OECD Competition Assessment Reviews: Portugal
Volume I - Inland and Maritime Transports and Ports
Portugal’s services markets remain among the most heavily regulated in the OECD. Inland
and maritime transports in Portugal are a vital part of the business environment,
ensuring the movement of goods and passengers and inputs for the business sector.
Regulatory restrictions limit the ability of firms to effectively compete in the markets,
whether as providers or customers, while hampering innovation, efficiency and productivity.
Against this backdrop, this report analyses Portuguese regulations for road, railway
and maritime transport, and many ancillary services (such as vehicle inspection centres),
as well as Portugal’s ports. The report examines 1 064 pieces of legislation and makes
417 individual recommendations for amending or removing restrictive provisions to
improve competition, and makes a detailed inventory of the analysis underlying the
work. Analysis of Portuguese legislation was complemented by research into international
experiences and wide consultations with public and private sector stakeholders. The
OECD recommendations aim to remove or modify the provisions to benefit businesses
and consumers alike. This report identifies the sources of those benefits and gives
estimates of their impact. Provided all recommendations are fully implemented, the
benefit to the economy from lifting the barriers in the land and maritime transport
sectors is estimated to be around EUR 250 million a year.
Published on December 21, 2018
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