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The Portugal Brief

The Portugal Brief

IMF Warns Two-Thirds of EU Energy Subsidies Are Untargeted and Already Cost 0.18% of GDP — Alfred Kammer Says the Permanent-Fiscal-Burden Trap Is Closing on Lisbon as ISP Discount Climbs Again

IMF Warns Two-Thirds of EU Energy Subsidies Are Untargeted and Already Cost 0.18% of GDP — Alfred Kammer Says the Permanent-Fiscal-Burden Trap Is Closing on Lisbon as ISP Discount Climbs Again

IMF's Alfred Kammer warns two-thirds of EU energy subsidies are untargeted and already cost 0.18% of GDP — landing the same weekend Lisbon lifted its ISP fuel-tax discount to €75.48/1,000L diesel and €51.97 gasoline. Permanent-fiscal-burden trap closing on the eurozone.
The Portugal Brief
IMO Adopts the World's Largest Emission Control Area Covering Mainland Portugal — North-East Atlantic ECA Caps Bunker Sulphur at 0.10% From 2028 With Tier III NOx for New Builds, Madeira and Açores Left Out

IMO Adopts the World's Largest Emission Control Area Covering Mainland Portugal — North-East Atlantic ECA Caps Bunker Sulphur at 0.10% From 2028 With Tier III NOx for New Builds, Madeira and Açores Left Out

MEPC 84 adopted the North-East Atlantic ECA on 1 May 2026, covering mainland Portugal, Spain, France, the UK, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroes and Greenland. The 0.10% sulphur bunker cap and Tier III NOx for new builds bite from 2028 — Madeira and the Açores are explicitly excluded.
The Portugal Brief
GNR Activates Operação Peregrinação Segura 2026 From Monday Through 13 May Across the Fátima Pilgrim Routes — Two-Phase Deployment, Waze Alerts and a 450,000-Pilgrim Anniversary Window

GNR Activates Operação Peregrinação Segura 2026 From Monday Through 13 May Across the Fátima Pilgrim Routes — Two-Phase Deployment, Waze Alerts and a 450,000-Pilgrim Anniversary Window

GNR's Operação Peregrinação Segura 2026 launches Monday 4 May and runs through 13 May. Phase 1 covers the foot-pilgrim flow on the Caminho de Fátima; Phase 2 secures the Cova da Iria recinto for the 12-13 May International Anniversary Pilgrimage. Waze integration adds geolocated safety alerts.
The Portugal Brief