Decree-Law No. 3/2016 approving the principles and rules of organization, competence and functioning of Municipal Administrations and Municipal Authorities.

This Decree-Law, consisting of 160 articles divided into nine Chapters, approves the principles and rules of organization, competence and functioning of Municipal Administrations and Municipal Authorities and applies to the entire national territory with the exception of the Special Administrative Regions. It creates the Inter-ministerial Technical Group for Administrative Decentralization (GTIM), with the mission of ensuring the coordination of all bodies and services of the State's Direct or Indirect Administration that intervene in the formulation or execution of the Administrative Decentralization and Local Power Policy, defining the respective powers. The organizational model of Municipal Administrations and Authorities have the mission of ensuring the performance of the administrative functions of the State through the execution of Government policies and programmes at the local level, for the promotion and guidance of socio-economic development and through the provision of goods and services in the municipalities, namely in the following areas: a) Education; b) Health; c) Food Security; d) Public Works and Transport; e) Water, Basic Sanitation and Environment; f) Agriculture; g) Market and tourism management; h) Social Action; i) Civil Protection; j) Natural Disaster Management; k) Registries, Notaries and Cadastral Services; l) Support to non-governmental organizations and community organizations.