The request for reimbursement of these expenses incurred by the municipalities should have taken place by the end of July, but was extended until 31 August, according to a joint response from the Ministry of State Modernization and Public Administration and the Ministry of Planning, sent to the Lusa agency.
Municipalities can apply for support from the European Union Solidarity Fund (FSUE) - Public Health Emergency to be compensated for expenses incurred up to a maximum amount of 150 thousand euros per municipality. The EUSF provided a total of 55 million euros to Portugal. Until the end of August, these municipalities will be able to submit, through the 2020 Desk, the expenses incurred between 14 March and 30 September, 2020, in the scope of "immediately assisting the affected population", in the "protection of the population at risk" or in “combating serious risks to public health or mitigating their impact”.
In this context, examples of expenses considered eligible are the purchase of medical equipment and devices, including ventilators, personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves and gowns, the installation of field hospitals and other civil protection infrastructure and the use of analysis laboratory tests and other diagnostics. "The amount of support corresponds to 100 percent of the eligible expenditure up to a maximum limit of 150 thousand euros per application, to which a remaining amount may be added, if any, which will be distributed proportionally to the municipalities with expenditure exceeding 150 thousand euros", explained the Government.