Government restructures organic laws of seven entities and strengthens powers of CEJURE

The Government has amended the organic laws of seven services and entities of the Public Administration through Decree-Law no. 207/2026, of November 2, published in the Diário da República, 1st series, no. 212. The diploma was approved in the Council of Ministers on July 23, 2026, promulgated by the President of the Republic, António José Martins Seguro, on October 28, and countersigned by the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, on the 29th. It enters into force on November 3 and creates the binding determinations of CEJURE, in addition to replacing the meal reimbursement for Government drivers with an automatic payment.

The preamble justifies the intervention with the need to adapt organizational models to the evolution of public policies and invokes “rationality, coherence and economy of the legislative process” to concentrate amendments to eight decree-laws into a single diploma. Article 1 lists the amendments: second to Decree-Law no. 473/85 (meals), fifth to Decree-Law no. 117-A/2012 (ESPAP, I. P.), fifth to Decree-Law no. 16/2016 (Fundo Azul), fifth to Decree-Law no. 42-A/2016 (Fundo Ambiental), seventh to Decree-Law no. 41/2023 (AIMA, I. P.), third to Decree-Law no. 68/2024 (CEJURE), first to Decree-Law no. 122/2024 (Agência para o Clima, I. P.) and second to Decree-Law no. 99/2025 (AGSE, I. P.).

Binding determinations with the Prime Minister’s endorsement

The new Article 4-B of Decree-Law no. 68/2024 creates determinations with binding force. It is the responsibility of the director of CEJURE or the director-general of DGDEI, upon proposal by the Board of Consultants, to submit for the Prime Minister’s approval determinations on legal issues relevant to the activity of the State administration, particularly regarding relations with private individuals. Once approved, they bind all organs of the direct and indirect administration of the State subject to powers of direction, superintendence, or tutelage.

The exercise of this competence requires a request from a member of the Government or the top executive of an organization, and the Prime Minister previously consults the ministers with competence over the matter. The binding force ceases whenever its compliance implies the commission of any crime, and the organs may be under the duty to correct conduct already adopted, even in pending litigation. The new Article 4-A determines that CEJURE shall refrain from defending non-compliant positions in court that unjustifiably prolong litigation.

Board of Consultants and intermediate management

The Advisory Board, created as a new chapter iii, is chaired by the director of CEJURE and includes deputy directors and consultants, without the right to additional remuneration, cost allowances, or attendance fees. It meets ordinarily twice a month, possesses functional independence in its proposed determinations and, when the attributions of the DGDEI are concerned, includes the respective director-general as vice-president.

At AIMA, I. P., members of the board of directors are now equated to group B public company managers, and the middle management career is structured into three grades, with base remuneration fixed as a percentage of the board member’s salary: 80% for department directors, 70% for service directors, and 65% for unit coordinators. At ESPAP, I. P., the new Article 9-A subjects middle managers to a secondment (commission of service) and sets maximum limits of 75% for director, 65% for coordinator, and 50% for team leader, with the possibility of opting for the original remuneration.

Funds, Climate Agency, and succession of DGEstE

In the Blue Fund and the Environmental Fund, the sole auditor is now appointed for a five-year term, renewable only once, by order of the ministers of finance, environment, and sea, and there is no longer an administrative appeal against acts performed by ApC, I. P. as the manager of the funds. The Climate Agency, I. P. may assume the role of an intermediary body for national and European funds and applies the Public Manager Statute to the three terms of the board of directors.

Regarding AGSE, I. P., the attributions of the extinct DGEstE are now integrated into the agency, EduQA, I. P., CEJURE, and the CCDR, I. P., with EduQA, I. P. being responsible for the review of appeals regarding learning assessments. Appeals already submitted are forwarded officially, and the initial date is maintained for timeliness purposes, with effects deferred to July 1, 2026.

Driver Meals

Article 2 sets at 25% of the daily cost allowance the expense for meals for drivers of the offices of Government members and the Presidency of the Republic, personnel covered by Decree-Law no. 434-B1/82, and PSP officers providing personal security to Government members. The right arises when the travel covers mealtime and prevents taking it at the usual location, or when the service extends beyond 8:00 PM, on weekends, or on holidays.

Among the repealed norms are Article 2 of Decree-Law no. 473/85, paragraph 2 of Article 12-A of Decree-Law no. 16/2016, Article 18 of Decree-Law no. 68/2024, and Order no. 7757/2023.

The impact is immediate for the covered bodies: as of November 3, remuneration frameworks, personnel maps, and State legal aid rules change, and as of December 3, drivers will no longer submit reimbursement requests. For citizens and companies, the most relevant novelty is the possibility for the Prime Minister to approve uniform legal interpretations with binding force over the entire Administration, including the correction of conduct already adopted in pending processes.

Source: Diário da República, 1st series, no. 212, of November 2, 2026, section I (official reference: Decree-Law no. 207/2026).