Alexandra Vilela participated on 15 January in the meeting on the implementation of European funds in Portugal and future financing models.
The President of COMPETE 2030, Alexandra Vilela, participated on 15 January in the Congress ‘European Funds 2025: Implementation, Oversight and Future’, a meeting dedicated to analysing the implementation of European funds in Portugal and reflecting on future financing models, held at the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon.
The meeting discussed the practical implementation of Portugal 2030 and the PRR, the simplification of financing methods, the challenges of control, accountability, auditing and compliance, as well as the future model for European funds.
The opening session featured speeches by the Secretary of State for Planning and Regional Development, Hélder Reis, as well as Professor Guilherme D’Oliveira Martins and Professor Nazaré Costa Cabral, from the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon.
The Congress was organised by the European Institute of the Faculty of Law of the University of Lisbon and CIDEEFF – Centre for Research in European, Economic, Financial and Tax Law, and consisted of five panels:
1. Practical implementation of PT2030 and RRP on the ground: current situation and main constraints.
2. Simplification of funding methods in funds: simplification or illusion? (simplified cost options and the dichotomies with combating mismanagement).
3. How to accelerate European funds in 2025 and what is the model for the next programming period?
4. Control, accountability, auditing and compliance.
5. Verification of public procurement procedures: necessity or distortion of the system?
The first panel, dedicated to the practical implementation of the RRP and Portugal 2030, was led by the President of Recuperar Portugal, Fernando Alfaiate, together with Cláudia Joaquim, President of the Agency for Development and Cohesion, and Alexandra Vilela, President of Compete 2030.
The debate focused on the current state of implementation on the ground, the main operational constraints and the challenges faced by beneficiary entities and managing authorities, including regulatory complexity, control mechanisms, public procurement and the shortage of specialised technical resources, as well as the transition between funding cycles.
One of the central themes was the comparison between the RRP model and the Cohesion Policy model, with a focus on the discussion about the future of European funds.
In the second panel, dedicated to the simplification of funds and the future model to be followed, it was considered that the hybrid model is the one that can best serve national and European interests, ensuring more efficient implementation and greater economic and social impact of the investments financed.
The meeting was an opportunity to promote debate on the application and challenges of implementing European funds.
Source: Cideeff/RecuperarPortugal
03 February 2026