European Union/Portugal: European Commission Opens Infringement Proceedings Against Portugal's CPLP Residence Permits

The European Commission has opened infringement proceedings against Portugal regarding its one-year residence permit for nationals from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). The Commission states that the CPLP Permits are not compliant with EU regulations as the permits do not allow travel within the Schengen area. Portugal has two months to respond to the Commission’s request for information on this issue. Subsequently, the Commission may then formally request compliance, and even pursue the matter in the Court of Justice of the European Union. The permit has proven extremely popular, with an influx of applications – particularly from Brazilian nationals. It is currently unclear how Portugal will respond. We will continue to monitor developments.