The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 14th February 2024
by Mike Evans
A very happy Valentine’s Day to you all in the Algarve and beyond. With this week being Carnival week across the country it had to happen that this last weekend has been peppered with heavy rain which caused a number of the processions planned to be abandoned or run indoors. However the amount of rain has certainly done the drought situation a lot of good. Also this week we saw that The Council of Ministers has approved a budget of 26.65 million euros for the adoption of efficiency measures and increased water availability in the Algarve, to respond to the situation of “alert” due to the drought in the region.This amount is part of the set of measures to combat drought provided for in two resolutions that were approved by the Government in the Council of Ministers and which also provide for an amount of 200 million euros for exceptional support for farmers.
Still on environmental issues The Algarve Regional Coordination and Development Commission ( CCDR ) announced this Monday that it had awarded the technical study for the proposal for the base route of the metrobus that aims to create a connection in 15 minutes between Faro, Loulé and Olhão. The project aims to promote sustainable multimodal urban mobility, as part of the transition to an economy with zero emissions net carbon emissions and decarbonization of public transport in the region”, according to the press release.
The project will be developed in conjunction with the municipalities of Faro, Olhão and Loulé, the University of Algarve, the International Airport – ANA Aeroportos and Turismo do Algarve. When announcing the project, in March last year, the president of the Algarve CCDR explained that the metrobus, or BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), is an electric vehicle on its own corridor, with 24 stops, over 38 kilometres, serving around 185 thousand residents in the three municipalities, that is, 40% of the Algarve population. Let’s hope they can keep to a proper timetable both in construction and when completed.
Now for a look at some of the other news from our Region.
ASAE suspends the activity of six restaurants and a bakery
The Food and Economic Security Authority (ASAE) reported on Saturday, the 10th, that it had ordered the suspension of the activity of seven establishments (six restaurants and a bakery) in an inspection operation involving 21 economic operators in the municipalities of Lisbon, Loulé and Quarteira.
In a statement, ASAE states that following this action, carried out by its Southern Regional Unit, a criminal case was initiated, for “damaged” foodstuffs, and 13 administrative offence cases for various infractions such as violation of the entity’s general duties exploitation, non-compliance with general and specific hygiene requirements, non-compliance with pantry and kitchen requirements, poor implementation of Hazard Analysis and Critical Point Control (HACCP).
“As a result of the verification of the lack of hygiene conditions and structural conditions detected, the suspension of activity of 6 food and beverage establishments and 1 bread establishment was also determined”, explains ASAE. The authorities also seized 13.5 kilos of frozen fish products and 225.25 kilos of meat, worth approximately three thousand euros, says ASAE, noting that the operation was carried out this Friday in conjunction with the GNR, PSP , Authority for Working Conditions (ACT) and Tax and Customs Authority (AT).
PSP in Faro suspends shooting tests indefinitely
The Faro district command of the PSP suspended shooting tests for an indefinite period, after several police officers failed again in a new session, a police source said this week.
According to the PSP source, this week there was a new shooting certification session in the Algarve, but as the police were again failing, allegedly as a form of protest, the Faro district command decided to suspend practical shooting for an indefinite period.
Last week, 22 of the 24 police officers who participated in the two shooting certification sessions failed and were subjected to a second test. A police source explained that the shooting certification in Faro was cancelled to avoid the risk of more unused police officers.
When police officers fail shooting tests, the weapon is removed and they begin to perform duties exclusively on administrative duty, losing the right to receive supplements.
A police source said that several PSP agents in the Algarve have started a new form of protest and are purposely failing the practical shooting test so as to be left without a weapon and thus not be able to go abroad.
PSP police officers carry out shooting training tests every year to ensure they are able to use weapons, with pellets used in the practical test being one of several forms of protest.
Another police source also said that the national director of the PSP has already given instructions to the territorial commands about the possibility of suspending practical shooting for reasons “of better management of human and operational resources”.
Members of the PSP and GNR have staged several protests to demand a supplement identical to that allocated to the Judiciary Police, with the protest beginning more than a month ago.
In recent days, several PSP police officers and GNR soldiers have suffered casualties, although the platform does not assume that they are a form of protest, and the Minister of Internal Administration has ordered the opening of an urgent inquiry with the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration into these sudden casualties.
EU threatens sanctions for not complying with ruling on environmental conservation
This week, the European Commission opened two cases against Portugal at the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) for non-compliance with a ruling on the conservation of sites of community importance and threatened sanctions.
In a statement, the community executive announced the decision to take action against Portugal at the CJEU for failure to comply with a ruling of December 5 that called on the country to designate 61 “sites of community importance” as “special conservation” sites, as required by the European directive for habitat conservation.
The court also declared that Portugal did not adopt the necessary conservation measures for these sites. Following the ruling, Portugal formally designated the 61 sites in question as special conservation zones through the adoption of a specific decree, but this designation is not sufficient to comply with the ruling, because Portugal also needs to adopt conservation objectives and measures, he says the Commission.
Therefore, Ursula von der Leyen executive “decided to refer the issue again” to the CJEU.
As this is the second action brought before the court on the same matter for Portugal “it may result in the application of financial sanctions for the time that elapses after the date of the first ruling until compliance is verified”.
In another statement, Brussels also announced that Portugal is among a group of countries, including Spain, Ireland, Bulgaria, Malta and Slovakia, targeted by the CJEU for failure to comply with the review of river basin management plans.
The directive in question, argued the Commission, “focuses on ensuring good qualitative and quantitative health of European water bodies, such as rivers and lakes”, and has the purpose of eliminating pollution, “as well as guaranteeing the availability of sufficient water to simultaneously satisfy human and wildlife needs.”
The countries in question “continue to fail to fulfil their obligations under the directives” and the efforts made by the Portuguese authorities to date “have been insufficient”.
492 infractions detected and 80 accidents recorded last week in the Algarve
These figures and 28 arrests were the results of the series of operations carried out in the Algarve, in the week of 5th to 11th February, which aimed to prevent and combat violent crime, road inspection, among others.
This week, it is worth highlighting the arrest of seven people for driving under the influence of alcohol and four for driving without a legal licence and the seizure of 176 20-litre bottles of hydrochloric acid, a 200-litre drum of acetone, 8,982 euros in cash, three fishing rods, a TPA device, a precision scale and a cell phone.
In traffic, 492 infractions were recorded, including 91 for speeding, 32 for lack of mandatory periodic inspection, 27 related to anomalies in lighting and signalling systems, 22 for improper use of a cell phone while driving, 10 for lack of or incorrect use of a seat belt and/or system restraints for children is due to lack of civil liability insurance.
The 80 accidents caused three seriously injured and 19 slightly injured.
Stay safe and take care until the next time.