The government will end the veto of municipalities to build a new airport in their area (such as the veto of Seixal and Moita for the construction of the new Lisbon International Airport in Montijo). The bill defining the new powers of municipalities in airport licensing will be approved by the Council of Ministers tomorrow, as announced yesterday by the head of government.
Then it goes to parliament, pending approval, if not by an absolute majority of the PS. The PSD – whose leader, Luís Montenegro, has been in talks with António Costa about the method to be followed to promote the construction of the new airport – has not yet cast its vote.
“This amendment to the law was not the reason for our talks. We are awaiting the presentation of the bill in parliament, as it has a pre-announced outcome, as the PS has an absolute majority,” said the social-democratic leader. yesterday. Also yesterday, Costa stated that there is already an agreement on the decision methodology “it is a decisive first step for us to have an agreement on the final solution”. However, he added that “if in the end there is no agreement, life is, whoever has the majority must use the majority”.
As for the powers of the municipalities, the Prime Minister (PM) stated that “they will have binding powers for class 1, 2 and 3 aerodromes, but not for category 4 aerodromes”. “As infrastructures of national importance, municipalities are considered, but of course they cannot determine a decision for the whole country”.
The Council of Ministers will also adopt a resolution which, according to António Costa, will “determine the method for implementation and the deadline for the strategic environmental assessment”.
The resolution stipulates that the AAE has a term of one year and is prepared as follows: a general coordinator of the team appointed by the Prime Minister, on the joint proposal of the President of the Supreme Council of Public Works, the President of the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities and President of the National Council for Environment and Sustainable Development.
This general coordinator selects the coordinators of six thematic areas of the AAE from a panel of experts appointed by the Council of Rectors of Portuguese Universities. They will have a budget, the authority to contract services and must present the respective report by the end of 2023. “After this report, we will be able to proceed with the deadline for the AAE’s public discussion, which is enforcing the law, and make a decision,” the prime minister said.
Costa also added another point agreed with the PSD: “Permission is now given to ANA to carry out the works to adapt Portela airport, works that are now possible and necessary to improve the operating conditions of this infrastructure. on Thursday we will already approve the resolution of the Council of Ministers.”
Apparently there are three scenarios for the new airport on the table: Alcochete, Montijo and Santarém (but the authors of the AAE can propose other solutions). Carlos Moedas yesterday pushed for an idea: “The airport should be close to Lisbon” because this is “extremely important for tourism” in the capital.
Source: DN
