From today, the 1st of July, passengers departing from all Portuguese airports, aerodromes and ports will be subject to a €2 carbon tax fee.
The fee was proposed by political party People-Animals-Nature (PAN), under the State Budget for 2021 (OE2021), details of which were published in the Diário da República on the 16th of February. Furthermore, by the of September 2022, the Government will also present to the Assembly of the Republic a study on the economic and environmental impact of these fees.
According to the Minister of Infrastructure and Housing, Pedro Nuno Santos, this fee will provide “millions of euros” for Environmental Funding, thus contributing to a “stronger and more sustainable” society.
PAN proposes that these revenues be applied to financing railway services, connections and infrastructure as a way of reducing emissions from the road sector, namely, in improving and increasing the availability of public transport and using environmentally friendly transport vehicles.
The fee is levied on “the issuance of airline tickets departing from airports and aerodromes located in Portuguese territory and on the docking of passenger ships at port terminals located in mainland Portugal for supply, repair, embarkation or disembarkation of passengers, respectively.”
This fee does not apply to children under the age of two, nor to public passenger transport in the context of maritime and river transport, or to air transport for residents in the autonomous regions between the mainland and the respective region.
Ro-ro passenger ships and vessels used for technical, meteorological or similar duties are also exempt.
Samantha Gannon
info at madeira-weekly.com
