General Daily Briefing — Tuesday, 30 June 2026
The Certificado Energético in Portugal in 2026 — A Practical Guide to the SCE, the Qualified Expert, the A+ to F Energy Scale, the Costs, and When You Legally Need One to Sell or Rent
Selling or renting a home in Portugal means producing a valid energy certificate first. This 2026 guide explains the Sistema de Certificação Energética (SCE), who the qualified experts are, how the A+ to F scale works, what it costs, and ex…
Good morning. Here is your Portugal briefing for Tuesday, 30 June 2026 — the day's six stories at a glance:
- Economy Minister Castro Almeida says the government has a 20-year plan to bring Portuguese living standards up to the EU average, betting on growth, competitiveness and higher productivity.
- North American buyers now lead Portugal's luxury property market, and Cascais has overtaken Lisbon for ultra-prime homes at a median €13.5 million.
- The SNS will start prescribing free AI-guided home physiotherapy from Porto unicorn Sword Health, paying a flat €200 per user a year to shrink waiting lists.
- The government is reinforcing compensation for livestock farmers hit by Iberian wolf attacks under the €3.3 million Alcateia programme, even as it readies tighter wolf protection.
- The government's 'Trabalho XXI' Labour Code overhaul has collapsed in parliament after Chega withdrew its support, leaving the existing rules in place.
- Azorean farmers were left out of a national farm-aid package worth about €2.2 million, prompting the regional government to demand inclusion and the minister to signal an amendment.
Economy Minister Pledges to Lift Portuguese Living Standards to the EU Average Within 20 Years
Speaking on 29 June at a conference of the ANMP (the National Association of Portuguese Municipalities) in Coimbra, the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Castro Almeida, said there was "no reason" for Portuguese citizens to live below the European average and that the government "has a plan in mind" to close the gap within two decades. The pitch leans on faster growth, lighter bureaucracy and "valuing work" to lift wages that remain among Western Europe's lowest. The ambition is striking against a Bank of Portugal forecast of about 1.8% growth in 2026 — respectable, but far short of what 20-year convergence would require.
American Buyers Now Lead Portugal's Luxury Property Market as Cascais Overtakes Lisbon for Ultra-Prime Homes
North Americans have moved to the front of Portugal's luxury market, overtaking British and Brazilian buyers in a segment where international purchasers made up roughly 44% of luxury transactions last year. Ultra-prime homes — typically €2 million to €30 million — have multiplied fastest west of Lisbon: Cascais now has more than 50 such listings, up about 20% year on year at a median €13.5 million, more than the capital itself. Agents credit perceived safety, a cost of living below other European capitals, and a sense of welcome, even as the boom adds pressure to a market residents already find punishing.
Portugal's Health Service Adds AI-Guided Home Physiotherapy From Porto Unicorn Sword Health
Portugal's public health service is about to start prescribing artificial intelligence: under a deal with Porto-born unicorn Sword Health, family doctors can refer patients to AI-guided remote physiotherapy at no cost to the user, a first for the SNS. The contract sets a flat fee of about €200 per user a year for unlimited sessions — roughly a fifth of the traditional cost — and the company claims it can cut waiting times sharply. It was enabled by a February government dispatch allowing remote physiotherapy through certified medical devices into the public system.
Government Boosts Payouts to Farmers Hit by Iberian Wolf Attacks Under the €3.3 Million Alcateia Programme
The government is reinforcing the compensation paid to livestock farmers whose animals are killed by the protected Iberian wolf (lobo-ibérico), trying to defuse a long-running conflict between rural producers and conservation policy. The payouts sit within the Programa Alcateia 2025–2035, which carries a budget of about €3.3 million for 2026 to both protect the species and indemnify farmers. The move comes alongside a planned new decree-law to further tighten wolf protection — a commitment that has irritated breeders who say they are "at the limit" of their patience.
Portugal's Labour Code Overhaul Collapses in Parliament After Chega Withdraws Support
After almost eleven months of negotiation, parliament rejected the government's "Trabalho XXI" overhaul of the Labour Code (Código do Trabalho), a sharp blow to the minority PSD-led government. PSD, CDS-PP and Iniciativa Liberal backed it, but Chega swung against at the last moment, joining the Socialists and the left to vote it down. Measures that now fall away include an individual hours bank (banco de horas), longer fixed-term contracts and revised dismissal rules; Labour Minister Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho called the outcome "a defeat for the country," while the existing rules stay unchanged.
Azores Growers Left Out of a National Farm-Aid Package, Triggering a €2.2 Million Regional Rift
A national package meant to cushion Portuguese farmers against rising fertiliser and production costs has opened a rift with the Azores, after the archipelago's growers were left out entirely — an exclusion the regional government values at about €2.2 million. Regional president José Manuel Bolieiro said the Azores had demanded "with harsh words" that the support be extended to the islands, framing it as a question of fairness for an autonomous region with its own dairy and cattle economy. The Agriculture and Sea Minister has since signalled the Council of Ministers resolution will be amended to fold the islands back in.
