Council of the Portuguese Communities

Created under Law nº 66-A/2007, of December 11, the Council of the Portuguese Communities (CPC) is the consulting branch of Government for policies relative to emigration and Portuguese communities in foreign countries.

It is within the purview of the CPC to:

Publish feedback, at the request of the Government or the Parliament, about projects and bill proposals as well as projects of legislative and administrative regulations; international agreements or community guidelines that relate to Portuguese communities living abroad;
Apprise questions that are placed by the Regional Governments of the Azores and Madeira concerning the Portuguese communities who are original from the autonomous regions;
Produce information and evaluations, under its own initiative, about all matters with respect to the Portuguese residents in foreign countries and to the development of the Portuguese presence in the world; directing them to the member of Government whose responsibility it is to handle matters of emigration and Portuguese communities;
Formulate proposals and recommendations about the objectives and the application of principles in politics and emigration.

Composition of the CPC

The CPC is composed by a maximum of 80 members, elected by Portuguese citizens who are residing in foreign countries that are voters for the National Parliament.

Each Councilor’s term has a duration of four years.

Organization of the Council

The Council functions in plenary, in permanent counsel, in themed commissions, in regional councils, in sections and subsections.

The plenary is constituted solely of the 80 elected members.

The Council holds meetings normally in plenary, every two years, and extraordinarily when, for especially relevant motives, it can be justified.

Duties of the Councilors of the Portuguese Communities

Participate in Council meetings where they have a seat and in the Commissions that may be created and to which they belong;
Contribute to the functioning of the aforementioned meetings, as well as participate in their respective votes on deliberations;
Contribute to the adequate performance of the competencies attributed to the Council;
Cooperate with institutions or entities in host countries in matters of interest to the Portuguese communities

Rights of the Councilors and of the Portuguese Communities

Intervene in debates, present proposals and vote;
Solicit written clarifications from the holders of consular posts in electoral circles for which they were elected;
Gather weekly for the holders of diplomatic missions and consular posts;
Gather, at least once per year, at the Embassy of Portugal, with technicians and diplomats of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to share information on questions of importance for the country and for the portuguese communities in areas such as education, social themes, economics, associativism, culture, among others;
Solicit information about questions related to Portuguese communities and emigration from a member of Government responsible for those affairs who will query services dependent on the Portuguese State.