Regulation
Reference regulation: the Portuguese case
Five instruments, all read in their official text on the date shown. Each row states what the instrument provides on the legislative footprint.
| Instrument | Status | What it provides |
|---|---|---|
| Law no. 5-A/2026 of 28 January | In force since 27-07-2026; Article 19 repealed | General regime. Article 10 creates the legislative footprint mechanism; Article 8 governs hearings and the identification of contributions in case files; Article 16(3) requires an annual report |
| Law no. 37-A/2026 of 28 July | In force since 29-07-2026 | Organisation of the RTRI and its Management Board. Article 8 sets the transitional regime and phased calendar; Article 9 repeals Article 19 of Law no. 5-A/2026 |
| Resolution of the Assembly of the Republic no. 289/2026 of 9 November | In force since 10-11-2026 | Parliamentary rules. Article 8 and the annex approve the legislative footprint form, filed with each bill; Article 7 sets publication within 30 days; Article 11 governs the transition |
| Resolution of the Council of Ministers no. 167/2026 of 13 August | In force since 14-08-2026 | Government rules. Article 5(2) and (3) requires disclosure, at the end of the procedure, of interactions that materially influenced legislative or regulatory acts; Article 3(3) makes the platform's electronic form the Article 10 form |
| Regional Regulatory Decree no. 22/2026/A of 19 October | In force since 20-10-2026 | Rules of the Regional Government of the Azores. Article 7(2) and (3) requires disclosure, at the end of the procedure, on the Regional Government Portal, of consultations and interactions in the preparatory phase |
Article 19 of Law no. 5-A/2026, which contained the original transitional regime, was repealed by Article 9 of Law no. 37-A/2026. The applicable timetable is that of Article 8 of the latter. Materials predating 29 July 2026 may be out of date on this point.
[The issue number and series of the Diário da República in which AR Resolution no. 289/2026 was published remain to be confirmed; the official record was read but does not state this in the body of the text]
Article 10 of Law no. 5-A/2026 in brief
| Paragraph | Addressee | Obligation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bodies with legislative powers or a right of legislative initiative | Identify, at the end of the legislative procedure, the consultations and interactions of the preparatory phase, in a form approved by the body, which also decides how it is published |
| 2 | All public bodies listed in Article 3 | Create specific mechanisms ensuring the recording of interactions or consultations in the preparatory phase of public policies and of legislative and regulatory acts, and their public disclosure |
Exclusions from scope
The following are not interest representation for the purposes of the law (Article 2(3)):
- acts reserved to lawyers and solicitors in the exercise of a mandate in legal proceedings;
- the activity of the social partners in social dialogue, and only in that context;
- replies to direct, individual requests for information from public bodies and to individual invitations, without prejudice to the publication of those requests and invitations;
- the exercise of procedural rights in administrative procedure, including public procurement;
- the exercise of the right of petition and the submission of complaints or reports without remuneration.
These exclusions do not amount to a general exemption: the analysis is made by type of intervention and by the purpose of the contact.
Related regimes
The legislative footprint does not stand alone. It intersects with the administrative transparency regimes covered by the other domains in the ecosystem.
| Domain | Regime | Point of contact |
|---|---|---|
| AdministracaoPublica.pt | Code of Administrative Procedure, approved as an annex to Decree-Law no. 4/2015 of 7 January | The law refers to its transparency rules and excludes the exercise of procedural rights |
| Contratacao.pt | Public Contracts Code, approved as an annex to Decree-Law no. 18/2008 of 29 January | The boundary between interest representation and participation in procurement procedures |
| InformacaoAdministrativa.pt | Legislation on access to administrative documents | Preparatory documents may only be obtained through the proper channels for access to public information |
| Protecaodedados.pt | Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR) | Publication of data on individuals attending hearings; exceptions |
| PrevencaodaCorrupcao.pt | General regime for the prevention of corruption [instrument reference not reconfirmed on this date] | Linking the footprint with the compliance programme and the code of conduct |
| ProtecaodeDenunciantes.pt | Whistleblower protection regime [instrument reference not reconfirmed on this date] | Complaint channels on the operation of the register, provided for in Article 11(5) |
Outside Portugal
This page describes Portuguese law, as a case study. It does not describe the law of any other Portuguese-speaking country, which must be analysed by a local lawyer before any proposal is made.
[OECD Recommendation on transparency and integrity in lobbying: reference to be confirmed against an official source before being cited]
Normative update of this page: . References confirmed against official sources on that date; anything unconfirmed is shown in square brackets and italics.