They have two different views on the issue of the environment in our country.
Luisa Schmidt, PhD in sociology of the environment within a lecture on environmental policies in Portugal, drew a lack portrait in 2008, after four years, little or nothing has changed, in the view of this researcher, "past the period of revolution with its specificities, among which, the devaluation of the environmental policies, was in fact the EU accession (1986), almost coincident with the European Year of the Environment (1987), which marked a crucial milestone in the country's environmental policy, bringing new requirements, reinforcing his legislation and enhancing measures. The EU brought yet clears advantages of financial support for basic infrastructure and the improvement of living conditions. The late 80s were therefore pivotal year in which some factors came together and key events for the role of environmental issues. "Despite all this paraphernalia and laws and regulations, little or nothing has evolved in terms of environmental preservation in our country. According to Schmidt, "The cases of sanitation and industrial hazardous waste are the most eloquent, showing clearly the internal inability to solve basic problems, thought abundantly financed. Regarding sanitation, after 4 billion of investment of three Community support frameworks, between 1986 and 2006, in sewage treatment plants and sewage, the result of the lifting of the state of the rivers made in 2000 showed how 70% of watercourses were still severely polluted (today about 35% are, with only 23% of surface water can be considered good). The failure of these cases nationwide only can understand considering the limitations and difficulties in the assumptions that imply a consistent environmental policy. "
Another different view comes from the former minister of the environment and natural resources, between the years 1991/93, Carlos Borrego, which states, "revisiting the past 25 years I cannot fail to check progress of environmental policies, with the consolidation of new instruments, such as environmental impact assessment, environmental licensing, environmental management systems, accreditation systems, the European trade of allowances and the law of liability for environmental damage. " However, both professors agree on several issues, one of them points out, "the high number of transposed directives and enacted laws (in 2009 alone were published more than 100 diplomas relating to the environment), produced few tangible results meet the expectations created. The same can be said of cases of sanitation, major projects (construction of roads and dams) and hazardous industrial waste are the most eloquent, evidencing clearly the internal inability to solve basic problems, even abundantly financed. The failure of these cases, nationwide, can be understand considering the limitations and difficulties in the assumptions that imply a sound environmental policy: lack of environmental awareness, effective planning and an effective justice system. "
http://www.aps.pt/vicongresso/pdfs/256.pdf
http://ftp.infoeuropa.eurocid.pt/database/000044001-000045000/000044764.pdf
