National Civil Emergency Planning System

The National Civil Emergency Planning System, set up by Decree-Law 43/2020 of 21 July, seeks to “guarantee the organization and preparedness of the State’s strategic sectors to respond to crisis situations, with the purpose of ensuring, to wit ":

1. a) The freedom and continuity of governance
2. b) The proper functioning of the State’s essential services
3. c) Security and well-being of the population.

The System is included in the National Civil Emergency Planning Council (CNPCE) and 9 emergency planning commissions.

The CNPCE is a body with coordination functions and support to the Government in civil emergency planning and operates directly under the Prime Minister or, upon their delegation, the member of Government charged with home affairs. The President of the National Authority for Emergency and Civil Protection (ANEPC) is, inherently, the President of the CNPCE.

The emergency planning commissions are sector-based civil emergency planning bodies and, among other powers, they draft and submit for the CNPCE’s appraisal the draft bills and plans that will translate into the sector’s civil emergency planning policies.

Of the most relevant activities under way, we note the one relating to Decree-Law 20/2022 of 28 January, which mirrors the CNPCE’s powers, as well as that for the emergency planning commissions as sector-based bodies, in terms of identifying and defining the critical national infrastructure.

The CNPCE is composed of the following:

• President (inherently the President of the ANEPC)
• Vice-president
• A representative of the General Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces
• A representative of the Regional Government of the Azores
• A representative of the Regional Government of Madeira
• A representative of the Secretary-General of the International Security System
• A representative of the National Maritime Authority
• A representative of the Gendarmerie
• A representative of the Public Safety Police
• A representative of the member of Government charged with Finance
• A representative of the Integrated Medical Emergency System
• A representative of the Portuguese Environmental Agency
• The chairs of the emergency planning commissions

The emergency planning commissions in the system are as follows:

• Water and Waste Emergency Planning Commission
• Agriculture and Food Emergency Planning Commission
• Cybersecurity Emergency Planning Commission
• Communications Emergency Planning Commission
• Energy Emergency Planning Commission
• Health Emergency Planning Commission
• Air Transport Emergency Planning Commission
• Maritime Transport Emergency Planning Commission
• Land Transport Emergency Planning Commission.

In the event of a crisis, the vice-president and sector coordinators of the CNPCE are integrated in the bodies that assist the Prime Minister, under the terms of the Constitution and the law. The same principle is applied to the emergency planning commission personnel regarding their respective areas of Government.

NB: Soon, the CNPCE will have its own website, where you will find this content, as well as other, and more detailed information.