, research and innovation, and the growth and competitiveness of SMEs. Under the A Greener Portugal objective, it will support companies in decarbonisation projects and support the production of renewable energies, and under the A More Social Portugal objective it will support the adaptation of workers and companies to change.
Mar 2030
This programme This programme has a total of €393 million funded by the EMFAF aimed at the entire national territory, with the aim of supporting investments in fisheries sustainability, energy efficiency and decarbonisation, biodiversity, enhancement of fisheries products, and local development, contributing mainly to the A Greener Portugal objective and, to a lesser extent, to the A Closer Portugal objective.
Regional programmes
North
This programme has a total of €3.4 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the strategic objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives
It includes an allocation of €60 million to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the transition to carbon neutrality resulting from the closure of the Matosinhos refinery.
Lisboa 2030
This programme has a total of €381 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the strategic objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives
Algarve 2030
This programme has a total of €780 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the strategic objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives
Madeira 2030
This programme has a total of €760 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the Strategic Objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives.
Centro 2030
This programme has a total of €2.2 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the strategic objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives.
It includes an allocation of €65 million to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the transition to carbon neutrality resulting from the closure of the Pego refinery.
Alentejo 2030
This programme has a total of around €1.1 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the strategic objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives.
It includes an allocation of €99 million to mitigate the socio-economic impacts of the transition to carbon neutrality resulting from the closure of the Sines refinery.
Açores 2030
This programme has a total of around €1.1 million financed by the ERDF and ESF+. It is especially focused on territorial policies, which are reinforced by the decentralisation process underway in mainland Portugal and contributes to most of the strategic objectives, in particular the A Closer Portugal, A Greener Portugal, and A More Competitive Portugal objectives.
Technical Assistance Programme
Technical Assistance 2030
The Technical Assistance Programme, with an allocation of €168 million, is financed by the ERDF and has national scope to support the implementation of actions by the entities involved in the coordination and management of the funds, including the dimensions of monitoring, evaluation, communication, information systems and control, as well as the implementation of the roadmap for the empowerment of the European funds ecosystem.
European Territorial Cooperation
European Territorial Cooperation
Under the European Territorial Cooperation objective, Portugal participates in a number of Operational Programmes that are being programmed and negotiated, in partnership with other relevant Member States, with regard to cross-border, transnational and outermost regions aspects, and with other Member States and the European Commission, with regard to interregional aspects.
Overall figures
Origin of the funds
The overall amount of Portugal 2030 comes from several funds.
| European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) | European Social Fund Plus | FC * – Cohesion Fund | JTF – Just Transition Fund | EU Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund | TOTAL (M€) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 497 | 7 497 | 3 399 | 224 | 379 | 22 995 |
| + | |||||
| Transfer to the Connecting Europe Facility programme | 1 048 | ||||
| Territorial Cooperation | 139 | ||||
| 24 182 | |||||
* Against the values set by the Commission, Portugal transferred €280 million from the CF to ESF+ and €14 million from the CF to the EMFAF.
Distribution of funds by strategic objectives
Distribution of the amounts of Portugal 2030 funds by strategic objectives (PO) of the Cohesion Policy.
| Strategic Objective | European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) | ESF+ – European Social Fund Plus | CF – Cohesion Fund | JTF – Just Transition Fund | EMFAF – EU Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund | TOTAL (M€) | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarter Portugal (OP1) | 5 261 | 5 261 | 23% | ||||
| Greener Portugal (OP2) | 3 492 | 1 633 | 341 | 5 466 | 24% | ||
| More Connected Portugal (OP3) | 433 | 1 394 | 1 827 | 8% | |||
| More Social Portugal (OP4) | 493 | 7 502 | 7 995 | 35% | |||
| A Closer Portugal (OP5) | 1 526 | 34 | 1 560 | 7% | |||
| JTF | 224 | 224 | 1% | ||||
| Technical assistance | 291 | 275 | 78 | 18 | 662 | 3% | |
| Total (M€) | 11 497 | 7 777 | 3105 | 224 | 393 | 22 995 | 100% |
| 50% | 34% | 14% | 1% | 2% |
Distribution of funds by programme
Distribution of Portugal 2030 funds across the 12 programmes.
| Programmes | European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) | ESF+ – European Social Fund Plus | CF – Cohesion Fund | JTF – Just Transition Fund | EMFAF – EU Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund | TOTAL (M€) | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theme-based programmes | 3 505 | 6 091 | 3105 | 393 | 13 094 | 57% | |
| COMPETE 2030 | 3 505 | 400 | 3 905 | ||||
| Sustentável 2030 | 3105 | 3 105 | |||||
| PESSOAS 2030 | 5 691 | 5 691 | |||||
| Mar 2030 | 393 | 393 | |||||
| Mainland Regional Programmes | 6 702 | 907 | 224 | 7 833 | 34% | ||
| Norte 2030 | 2 973 | 362 | 60 | 3 395 | |||
| Centro 2030 | 1 867 | 240 | 65 | 2 172 | |||
| Alentejo 2030 | 876 | 130 | 99 | 1 104 | |||
| Lisboa 2030 | 318 | 63 | 381 | ||||
| Algarve 2030 | 668 | 112 | 780 | ||||
| Regional programmes of the autonomous regions | 1 121 | 779 | 1 900 | 8% | |||
| Açores 2030 | 680 | 460 | 1 140 | ||||
| Madeira 2030 | 441 | 319 | 760 | ||||
| Technical Assistance 2030 | 168 | 0 | 168 | 1% | |||
| Total (M€) | 11 497 | 7 777 | 3105 | 224 | 393 | 22 995 | 100% |
Distribution of Portugal 2030 amounts by programmes and strategic objectives
Distribution of the amounts of Portugal 2030 funds by strategic objectives (PO) of the Cohesion Policy.
| Programmes | OP1 | OP2 | OP3 | OP4 | OP5 | JTF – Just Transition Fund | TA – Technical Assistance | TOTAL (M€) | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theme-based programmes | 2 567 | 2 789 | 1 394 | 6 001 | 34 | 308 | 13 094 | 57% | |
| COMPETE 2030 | 2 567 | 815 | 400 | 123 | 3 905 | ||||
| Sustentável 2030 | 1 633 | 1 394 | 78 | 3 105 | |||||
| Pessoas 2030 | 5 601 | 90 | 5 691 | ||||||
| Mar 2030 | 341 | 34 | 18 | 393 | |||||
| Mainland Regional Programmes | 2 259 | 2 354 | 280 | 1 080 | 1 479 | 224 | 156 | 7 833 | 34% |
| Norte 2030 | 1 000 | 913 | 95 | 501 | 765 | 60 | 61 | 3 395 | |
| Centro 2030 | 629 | 663 | 105 | 266 | 400 | 65 | 44 | 2 172 | |
| Alentejo 2030 | 234 | 315 | 81 | 144 | 213 | 99 | 19 | 1 104 | |
| Lisboa 2030 | 170 | 95 | 56 | 47 | 12 | 381 | |||
| Algarve 2030 | 225 | 368 | 114 | 72 | 35 | 780 | |||
| Regional programmes of the autonomous regions | 468 | 316 | 191 | 848 | 36 | 41 | 1 899 | 8% | |
| Açores 2030 | 249 | 194 | 127 | 530 | 16 | 23 | 1 140 | ||
| Madeira 2030 | 219 | 121 | 64 | 317 | 20 | 18 | 760 | ||
| Technical Assistance 2030 | 169 | 169 | 1% | ||||||
| Total M€ | 5 305 | 5 378 | 1 944 | 7 883 | 1 567 | 224 | 691 | 22 995 | 100% |
Coordination with national strategies and programmes
Theme-based alignment of the 2030 Strategy
Theme-based Agendas Portugal 2030
The Portugal 2030 Strategy is structured around four theme-based agendas:
Agenda 1 – People First: a better demographic balance, greater inclusion, less inequality
1.1 Demographic sustainability
1.2 Promoting inclusion and fighting exclusion
1.3 Resilience of the health system
1.4. Ensuring decent and affordable housing
1.5 Combating inequality and discrimination
PO4 A More Social Europe
Agenda 2 – Innovation, Digitisation and Qualifications as drivers for development
2.1 Promoting the knowledge society
2.2 Business innovation
2.3 Qualification of human resources
2.4 Qualification of institutions
PO1 A Smarter Europe | PO4 A More Social Europe
Agenda 3 – Climate transition and resource sustainability
3.1 Decarbonising society and promoting energy transition
3.2 Making the economy circular
3.3 Reducing risks and enhancing the value of environmental assets
3.4 Sustainable agriculture and forestry
3.5 Sustainable economy of the sea
PO2 A Greener Europe
Agenda 4 – An externally competitive and internally cohesive country
4.1 Competitiveness of urban networks
4.2 Competitiveness and cohesion in low density
4.3 Projection of the Atlantic coastline
4.4 Territorial Insertion in the Iberian Market
PO1 A Smarter Europe | PO2 A Greener Europe | PO3 A More Connected Europe | PO4 A More Social Europe | PO5 A Closer Europe
At the regional dimension, social and economic development strategies were prepared at the level of each NUTS II, which take into account the priorities set out in the Portugal 2030 Strategy, in addition to integrating the consultation of different regional, sub-regional and local players. These strategies can be consulted on the CCDR and Regional Government websites.
Relation of the theme-based agendas with Portugal 2030 and the RRP
| 2030 Strategy | Theme-based Agendas | Portugal 2030 | RRP | Total RRP + PT 2030 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| People First: A better demographic balance, more inclusion, less inequality | 3 865 | 17% | 5 236 | 31% | 9 102 | 23% |
| Digitisation, Innovation and Qualification as Drivers for Development | 8 329 | 36% | 6 397 | 38% | 14 723 | 37% |
| Climate Transition and Resource Sustainability | 4 779 | 21% | 4 187 | 25% | 8 966 | 23% |
| An Externally Competitive and Internally Cohesive Country | 5 329 | 23% | 823 | 5% | 6 152 | 16% |
| Technical assistance | 693 | 693 | ||||
| Total | 22 995 | 100% | 16 444 | 100% | 39 639 | 100% |
Note: Theme-based concentrations associated with climate change in the RRP (37%) and in Portugal 2030 (37% in the Cohesion Fund and 30% in the ERDF) are achieved through contributions from most of the theme-based agendas of the 2030 Strategy.
Distribution of Portugal 2030 and RRP amounts across the theme-based agendas of the 2030 Strategy
| Strategic Objective | Agenda 1 | Agenda 2 | Agenda 3 | Agenda 4 | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Smarter Portugal (OP1) | 4 728 | 577 | 5 305 | ||
| Greener Portugal (OP2) | 4 779 | 613 | 5 392 | ||
| More Connected Portugal (OP3) | 1 930 | 1 930 | |||
| More Social Portugal (OP4) | 3 865 | 3 600 | 418 | 7 883 | |
| Closer Portugal (OP5) | 1 567 | 1 567 | |||
| JTF – Just Transition Fund | 224 | 224 | |||
| Technical assistance | 693 | ||||
| Total | 3 865 | 8 329 | 4 779 | 5 329 | 22 995 |
| 17% | 36% | 21% | 23% | 100% | |
| RRP | 5 236 | 6 397 | 4 187 | 823 | 16 644 |
| 31% | 38% | 25% | 5% | 100% | |
| Portugal 2030 + RRP | 9 102 | 14 726 | 8 966 | 6 152 | 39 639 |
| 23% | 37% | 23% | 16% | 100% |
Alignment with the RRP
Relation of the strategic objectives with RRP components
Portugal 2030 is also aligned with the components of the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan. The combined mobilisation of the planned funding provides a reinforced capacity to transform Portugal’s economy, society and territory.
| 2021-2027 Partnership Agreement | Recovery and Resilience Plan | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Resilience | Climate Transition | Digital transition | ||||||||||||||||||
| C01 | C02 | C03 | C04 | C05 | C06 | C07 | C08 | C09 | C10 | C11 | C12 | C13 | C14 | C15 | C16 | C17 | C18 | C19 | C20 | |
| A Smarter Portugal (OP1) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| A Greener Portugal (OP2) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| A more Connected Portugal (OP3) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| A more Social Portugal (OP4) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Portugal Closer to citizens (OP5) | ||||||||||||||||||||
Alignment with other instruments
Relation of the strategic objectives with other European funding
Portugal 2030 is complemented by other European instruments to support economic and social development centrally managed by the European Commission.
| 2021-2027 Partnership Agreement | Other relevant European funding | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| InvestEU | CEF | Horizon Europe | Digital Europe | EU Special Programme | PARE/IAT | Single Market Program | Erasmus + | Health Program | FAMI | LIFE Programme | PEPAC | IPCEI | ||
| A Smarter Portugal (OP1) | ||||||||||||||
| A Greener Portugal (OP2) | ||||||||||||||
| A more Connected Portugal (OP3) | ||||||||||||||
| A more Social Portugal (OP4) | ||||||||||||||
| Portugal Closer to citizens (OP5) | ||||||||||||||