Portugal grapples with blue‑economy regulatory hurdles and rising housing prices

A study commissioned by AICEP and the Ocean Forum, with Ernest & Young, highlights that Portugal's blue‑economy—comprising about 65,000 firms, 137,000 workers, €15.7 billion in revenue and representing 3‑4 % of GDP—faces complex, fragmented and unpredictable regulatory and licensing processes that deter foreign investment. Madalena Oliveira e Silva, president of AICEP, warned that “the sector is marked by growth and diversification” but that “the regulatory framework is complex, fragmented and little predictable.”

Research led by ISMT professor Fernando Oliveira Tavares found that Portugal's house‑price growth is driven more by strong economic growth, high disposable incomes and a severe shortage of new construction—housing starts have fallen about 70 % since 2000 and building costs have risen over 40 % in the last decade—than by interest‑rate changes. The study concluded that low supply and rising demand are the main forces behind the recent surge in housing prices.