EU Court of Justice fines Portugal €10m for failing to protect biodiversity
Change
The EU Court of Justice fined Portugal €10m and ordered it to pay €41,250 per day until 55 designated habitat sites are brought into compliance, with the daily penalty reduced by €750 for each site that meets protection requirements.
Why it matters
Portugal is now under a binding legal obligation to secure full habitat protections for the specified sites rather than relying on partial or delayed measures. Continued non-compliance will directly translate into accumulating daily financial liability, forcing agencies to prioritise enforceable conservation steps immediately.
Implications
- • Portugal's national environmental agency and regional protected-area management authorities must enact and enforce the legally required protection measures for each of the 55 sites immediately, or the state will continue to incur the daily penalty specified by the court.
- • Portugal's finance ministry must allocate funds to cover the ongoing daily fines until non-compliant sites are remedied, or the state will face escalating liabilities charged under the court order.
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