The CJEU determines that Portugal must execute today's judgment as quickly as possible, otherwise fines will be imposed.

The judgment refers to the lack of notification of strategic noise maps for five main roads (out of a total of more than 500), for 236 main roads (out of a total of 555) and to the absence of action plans for the 55 main rail axes.

At issue is the lack of timely communication of compliance with directive 2002/49/EC on the assessment and management of environmental noise, namely, with regard to five major road axes: “In the present case, the deadline set in the reasoned opinion addressed to the Portuguese Republic ended on October 20, 2018”, reads the judgment to which Lusa had access.

The deadline set in the reasoned opinion sent by the European Commission to Lisbon was also exceeded with regard to the approval and communication of action plans for the 55 railway axes covered, which only took place on June 25, 2021.

“In view of all the foregoing considerations, it must be declared that the Portuguese Republic (…) by not having drawn up strategic noise maps relating to major road axes (…) nor action plans for the agglomerations of Amadora and Porto, as well as for the major roads and major railways referred to in the annex to this judgment, and, on the other hand, by failing to communicate to the Commission the information provided by those maps or the summaries of those action plans, it has failed to fulfil its obligations”, according to the judgment.

Portugal is ordered to pay the costs, but if Brussels considers that the judgment has not been implemented, it may file a new action with the CJEU for the application of financial penalties.