Infringement of the Habitats Directive: Portugal fined €10 m for "double failure"

The Portuguese Republic has been ordered to pay a lump sum of €10m to the European Commission for infringing the Habitats Directive, according to a ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, dated 05/03/2026.

The aim of this directive is to contribute to the preservation and restoration of biodiversity in Europe by establishing, in agreement with each of the Member States, a list of sites of Community importance (SCIs) to be protected.

Within this framework, the Member States are required to designate these sites as Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) within a maximum period of six years. These areas, which form an integral part of the Natura 2000 network, are subject to a special protection regime.

However, according to an initial judgment handed down by the Court in 2019, Portugal had failed to fulfil its obligations to designate 61 sites as special areas of conservation within the time-limits laid down, and had not put in place the necessary conservation measures.

"On 21/09/2024, considering that Portugal had failed to comply with the 2019 judgment, the Commission…