At issue is the transposition into national legislation of Directive 2014/89/EU, on which Brussels opened, in July 2023, an infringement procedure requiring Portugal to draw up and communicate its maritime spatial planning plans.

The EU legislation in question included a deadline of March 31, 2021, for Member States to draw up the plans in question and communicate them within three months of their publication, which Portugal did not fully comply with, with some maritime waters remaining to be covered.

Lisbon now has two more months to comply with the directive, under penalty of the case being brought before the EU Court of Justice.