The decision was made by the Central Administrative Court of the South (TCAS), following a judicial appeal filed by four environmental associations.

In a note sent to the Lusa news agency, the Group for Studies of Territorial Planning and Environment (GEOTA), one of the environmental associations involved in the process, explained that the TCAS agreed with them and "revoked the decision" of the Administrative and Fiscal Court of Castelo Branco (TAFCB) that suspended the precautionary measure, so that the provisional suspension of the work "resumed".

Also contacted by Lusa, Hélder Careto, from GEOTA, said that, after this decision by the TCAS, he has information that "no works are underway" and also expressed satisfaction with the court's "provisional decision".

“What matters at this moment is reaching a definitive decision regarding the declaration of nullity of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIA),” he added.

In a statement also sent to Lusa, the Intermunicipal Community of Alto Alentejo (CIMAA), responsible for the construction of the Pisão Dam, confirmed that the works have been suspended again following the TCAS decision.

“In practice, the court ordered the return of the case to the first instance court [TAFCB], which reactivates the suspension of the Environmental Impact Statement and requires the work to be stopped,” the document says.

CIMAA explained that the court “ruled exclusively” on a procedural matter, namely on “the correct form” that environmental associations “should have used” to present their request in court.

“The ruling does not assess, judge or issue any opinion on the technical, environmental or legal quality of the Pisão Dam,” the intermunicipal community stressed.

CIMAA emphasised that the merits of the project, its goodness, its legality, and its importance for Alto Alentejo were not "subject to analysis" nor were they questioned.

The judges, it continued, "did not say that the project is wrong," but said that the process "has a formulaic error" and that, because of this fact, "it needed to follow a different path" in the courts.

"The process now returns to the TAFCCB, where it will continue to be assessed, with all procedural guarantees ensured for all parties," the statement said.

CIMAA also added that, despite being a decision of "exclusively procedural nature," it has "immediate and concrete consequences" for the project.

For CIMAA, this step is "is yet another forced and painful halt" for the populations waiting "with justified hope" for this project to move forward.

“We know that behind this wait are families who depend on safe drinking water, farmers who see their fields drying up more and more, young people who need jobs to stay on their land,” he argued.