CPLP: Portugal aims to ratify agreement on free movement in September – PM

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CPLP: Portugal aims to ratify agreement on free movement in September – PM

12:50 CAT | 19 Jul 2021

Portugal’s government is take to parliament the agreement on free movement within the Community of Portuguese-Language Countries (CPLP) signed at the weekend in Luanda, with a view to its being ratified at the beginning of the next legislative session in September, the prime minister, António Costa, has said.

The government is thus making an “immediate” priority of the parliamentary ratification of this agreement – as well as the respective legislative framework on free movement and on academic qualifications – as conveyed by Costa in statements to journalists on the work of the Luanda summit.

“The commitment that Portugal makes is that, as soon as the work of the Portuguese parliament reopens, we will present this agreement for ratification and also the legislative framework that will allow for speeding up both the circulation and recognition of [academic] qualifications, because this is fundamental to people’s lives,” Costa said.

The prime minister highlighted to journalists the consequences in terms of citizenship resulting from the adoption of this agreement to facilitate the movement of people in CPLP member countries.

“The signing of this mobility agreement will provide once and for all the creation of a true pillar of citizenship in the framework of the CPLP, allowing easier movement between all member states, recognition of academic training and portability of social security rights,” he said. “These are matters that have to do with people’s daily lives.”

Costa then referred to problems that have existed in the past between Portuguese-language countries, such as Portugal and Brazil.

“With this agreement, we will not again have the crisis of Brazilian dentists in Portugal [as in the 1980s], or, more recently, of Portuguese engineers in Brazil,” he said, referring to two situations where there was no mutual recognition of qualifications.

Costa then moved to temper expectations, saying that the framework agreement on free movement “still requires development” and further diplomatic work.

The CPLP, which marked the 25th anniversary of its creation on Saturday, is today made up of Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal and Sao Tome and Principe.