Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs): formally established in 1969, their main objective was to carry out studies and prepare decisions regarding the planning and development of their respective regions. The mission of the RPCs was solely to consult and monitor regional development plans.
Regional Coordination Commissions (RCC): created in 1979, after the creation of local government (1974), supporting local authorities then became another objective of the Commissions’ functions. It was in this context that the Technical Support Offices (TSO) emerged, whose formal establishment occurred in 1979. It was on this date that the current fi ve areas of geographical intervention were defi ned (Decree-Law no. 494/79, of 21 December 1979).
Portugal’s accession to the European Union (1986): changes the powers of the former RCCs in terms of the management of national, Community and cooperation fi nancial programmes, and also extends them to the areas of urban planning, land use and the environment (Decree-Law No. 130/86 of 7 June). In 1989, a new organisational structure was established: Decree-Law No. 260/89 of 17 August.
Change of competences: Environment and Natural Resources: In 1990, the Regional Directorates of Environment and Natural Resources (RDENR) were created, within the scope of the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, with their competences being transferred to the RDENR (Decree-Law No. 260/89, of August 17).
Environment and Territorial Planning: In 2000, as a result of the creation of the Regional Directorates for the Environment and Territorial Planning (RDETP) (CCDR) (Decree-Law No. 127/2001, 17 April).
Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (RCDC): created in 2003 from the merger of the RCC and RDETP (CCDR) , they now integrate competences in the areas of regional planning and development, environment, land use planning, nature conservation and biodiversity and support for local authorities.
Central State Administration Restructuring Programme (CSARP): in 2007, within the scope of CSARP, new legal instruments were published to defi ne the responsibilities and powers of the RDETPs (CCDRs) (Decree-Law no. 134/2007, of 27 April), as decentralised bodies of the Ministry of the Environment, Territorial Planning and Regional Development. The licensing and management of the use of water resources are no longer within the responsibilities of the RDETPs (CCDRs), and are now the responsibility of the River Basin Administrations (RBA), as a result of the regulation of the Water Law, approved in 2005.
With the update of the structure of the RDETPs (CCDRs), the extinction of the Technical Support Offices was also defi ned (2008).
New organizational model: In 2012, within the scope of the Organic Law of the Ministry of Agriculture, Sea, Environment and Territorial Planning (MASETP), approved by Decree-Law No. 7/2012, of January 17, the RDETP (CCDR) acquired a new organizational model defi ned by Decree-Law No. 228/2012, of October 25, amended by Decree-Law No. 68/2014, of May 8 and Decree-Law No. 24/2015, of February 6.
Democratization of territorial governance: In October 2020, the fi rst indirect elections were held to elect the President and one of the two Vice-Presidents of the Regional Coordination and Development Commissions (Decree-Law No. 27/2020 of 17 June, Order No. 533/2020 of 28 August, Council of Ministers Resolution No. 91/2020 of 27 October). This strengthened democratic legitimacy and expanded local powers at national level.
Conversion into Public Institute: in 2023, with the publication of Decree-Law No. 36/2023, of May 26, amended by Decree-Law No. 114/2023, of December 4, the RDETPs (CCDRs) are converted into public institutes, under a special regime, category A (Order No. 12456-A/2023, of December 5), integrated into the indirect administration of the State, with their own legal personality, endowed with administrative, fi nancial and patrimonial autonomy, and subject to the sole supervision and supervision of the Deputy Minister for Territorial Cohesion.
With this State reform, the RDETP (CCDR), P.I. will now plan regional development in its different dimensions, in an integrated manner, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation of cross-cutting public policies in their territories.
This fulfi lls one of the long-standing objectives, in which the RDETPs (CCDRs) are established as services that coordinate the State’s regional responses, playing a privileged role in the construction of more developed and sustainable regions.
