These decisions were taken at a cabinet meeting in the Tapada de Mafra former royal hunting grounds, around 40km north of Lisbon. They were announced by the minister, Luís Capoulas Santos, who said that it would be “mandatory for those who buy eucalyptus plants from a plant nursery to have prior authorisation.”

Those who do not comply with the new rule and go ahead with planting eucalyptus illegally are to be penalised: “There are fines of 3,700 euros for citizens and 44,000 euros for collective entities,” he said.

According to the minister, plantations’ owners are to be notified to pull up the trees and, if they do not, after six months “the fine is to double.” After that, it is to increase daily.

Santos stressed that “the fines are higher than the expected value of revenue from growing eucalyptus.”

Earlier this year the government moved to ban the planting of eucalyptus trees in certain areas. In addition, “for every hectare taken from an area [that is] unsuitable in terms of forest reorganisation” one can only plant “half a hectare in another area under planning.”

With these steps, Santos said, he believes that “the area of eucalyptus will be limited and may even reduce a little,” but this will not “undermine the overall amount of raw material needed to feed an industry that is important to the country and represents a lot of jobs” - a reference to the pulp and paper industry, a major exporter.