Governed by Public or by Private Law?
7 Housing and social security
In Portugal, the issue of social security is evidently emphasized and taken great care of both in respect of the legal regulation and in practice (OECD, 2020). Social security and the questions of housing have a strong constitutional basis, since the right to housing is explicitly set out in the Constitution as a fundamental right, rather than a constitutional state aim, as it can be observed in Hungary.37 The welfare system of Portugal is highly centralised, therefore the local municipalities contribute to social spending less intensely.
In order to understand the mechanisms of the Portuguese social security system, it has to be emphasized that self-care of smaller communities such as families, traditional civil communities and church organizations has great relevance, therefore the provision of personal services – carried out very heterogeneously - falls into the competence of the local municipalities, while the central government remained the provider of the cash benefits that have the greatest significance among all social benefits.
Although the social spending of the Portuguese state are significantly higher than the OECD average, it cannot be forgotten that housing poverty is a serious issue in Portugal as well, taking into consideration that 5.8% of the population may have difficulties paying out a home loan, renting or paying overheads. Regardless, there is no cooperation between the local municipalities of AMP in respect of housing issues. Porto puts great emphasis on housing matters, which can be observed through the examination of the housing stock, 13% of which is owned by the municipality, serving 30,000 inhabitants. The examination of the city budget also provides that – despite central cash benefits and the importance thereof – Porto approaches the maintenance of the municipal housing system as an issue of the social welfare system with great significance.38 It is however evident that the Porto municipality itself is not able to operate the whole housing stock, therefore a public company – Domus Social – is entitled and obliged to do so. In Maia, the similar method is applied, the public company, Espação Municipal shoulders the same tasks as Domus Social does. According to the interviews, Maia has been carrying out investments regarding the municipal housing stock, due to which a great percentage of the social expenditure consists of the repayment of loans. It is also quite clear that social security
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and housing is possibly the most controversial field between the municipalities of AMP, burdened by various conflicts of interest on a daily basis that are not easy to mediate.
8 Conclusions
The framework of the cooperation may be outlined as follows: strong, partial and weak cooperation can concurrently be obtained during the examination of AMP. The cooperation is significant mainly in sectors where the central legislature has essentially made this mandatory, due to which the most successful field of the cooperation is public transportation. Only partial cooperation has been established in the field of waste management (LIPOR), and in the field of human public services. Local municipalities established separated constructions and found separated solutions regarding housing. The results of the examination provided that the system of the intermunicipal cooperation -despite all fragmentations - ensures the satisfactory functioning of the metropolitan agglomeration. Integrated solutions undeniably play a crucial part in the economic and social growth of the area – as the example of the public transportation provides, but traditional coping mechanisms and possible differences regarding ideas and perspectives may hinder the engagement in establishing mutual solutions.
Notes:
1 Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Art. 235.
2 Constitution of the Portuguese Republic, Art. 236.
3 Act 75. of 2015.
4 Retrieved April 29, 2021, from http://portal.amp.pt/pt/.
5 Act 7. of 2013.
6 Act 7. of 2013, Art. 69, 71.
7 Act 7. of 2013, Art. 73-74, 76.
8 Serviço Intermunicipalizado de Gestão de Resíduos do Grande Porto, https://lipor.pt/pt/.
9 Espinho, Gondomar, Maia, Matosinhos, Porto, Póvoa de Varzim, Valongo és Vila do Conde
10 See: http://autoridade.amp.pt/pt-pt/home/transporte-na-amp/transportes/.
11 CEC [1989]: Quadro Comunitário de Apoio – 1989-1993 para o desenvolvimento e o ajustamento estrutral das regiões menos desenvolvidas (objectivo no01) Portugal
12 https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/fea62108-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/fea62108-en.
13 https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/sites/fea62108-en/index.html?itemId=/content/publication/fea62108-en.
14 https://www.pt-2020.pt/wp-content/uploads/partnership-agreement-portugal-summary_en.pdf.
15 https://poseur.portugal2020.pt/en/portugal-2020/.
16 https://poseur.portugal2020.pt/en/portugal-2020/.
17 https://poseur.portugal2020.pt/en/portugal-2020/.
18 https://poseur.portugal2020.pt/en/portugal-2020/.
19 https://poseur.portugal2020.pt/en/portugal-2020/.
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20 https://norte2020.pt/sites/default/files/public/uploads/programa/CCDR-N_brochura_Ingles_FINAL_NOVO.pdf.
21 https://norte2020.pt/sites/default/files/public/uploads/programa/CCDR-N_brochura_Ingles_FINAL_NOVO.pdf.
22 https://norte2020.pt/sites/default/files/public/uploads/programa/CCDR-N_brochura_Ingles_FINAL_NOVO.pdf.
23 https://norte2020.pt/sites/default/files/public/uploads/programa/CCDR-N_brochura_Ingles_FINAL_NOVO.pdf.
24 https://norte2020.pt/sites/default/files/public/uploads/programa/CCDR-N_brochura_Ingles_FINAL_NOVO.pdf.
25 https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/partnership-agreement-hungary-2014-20_en - Partnerségi Megállapodás - Magyarország – 2014-2020.
26 The 5 priorities are available at the link below:
https://www.palyazat.gov.hu/download.php?objectId=52032.
27 https://www.palyazat.gov.hu/download.php?objectId=52032.
28 https://www.metrodoporto.pt/pages/320 (accessed: 2021.05.01.).
29 STCP Annual Report (2018) Page 26.
(https://www.stcp.pt/fotos/editor2/Relat%C3%B3rios%20e%20Contas/relatoriocontasstcp_19_en _v5s.pdf).
30 CP Annual Report.
(https://www.cp.pt/StaticFiles/Institucional/1_a_empresa/3_Relatorio_Contas/2018/relatorio-contas-2018.pdf).
31 https://www.linhandante.com/quemsomos.asp (accessed: 2021.05.01).
32 Further see: https://www.linhandante.com/SAMA.asp (accessed: 2021.05.01.).
33 https://www.linhandante.com/noticias-det.asp?noticiaid=150 (accessed: 2021. 05. 01).
34 Lei n.º 75/2013 Article 69.
35https://www.compete2020.gov.pt/admin/fileman/Uploads/20200109_Lista%20de%20Aprovado s%20C2020_31DEZ2019_site_1.pdf (accessed: 2021.05.01.).
36 Lei n.º 75/2013.
37 Article 65 of the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic (Constituição da República Portuguesa)
38 Câmara Municipal do Porto, Orçamento para o ano 2020 – Porto Annual Budget for Year 2020.
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