Tour 12

Commissioner Serafin began his visit at the Palácio das Necessidades, where the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is located, with a working dinner hosted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, alongside the Minister of Economy and Territorial Cohesion, Manuel Castro Almeida and the Secretary of State for European Affairs, Inês Domingos.

The meeting focused on the European Commission’s proposal for the next long-term EU budget, including the new own resources, the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), and Cohesion policy. Topics such as competitiveness, defence, and the outermost regions were also discussed.

Palácio das Necessidades

Later that day, Commissioner Serafin traveled to Amadora, a city in north of Lisbon, To visit the Miguel Torga School, which has a music project called Orquestra Geração. 

This project shows how music can transform the lives of children and teenagers coming from vulnerable backgrounds. Promoted by the Municipality of Amadora under the Lisboa 2030 programme and co-financed by the European Social Fund Plus (EUR 73m), the project helps to bring social and territorial cohesion by providing quality training opportunities for young minds. Over 1,700 children and young people across 22 centres in Portugal are part of this music-based initiative. 

During the visit, he met regional and local authorities and alumni of the Orquestra Geração while around 60 young musicians, aged 7 to 14, performed.  The school has also received EU support from the European Regional Development Fund for replacing the roof of the buildings and other works that helped provide better thermal comfort for the students. 

Commissioner Serafin was accompanied by Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Carla Tavares (Socialists & Democrats), who previously served as mayor of Amadora. Being able to attend a concert of the orchestra and to talk to young people, parents, and teachers about how this musical project had positively impacted their lives was the highlight of the visit.

Commissioner Serafin’s visit emphasized  the role of EU funding in supporting projects that combine education, culture, and community engagement, showing how public resources can create tangible benefits for young people and local communities. 

Commissioner Serafin then attended a working lunch in Amadora with MEP and co-rapporteur for the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework Carla Tavares, to discuss the Parliament’s position on the EU’s next long-term budget. They were also joined by the mayor of the city of Amadora, Vítor Ferreira (PS-S&D).

This meeting brought together European and local leaders to discuss economic and regional development in the Lisbon area, and mainly addressed the next MFF proposal – particularly, the future of cohesion policy funds.

In the afternoon, Commissioner Serafin met with the members of the Committee on European Affairs of the National Parliament. 

Their discussions focused on the next long-term EU budget and how it can best serve Portugal’s development and objectives. On the agenda, topics such as the Common Agriculture Policy, Outermost Regions, European Competitiveness Fund, Global Europe, and the National and Regional Partnership Plans.

It was an opportunity to better understand Portugal’s stance in the negotiations and identify further areas of cooperation between Portugal and European institutions. While some concerns reflected specific national issues, most of the positions echoed the political lines observed within the European Parliament

The meeting also provided an opportunity to exchange views on regional and sectoral priorities and to strengthen dialogue between the Committee and European representatives.