Portugal approves Serra da Estrela and Alvito/Cuba conservation zones

The Portuguese government has approved the Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) for Serra da Estrela and Alvito/Cuba, concluding a legislative process that spanned over 30 years and twelve different governments.

The Serra da Estrela SAC covers 88,535 hectares across seven municipalities in the Central region, with approximately 97.8% of the area situated within the Serra da Estrela Natural Park. The Alvito/Cuba zone consists of two parcels covering areas in the Cuba, Alvito, and Viana do Alentejo municipalities, characterized by agricultural use and cork oak forests.

These designations are part of the Natura 2000 network, aimed at protecting natural habitats and threatened flora and fauna species. The resolution of these designations follows two rulings by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which had penalized Portugal for failing to designate 61 required zones. These legal setbacks included a 10 million euro fine and a daily penalty of 41,250 euros. While the legislative phase is now complete, the cessation of daily sanctions depends on the confirmed full implementation of required conservation measures.