Madeira's Regional Government has changed the rules for support to agricultural access roads under the PEPAC programme, cutting the eligible cost covered from 100% to 50%. The change, set out in Ordinance No. 607/2026, amends intervention F.1.5, created in June to fund tracks and access routes to farms.
The government cites rising construction costs. Socialist deputy Sílvia Sousa Silva has questioned whether the same criterion will apply to other public investments, comparing the move to the new Madeira hospital. That comparison is not direct: the national government has pledged to keep its 50% share of the hospital, adjusting its funding to the final cost.
For farmers and municipalities with projects already prepared, the cut could mean delays, smaller works or abandoned plans. It remains unclear whether the new rate applies only to new applications or also to approved projects.